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Holi parties are more than applying colours and greeting each other. It is about sitting together, enjoying food, welcoming summer, and cherishing refreshing beverages. While in most homes, you will find gujiya, mathri, sev, namak pare, etc. being served in the traditional four-compartment tray, this has to change.
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Aren’t you also bored with repeating it year after year? It’s time to amp up your game and showcase your culinary talent to your guests. This short guide is for everyone looking to present a colourful spread on Holi. A few twists here and there, and your boring tray will exude pink, yellow, and other rainbow hues.
Twisted Fruit Chaat
The easiest way to add colours to a spread is by making a fruit chaat. From yellow pineapple to pink strawberries, you can add a wide range of colours to the tablescape. But this is not unique. However, if you toss roasted makhanas with pomegranate seeds, some blueberries, chaat masala, and chopped kiwi, you will have a unique and nutritious blend that will be hard to resist. You can also sprinkle toasted nuts on the top for the crunch and to improve your nutrition quotient.
Beetroot Tikki
While you are about to welcome summer, don’t forget the last few weeks of cherishing beetroot. Holi is the right occasion to prepare some beetroot tikkis and serve them with a hearty salad, mayonnaise, and buns. If your guests would like, they can enjoy tikki as is or make a burger on the spot and pair it with a cocktail or mocktail. At the same time, you can also serve green pea tikkis for a flush of colours.
Rainbow Papdi Chaat
If you are from North India, you know that there is no Holi without papdi chaat. But as Chef Ranveer Brar says the plate looks quite monotonous. To break this one-shade look, try adding colours through ingredients. You already have green chutney, use beetroot to prepare pink sauce. You can use fresh pineapple for a yellow hue, and it will also infuse the dish with tangy and sweet notes. A garnish of pomegranate seeds, white curd, and shredded purple cabbage will make it look like you have played Holi on a plate.
Multicoloured Dhokla
Who said that dhokla has to be yellow? If the theme is Holi, it should also reflect on your plate, and your kitchen has all the colours for it. You can make multiple coloured dhoklas - yellow with a pinch of turmeric powder, pink with beetroot puree, green with coriander or palak puree, red with carrot puree, and more. Temper dhokla cubes and serve with deep-fried green chillies, tamarind chutney, and dhaniya chutney.
Grilled Vegetables
Holi is all about colours, so you can do that by serving vibrant vegetables with colourful dips. From corn and carrots to bell peppers and broccoli, you can either roast or grill vegetables and serve them with Mediterranean dips, hung curd spread, protein-rich chickpea hummus, traditional and tangy raw mango chutney, and Rajasthani spicy garlic dip. You can also add tortilla wraps on the side so people can make their wraps and enjoy the party.
