The light southerly breeze, the crooning cuckoos, the basant bahar melodies-all herald the arrival of spring season and then comes the holi festival, adding more colors to this sultry weather. No Indian festival is complete without food customized for the occasion, same goes for holi too. Each state of India has its own delicacies to add their local flavor. From sugar candies to intoxicating drinks, there is a mind-boggling range of snacks, sweets and thandais, which add more aromas to the southerly spring air. Try and rustle up these holi delicacies.

Thandai

Ingredients:
1 ½ litre water;1 ½ cups sugar;1 cup milk;1 tbsp almond paste;1 tbsp water melon seeds,skinned;1/2 tbsp poppy seeds;1/2 tbsp aniseed;1/2 tsp cardamom powder or 10 whole pods;1 tsp rose water(optional);1 tsp peppercorns;20 gm rose petals

Method:

Soak the sugar in ½ litre of water and set aside. Wash all dry ingredients (except cardamom powder), soak in two cups of water and let stand for two hours. Grind into a fine paste and mix with water. Strain till you get a dry residue. Add milk, soaked sugar, rose water and almond paste. If using cardamom powder, fold it in now. Refrigerate for an hour. Serve chilled.

Gujia (north Indian dish)

Ingredients:
500 gm Maida(flour);1 kg khoya;75 gm raisins;200 gm almonds,silvered;500 gm sugar;200ml water;200 ml refined oil

Method:

Heat six tbsp oil and mix well with the flour, using your fingers. Add some water and knead lightly into soft dough. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside.

Stir -fry the khoya till it turns light brown. Add sugar to it and mix well. Add almonds and raisins. Fry for a few minutes and remove from the fire. Roll out the kneaded dough into small rounds, thicker and smaller than normal chapattis.
Place some khoya mix in the round, fold it into half and seal it, twisting the edges in, so the filling does not ooze out. Heat the remaining oil and deep fry these gujias, till they turn deep golden brown.

Puran poli (maharashtrian dish)

Ingredients:
300 gm chana dal;300 gm jaggary;1 tsp cardamom powder; 150 gm refined flour(maida);3 tbsp ghee;lukewarm water

Method:

Boil the dal in plenty of water till soft. Drain and break it with your fingers. Mash jaggery and mix it with the dal. Put this mixture in a heavy saucepan and cook till a soft lump is formed. Stir continuously, so that the mixture is not charred. Set aside .mix 1 tbsp ghee with flour, adding enough water to make soft dough. Make small balls and roll out into 4 chapattis. Put some dal filling in the centre and seal. Re-roll into 6 chapattis. Roast on a warm tawa till golden brown on both sides. Apply a dollop of ghee on top and serve. Or, shallow fry on tawa like a parnatha. Serve hot.