Holi 2025: Chef Parul Gupta Shares Recipes For Sweets

Holi is here, and every household is preparing tons of dishes. While creating a repast, don’t forget to make sweet delights for which the festival is known. Ahead of the celebrations on March 14, 2025, you must start preparing gujiya and rabri from today itself. The two dishes are staples and synonymous with Holi celebrations.

Chef Parul Gupta, a Digital Content Creator, shared the two recipes with Slurrp. She also shared a couple of tips to help you ace the dishes and present them to guests with perfection. Note these in your cooking journal before Holi celebrations culminate.

Preparing The Dough

• Combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour (Maida) and a pinch of salt in a large bowl.
• Add 3-4 tablespoons of ghee to the flour.
• Mix the ghee into the flour by rubbing it with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
• Check the "moin" (ghee mixture) by taking a fistful of the flour; it should hold its shape.
• Gradually add water and knead the mixture into a stiff dough.
• Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Also Read: Holi 2025: Chef Karam Dogra Shares Savoury And Sweet Recipes

Filling Preparation

• Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan.
• Add chopped almonds, chopped cashews, raisins, and pistachios to the pan and sauté for about a minute.
• Add 2 tablespoons of semolina/rava/sooji to the pan and roast until it turns lightly golden.
• Add 2 tablespoons of desiccated coconut and roast briefly.
• Remove the roasted dry fruit mixture from the pan.
• In the same pan, crumble 200 grams of mawa (khoya) and roast until it turns golden brown and slightly thickens.
• Let the roasted mawa cool down and become crumbly.
• Combine the roasted dry fruit mixture, semolina, coconut, and mawa in a bowl.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom powder and a few strands of saffron to the mixture.
• Add 5 tablespoons of sugar powder and mix well.

Shaping Gujiyas

• Divide the rested dough into small, equal portions.
• Roll each portion into a small circle.
• Apply water to the edges of the circle.
• Place a spoonful of the mawa filling in the centre of the circle.
• Fold the circle over to form a semi-circle and seal the edges tightly.
• Use a fork, a gujiya cutter, or your fingers to create a decorative edge.
• Keep prepared gujiyas covered to prevent them from drying.

Frying Gujiyas

• Heat ghee for frying in a wide pan over low heat.
• The ghee should be mildly hot.
• Gently slide the gujiyas into the hot ghee.
• Fry the gujiyas over low to medium heat until they turn golden brown and crispy.
• Remove the fried gujiyas from the ghee and drain them on a paper towel.
• Let them fully cool before storing.

Tips To Perfect Gujiya

• Moin: Use ghee for the moin to make the gujiyas khasta (crispy).
• Dough Consistency: The dough should be stiff to ensure the gujiyas remain crispy.
• Roasting: Roast the mawa and dry fruits well to increase the shelf life of the gujiyas.
• Sooji: Adding fine sooji to the filling absorbs moisture and keeps the filling perfect.
• Frying Temperature: Fry the gujiyas on low heat to ensure they cook evenly and become crispy.
• Quantity: Fry more gujiyas at once for even cooking.
• Storage: These gujiyas can last for 20-25 days if made and stored properly.

Rabri Recipe

Milk Reduction

• Pour 1 litre of milk into a heavy-bottomed pan.
• Bring the milk to a boil over medium heat.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue cooking.
• As a layer of cream forms on the sides of the pan, scrape it off and stir it back into the milk.
• Continue simmering and scraping until the milk has reduced to roughly one-third of its original volume.

Flour Slurry

• In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour with 4 teaspoons of water. 
• Mix the flour and water thoroughly to create a smooth, lump-free slurry.
• Slowly pour the flour slurry into the simmering milk, stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
• Continue simmering and stirring until the rabri thickens further.

Sweetening and Flavouring

• Add 1 cup of sugar to the thickened milk mixture.
• Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Add a few strands of saffron to the rabri for aroma and colour.
• Add a small amount of pure ghee into the rabri.
• Continue to stir and cook the rabri for a few more minutes.

Cooling and Serving

• Remove the rabri from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
• The rabri will thicken as it cools.
• Serve the rabri warm or chilled.
• Garnish with additional saffron strands or chopped nuts, if desired.

Here are some tips for making Malpua

• For the Rabri: To prevent the milk from sticking, add a little water to the pan before adding the milk. When the milk thickens, scrape the sides and mix it in.
• For the Batter: Use cold rabri when blending the batter. Blend the batter in pulses to avoid lumps. The batter should have a smooth, flowing consistency.
• For Frying: Heat the ghee on low-medium heat. Pour the batter from a height.
• Other tips: If you like a thicker malpua, make the batter thicker and use more ghee.