'Dhol baaje re!'

It's about to set Mumbai awash with every imaginable hue. Dulandi, Rangpanchmi, Basant Utsav, Holi.

Call it what you will, the community celebration that marks the completion of the harvest and the onset of spring, is the harbinger of delight and cheer. Ask Suchitra Pillai and her good friend Shamita Shetty who are in a "rocking mood" helped by the festive fare laid out by chef Ananda Solomon.

Traditions and festivity
"You know, Holi takes me back to childhood," begins Bandra girl Suchitra, "I remember we used to get up at six am and start filling balloons with gulal. Everyone came out of their homes and wished each other, drenched themselves in colour and yes, parents looked the other way so there was no saying 'no' at Holi," she laughs and winces, "Not like the oil-paint-and-egg fights you see today; but pure and clean fun. Down South too, it's a huge festival; In fact, I think Holi really unifies India." Shamita agrees. "Yes, it is a celebration that just goes beyond caste and colour."

Food and fun
There's colour frenzy all around and the duo can't wait to play with the gulal and spray coloured water on each other with pichkaris. The dhol inspires them, and before long they would have sung everything from Holi Aayi Re to Khaike Paan Benaraswala.

And all that dancing and fun would sure work up an appetite! There are puran poli with god doodh, bhardyache wade, god varan bhat, katachi amti, sukhi bhaji, gujjiyas, chandra kalas and karanjis.

"The festival is about hope and new beginnings, friendship and goodwill, but at the end of the day, it's also about good food. Different communities celebrate with different foods, and while the dishes may be a little heavy, that hardly matters as the meal gets digested with all the exercise and fun," explains Ananda Solomon.

"I can't wait to dig in," says Shamita. "You know, gujjiyas are a part of tradition at home during Holi. Shilpa (her sister), makes the most awesome sugar-dipped ones and I'm always egging her on to prepare some for me," she smiles. Suchitra is also waiting to share a Holi meal with her Danish husband Lars. "He loves Indian khaana and all the rituals connected with Holi, so it's going to be fun," she announces. Cold chaas rounds up the festive repast. 

With Holi nearing, get set to eat, drink and be merry - there's no better way to enjoy yourself than to be completely immersed in one of India's most-loved festivals. Happy Holi!

Puran Poli with God Doodh
Ingredient:
Split gram - 250g
Jaggery - 250g
Cardamom powder - 5g
Refined flour - 200g
Oil - 50ml
Salt - 1g
Coconut milk - 500ml
Clarified butter - 25ml

Method:
Soak gram in warm water for four hours. Boil it and add chopped jaggery to it. Cook it on a slow fire till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Grind it until smooth. Cool the mixture. Make the dough of refined flour, oil, salt and water. Knead the dough and allow it to settle for one hour. Portion out the mixture into eight round spheres. Take a dough, fill in the mixture and roll it out evenly. Bake it on a medium fire from both the sides. Add jaggery to the coconut milk and serve with the puran poli, topped with butter.
-Courtesy: Ananda Solomon