By Aditi Saraswat
February 27, 2026
Festival of Holi calls for bright colours, laughter, and a plate full of festive favourite foods. From syrup-soaked sweets to spicy snacks, these classic Holi recipes connect tradition and celebration in a delicious way.
Gujiya is a Holi staple and prepared by stuffing dough balls with filling prepared from mawa, coconut, and dry fruits. It is deep-fried until it turns golden, then dipped in sugar syrup.
These are soft dal or lentil dumplings prepared by soaking then blending moong and urad dal and aromatised by basic spices, ginger and green chillies.
Blend chilled milk with some soaked almonds, fennel, pepper pods, cardamom, rose petals, and some strands of saffron. Strain the mixture and sweeten it lightly.
Prepared a smooth batter by mixing all-purpose flour, milk, and a hint of fennel. Take a ladleful of mixture and fry until it turns crisp from the edges, then soak for a minute or two in the sugar syrup.
Kanji is a fermented mustard-flavoured water that calms digestion during the festive season. Add small fried moong dal vadas and let them soak in the kanji. Tangy and slightly spicy, it is a Holi speciality.
Make spicy filling by mashing potatoes with basic spices and then stuffing them into dough balls and deep-frying until they turn crisp. Crack the kachori open and serve hot with tangy chutneys.