Holi 2024 recipes: Last-minute ideas for Holi party, from Malai Kulcha to Thandai coconut roll and more

Holi 2024 recipes: From Malai Kulcha to Chilly Oil Dumplings and exotic Thandai Mousse Gulab Jamun Jars, each of these dishes is easy to cook at home and yet supremely indulgent

Hosting a Holi party and falling short of snacks? Fret not, we bring you easy-to-make, last-minute recipes as chefs across the country have curated traditional and experimental dishes to be served as part of Holi feasts.

Malai Kulcha to Chilly Oil Dumplings and exotic Thandai Mousse Gulab Jamun Jars, each of these dishes is easy to cook at home and yet supremely indulgent. For fish lovers, there is a very special fish preparation, Millet-coated deep-fried fish Bagels with Spice Tomato Basil Oil, something new and off beat with the goodness of millets. Thandai Coconut Roll are delicious puff pastries, again experimenting with quintessential Thandai, a promising snack to be polished by one and all in no time.

Holi 2024 recipes: Malai Kulcha, By Chef Sareen Madhiyan, Executive Chef, Punjab Grill

Malai Kulcha

By Chef Sareen Madhiyan, Executive Chef, Punjab Grill

“Malai Kulcha is one item you can bank on at the last minute when hosting parties. It is simple to  prepare and goes very well with any side dish, be it tikki or cottage cheese. In this recipe, it is cooked in such a way that people like to have it without any accompaniment with their drink.”

Ingredients:

Kulcha dough:

• Maida, 3 cups
• Baking powder, ½ tsp
• Butter, ¾  cup
• Sugar, 1½ tsp
• Salt, ½ tsp
• Kasoori methi, 1 tsp
• Maida, for dusting

• Cream cheese, 1.5 cup
• Processed cheese, 1 cup
• Yellow chilli powder, 1 tsp
• Green chilli, 3-4 finely chopped
• Coriander leaves, 1 tsp finely chopped
• Ginger, 1 tsp finely chopped

• Tomato, 5-7 medium size
• Sugar, 2 tbsp
• Ginger, 1 tbsp finely chopped
• Kalonji, ½  tsp
• Deggi Mirch, 1 tsp
• Vinegar, 1 tbsp
• Salt, 1 tsp
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Kulcha Dough

• Mix all the dry ingredients. Add about 2 tbsp of butter to the flour and combine it all together.
• Add water and knead it to a soft dough. Rest the dough for about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the Murabba & filling as described in the recipe below.
• Roll the dough for about ½ inch thick into a rectangle.
• Spread the butter uniformly on the rolled-out dough. Sprinkle flour on the butter and fold the edges inward to the center, then fold again at the center line, as if closing a thick book.
• Keep the dough in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
• Roll out the dough gently again in rectangular and fold it in two-fold like folding a letter, overlapping one edge on top of the other edge.
• Cut the dough into 6 equal parts cover and keep refrigerated. The dough can be prepared a day earlier.

• Blanch the tomatoes, remove the skin & seed. Roughly chop them.
• In a pan heat oil, add kalonji, ginger & degi mirch.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes, cook till it gets soft.
• Add remaining ingredients once the tomatoes are cooked and get thickened, take off the flame cool down & store.

• Grate processed cheese & mix all the ingredients.
• Adjust the chilies as desired.
• Divide the filling into 6 equal parts.

• Pre heat the oven to 220oC.
• Fill the dough with the cheese filling and very gently roll the kulchas. Make sure it doesn’t tear up.
• Bake the kulchas in the oven for 8-10 minutes or till it turns golden brown.
• Take out from oven apply some butter & serve with tomato Murabba.

Holi 2024 recipes: New York Cheese Chilly Oil Dumpling, By Chef Rattan Kumar, Executive Chef YouMee

The New York Cheese Chilly Oil Dumpling

By Chef Rattan Kumar, Executive Chef YouMee

“A delightful dish that perfectly blends the creamy comfort of New York-style cheese with the vibrant kick of chili oil. It's a unique and unexpected flavour combination that's sure to steal the show in your party.”

