Holi Hai!! The Beautiful Festivals of Colors.

I would like to wish all of you a Very Happy Holi and a Life full of Colors.

Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'. Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends & stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. Holi also gives a wonderful chance to send blessings and love to dear ones.

With winter neatly tucked up in the attic, it's time to come out of our cocoons and enjoy this spring festival. Every year it is celebrated on the day after the full moon in early March and ` glorifies good harvest and fertility of the land. The new crop refills the stores in every household and perhaps such abundance accounts for the riotous merriment during Holi.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for this day of colors.

1. Puran Poli

Puran Poli can be easily associated with Maharashtra and is its most popular dish. It is made mostly during holi when the bonfire is lit. The stuffing is known as puran and the outer cover is known as poli. The puran is made by boiling chickpea lentils with a pinch of turmeric for color. When the lentils are cooked and soft, the broth is removed and kept aside. Jaggery or gur is added to the chickpeas and cooked till they are soft. Then the stuffing is removed and sieved through a utensil made specifically for puran to achieve a smoother consistency. Saffron, cardamom, and nutmeg is added for additional flavor. The outer cover is made by making a dough by mixing refined flour, milk and ghee. Equal number of balls are made of the dough as well as the stuffing. The puran is stuffed inside the dough and then rolled out flat using a rolling pin. The poli is then coked on a hot griddle and served with ghee

Ingredients:

1 Cup Chana dal
1 Cup Jaggery
1 Tsp Cardamom
1.5 Cups Maida/Plain flour
A Pinch Turmeric
1 Tsp Oil

A Pinch Salt

Method:

Cook Chana dal in pressure cooker. Drain all the water. Cook dal mixed with jaggery for 10min. Grind without using water. Add cardamom and mix well with hand to get a smooth mixture. Mix flour/maida with, turmeric, salt, add water,oil and make a dough. Cover and keep aside for 1hr. Take a ball of dough and spread with hand. Keep a ball of chana mixture and cover with the dough and seal the ends. Apply oil to a plastic paper, keep the ready ball on it and roll it like chapathi (The plastic and oil prevents it from sticking). Cook on hot tava till it gets golden brown color. Serve hot/cold with ghee.

Some tips Use milk instead of water for making the maida dough to make pooran polis very soft. Use Toor dal along with chana dal to make them more thin and soft.

2. Makki Di Roti & Saron ka Saag (Indian corn bread with mustard green)

What a lovely combo ! This is one of my most favorite dish on the Holi Day. They truly complement each other very well. The recipe is so simple and tastes so great. Sarson is called as Mustard greens here in US is widely available in many Indian and American Grocery stores. It is known for it's distinct pungent, horse-radish mustardy flavor and is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin K. Because of it's pungent flavor it is usually cooked with milder greens like spinach.

Ingredients for Makki Ki Roti

2 cups maize flour

1 fistful plain flour

1 tbsp. Oil

1 Tsp Red chillie Powder

salt to taste
Method
1. Mix maize flour, plain flour, oil and salt. Knead in a soft pliable dough, adding very little warm water at a time. When the dough is very smooth and soft, bread a lump,Shape into a ball, flatten and pat with palm, to make a thin roti. Use dry plainflour to help or roll with a rollint pin. Place on a heavy iron or earthen griddle and roast till crisp. Repeat on both sides. Cover and line with napkins to keep warm. Drizzle with ghee or butter if desired. Serve hot with sarson ka saag and slice of onion and lime.

Ingredients for Saron ka Saag

1 bunch sarson greens

1 bunch spinach

1 Cup Cabbage

1 onion chopped

1 Tbsp Tomato Puree

1/2 tsp. each garlic grated

3 green chillie

2 tbsp. ghee

1/2 tsp. garam masala

salt to taste
Method
Chop both greens, wash, drain. Boil water in a large vessel, along with some salt and had the greens along with cabbage, green chillies and cook till the greens are nice and soft and properly cooked, As soon as it is cooked leave the greens under cold water so they dont loose their nice green color. Blend it in the food processor roughly.

In a pan heat some ghee, add chopped garlic along with chopped onion, saute till brown, add tomator puree, garam masala and chillie powder if needed. Stir well and cook till oil separates. Serve hot with makki ki roti, or paratha.

3. Lassi

Lassi is a cold yogurt drink from India. It can be sweet or savory. The most simple are flavored with salt or sugar or various spices.

Ingredients for Sweet Lassi

1 cup of yogurt

½ a cup of water
½ a cup of ice cubes
3 to 5 teaspoons of sugar
A dollop of plain yogurt for garnishing
Method:

Blend all the ingredients at high speed till frothy. Add a dollop of fresh yogurt on top.
Makes two to three glasses of Lassi.

Ingredients for Salty Lassi
This Salty Lassi is spiced with cumin and is a great refreshing drink in the summer.
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup chilled milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
1/2 cup of ice cubes
A dollop of plain yogurt for garnishing
Method:

Dry roast the cumin seeds for a few minutes until you start getting a wonderful aroma. Cool and grind to a coarse consistency. In a blender blend all the ingredients. Top it up with a dollop of yogurt. Serve chilled.

Ingredients for Mango Lassi
1 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mango pulp (fresh or canned)
1 cup crushed ice
3 table spoons sugar / Use sugar substitute if desired
Method:
Blend all of the above. Add a little water if the consistency is too thick. Keep refrigerated. Serve chilled.

I really hope that all of you will enjoy cooking these dishes as much as I enjoyed writing it for you and also hope that this Holi and Spring brings lot of happiness into your life...