Holi 2021: Kanji vada, thandai, mouth-watering recipes you can try at home

Holi, a festival that signifies the victory of good over evil and marks the beginning of the spring season in India, is just around the corner. With one of the most vibrant festivals of India fast approaching, an atmosphere of excitement can be perceived all around.

Though essentially known as the festival of colours, Holi is also known for a myriad of different ways in which it is celebrated across our nation, with stories that recount tales in mythology that trace to the origin of this auspicious day. Maybe they are true, maybe they aren't, but the essence and intrigue of colours compel us to shun our logical minds in the hope of a dreamy world full of rainbows.

Holi is not only reflected in our life but also in the food we eat. On this occasion, most households prepare special food items to indulge in the festive fervour. 

Here are some recipes curated by Chef Vidhya of Vinsplate that you could try too. Take a look:

Kanji Vada

- 1 litre water

- 1 tbsp black mustard seeds coarsly ground

- 3/4 tbsp salt

- 1/4 tbsp Black salt

- 1/2 tsp Black pepper

- 1/2 tsp haldi

- 1 tsp hing

- 1 spoon mustard oil

- Charcoal for the Smokey flavour

Ingredients Required to Prepare Vada

- 1 cup of moong daal

- 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

- A pinch of hing

- 2 to 3 green chillies chopped

- 1 tsp red chilli powder

- 2 tbsp oil to mix in the batter

- Salt to taste

- Oil to fry

Method

- Boil water and let it cool till room temperature.

- Add all the spices in the oil and mix properly, it should be thick paste.

- Take a vessel and rub the prepared paste all over.

- Heat the charcoal, when done, keep it in a small bowl. Put a drop of oil on the hot charcoal and cover it with the paste rubbed vessel upside down on the charcoal bowl.

- After a minute, get the vessel which you have put upside down and place it down. Add your water and keep it at dry and hot place for 2 days. It will turn sour in 2 days which is the delicious traditional taste of Kanji. Referigerate it.

- Serve it chilled. Mix properly at the time of every serving so that all the spices get mixed. You can serve it in glass or in soup bowl.

Instructions to Prepare Vada

- Wash and Soak Moong daal for 4 hours.

- Drain it in morning and grind it in grinder to make thick paste. Don't grind too much. Let the very small granules remain in it.

- Add fennel seeds, green chillies chopped, hing, oil and salt in it and mix properly.

- Heat the oil in a Pan.

- Shape the vadas on your fingers and drop it in hot oil to fry.

- Deep fry the Vadas at medium flame till golden brown.

- At the time of serving, immerse your Vadas in luke warm water for 10 minutes and then drain by pressing them.

- Mix these vadas in your chilled Kanji.

- Enjoy delicious traditional Kanji Vada.

Recipe Notes

- If you use clay pot for your Kanji, you will get an authentic taste.

- You can have Kanji as a beverage by itself too

 

Dahi Vada

Ingredients Required to Prepare Vada

- 1 cup of moong daal

- 1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds

- A pinch of hing

- 2 to 3 green chillies chopped

- 1 tsp red chilli powder

- 2 tbsp oil to mix in the batter

- Salt to taste

- Oil to fry

- Fresh yogurt

- 1 cup of tamarind chutney

- 1 cup of green coriander chutney

- Freshly chopped coriander leaves

- Spices like red chilli powder and cumin powder.

Instructions to Prepare Vada

- Wash and Soak Moong daal for 4 hours.

- Drain it in morning and grind it in grinder to make thick paste. Don't grind too much. Let the very small granules remain in it.

- Add fennel seeds, green chillies chopped, hing, oil and salt in it and mix properly.

- Heat the oil in a Pan.

- Shape the vadas on your fingers and drop it in hot oil to fry.

- Deep fry the Vadas at medium flame till golden brown.

- At the time of serving, immerse your Vadas in luke warm water for 10 minutes and then drain by pressing them in between your palms.

Assembling the dahi vada

- Whisk the chilled yogurt and season it with salt and sugar.

- Place the Vadas in a bowl, pour the yogurt over them, so they are all covered with the yogurt. Drop the tamarind and the coriander chutney over them and sprinkle the spices.

- Garnish with some freshly chopped coriander.

 

Holi Thandai

- 1/2cup almonds 1/2cup cashewnuts

- 1/2cup unsalted pistachios

- 25 black peppercorns

- 10 cardamom pods

- 2 tbsp poppy seeds

- 2 tbsp fennel seeds25 to 30 saffron strands

- 4 tbsp rose petals

- 1 tsp nutmeg powder

- Add all the said above ingredients into a blender and ground to a coarse powder. Mix 2 tbsp of this powder in a glass of chilled milk.

- Add honey to your taste and Blend it. Garnish it with rose petals and saffron strands