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• Cream cheese, 80 gm
• Water chestnut, 20 gm
• Fresh red chilli, 06 gm
• Button mushroom, 30 gm
• Sichuan chilli oil, 20 gm
• Truffle oil, 2 Ml
• Aromatic seasoning powder, 4 gm
• Salt, 3 gm
• White pepper powder, 2 gm

• Potato starch, 50 gm
• Wheat starch, 125 gm
• Vegetable oil, 05 ml
• hot boiling water, 200 ml

• Sichuan Chili oil, 30 gm
• Micro greens, 4 gm

Make the filling:

• In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, truffle oil, white pepper, water chestnut, mushroom and fresh red chilli.
• Mix well until it becomes smooth and creamy and after that keep in the chiller to set it to a slightly hard texture.

• In a large bowl, whisk together potato starch, wheat starch and add the boiling water and vegetable oil, and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
• Turn the dough onto a lightly oily surface and knead for 2 - 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
• Cover the dough with a clean wrap and let it rest for 5 minutes at room temperature.

• Lightly flour your work surface.
• Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a thin circle, about 3 inches in diameter.
• Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each dough circle.
• Fold the dough circle in half to form a semi-circle, and pinch the edges to seal tightly, making sure there are no air pockets.
• Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

• Bring a steamer pot filled with water to a boil.
• Line a steamer basket with banana leaf and arrange the dumplings in a single layer, leaving space between them.
• Steam the dumplings for 5 minutes, or until cooked through and the filling is melted.

• Drizzle the dumplings with chili oil and sprinkle with micro green.
• Enjoy your New York Cheese Chilly Oil Dumplings hot.

Holi 2024 recipes: Millet-coated deep-fried fish Bagels with Spice Tomato Basil Oil, By Susmita Biswas, Junior Sous Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel Pune Kharadi

Millet-coated deep-fried fish Bagels with Spice Tomato Basil Oil

By Susmita Biswas, Junior Sous Chef, Radisson Blu Hotel Pune Kharadi

“Savour the irresistible crunch of millet-coated deep-fried fish bagels, infused with the aromatic allure of spice tomato basil oil. A fusion of textures and flavours that elevates traditional seafood delights”

Ingredients

• Fish keema, 200 gm
• Millet flex, 1 cup
• Eggs, 2
• Chopped onion, garlic, leek , celery
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying
• Tomato, basil, micro green edible flowers, etc.

• Preheat the oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 350°F (180°C).
• While the oil is heating, prepare the fish bagel by seasoning them with salt and pepper and sauteed onion garlic, leek and celery
• Place the millet flex in a shallow dish and beat the eggs in another shallow dish.
• Dip each fish bagel first into the beaten eggs, then coat it thoroughly in the millet flex.
• Once coated, carefully place the fish bagel into the hot oil and fry for about 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through.
• Once the fish is done, remove it from the oil and place it on a paper towel-lined plate to drain any excess oil.

Holi 2024 recipes: Thandai Mousse Gulab Jamun Jars, By Chef Shubham Chitrakar, CDP at Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Goa

Thandai Mousse Gulab Jamun Jars

By Chef Shubham Chitrakar, CDP at Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa, Goa

“Thandai Mousse Gulab Jamum Jars is keeping the traditional essence of thandai during Holi at the same time giving our dear old gulab jamun an innovative edge - a perfect combination of experimental taste and tradition.”

Ingredients:

For the crust

• Eggless cookies, ¾ cup
• Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons
• Thandai powder, 1½ tablespoons For the centre layer
• Gulab Jamun (rinse the syrup from the gulab jamuns), 8 pieces For the Mousse layer
• Cream Cheese (at room temperature), 8 oz
• Powdered Sugar, ¾ cup
• Heavy Whipping Cream, 1 cup
• Saffron strands
• Cardamom Essence, ½ teaspoon
• Thandai powder, 3 tablespoons For the garnish
• Gulab Jamun
• Dried Rose Petals
• Slivered almonds and pistachios For the thandai powder
• Cashews, 1 tablespoon
• Melon seeds, 1  tablespoon
• Saffron Strands, ¼ teaspoon
• Cinnamon powder, ¼ teaspoon
• Nutmeg Powder, ¼ teaspoon
• Rose petal spread, 1 teaspoon
• Fennel seeds powder, ¾ teaspoon
• Cardamom powder, ¾ teaspoon
• Poppy Seeds, ¼ teaspoon
• Almonds, 6 pieces
• Pistachio, 6 pieces
• Black Peppercorns or according to taste, 1½ teaspoons

• Pour 1 tablespoon of warm milk into a bowl, and add 1 teaspoon of crushed saffron. Mix it well. Set it aside.

• Combine all the ingredients listed under the thandai mix in a blender/grinder till a powdery consistence is achieved. Set it aside.

• Assemble: cream cheese at room temperature, saffron mix, and powdered sugar in a mixing bowl and start mixing the other ingredients. Mix it with light hands till it is smooth and free of any lumps.
• Now pour the whipped cream and the thandai mix powder.
• Beat at medium speed for 5-6 minutes until soft peaks are formed. Set aside in the refrigerator to chill.
• Drain the gulab jamuns from the syrup, slice them in halves, and set them aside.

• Crush the cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor. Another way is to put the cookies in a ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin.
• Transfer the crushed cookies to a bowl and add the thandai mix.
• Add melted butter and mix until the crushed cookies attain a grainy texture.
• Take your serving glass and spoon the cookie crumb mixture. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the cups with the back of a spoon or shot glass.
• Add a generous layer of sliced gulab jamun on top of the cookie layer. Pipe the thandai mousse over the gulab jamuns.
• Top the thandai mouse with yet another layer of sliced gulab jamuns and finish it off with a final swirl of Thandai mousse.
• Garnish with crushed pistachios, dried rose petals (edible), and gulab jamun.
• Cover the jar with plastic wrap and set them in the refrigerator to set.

Holi 2024 recipes: Thandai Coconut Roll, By Chef Rupesh, Tattva Bar & Café

Thandai Coconut Roll

By Chef Rupesh, Tattva Bar & Café

“Holi is associated with all time favourite, Thandai. Thandai Coconut Roll is an experimental take, for the evolving palate. The pastry puff is a delicate spin on its robust flavours, a marriage of Indian and western flavours is a must-experience culinary delight”

Ingredients:

• Puff pastry sheet, 1
• coconut , shredded 1 cup
• jaggery (grated or finely chopped), 1/2 cup
• Thandai powder, 2 tbsp
• Tutti frutti , or dried fruit like raisins, 2 tbsp
• Dried rose petals, 1 tbsp
• Saffron, 1 pinch
• Almonds, slivered, 1 1/2 tsp
• pistachio , slivered, 1 1/2 tsp
• Butter, melted, 1 tbsp

• Preheat your oven to 400°F / 205°C.
• Thaw the puff pastry as per the package instructions. Sprinkle some flour onto a clean work surface and spread out your puff pastry sheet. Roll it lightly with a rolling pin once or twice.
• To make the filling, sauté the shredded coconut in a non-stick pan on medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes until it dries out.
• Add in the jaggery and once it melts, switch off the gas. Don't overcook, otherwise the filling will become hard. Fold in the saffron and thandai powder. Cool this mixture to room temperature.
• On your puff pastry, spread on your butter and cooked coconut mixture in even layers. Sprinkle on your tutti frutti, pistachios, almonds, and rose petals in an even layer. Make sure to leave a 1 inch gap on top of the pastry to prevent the filling from spilling out.
• Carefully roll the edge of the pastry closest to you upwards to create a log or roll shape. Use a sharp knife to cut 1/2 inch thick pinwheels. Use your hands to reshape them if their shape becomes a little flattened while cutting.
• Place the pinwheels on your lined baking tray and brush with some melted butter. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and enjoy.