The festival of colors in India, Holi, is ready to set sail with recipes to fill the holiday table. This celebration of spring and community brings together people from all over to rejoice colorfully together. You’ll often see families throwing handfuls of powdered dyes and pigments at each other and joyfully dancing along to live music. In addition to the rainbow of color and the fun, part of what is so special about Holi is the food. Each dish is made for sharing, with many recipes able to be handheld as well. Below, Chef Palak Patel shares some of her personal favorite Holi recipes all with a slight twist to encourage you to try something new.
Holi Recipes for Celebrating the Start of Spring
Kachori Fritters
Little fritters full of peas and edamame bring fresh green vegetables to the Holi table. These small, deep fried rounds use plenty of seasonings to make the pea and edamame filling far from boring. Try it with a green yogurt dipping sauce to complete your spread.
Thandai
Of course you’re going to need a beverage to enjoy with all this delicious food. Thandai is a cooling pistachio and saffron drink that adds to the richness of Holi. There is some room for variation here depending on what spices you prefer, but we recommend garnishing with dried rose petals or rose water.
Sweet Gujiyas
Every culture seems to have a type of dumpling, and for Holi, these Sweet Gujiyas channel that universal dumpling energy. These flour dumplings are filled with a combination of creamy ricotta, sugar, both coconut and almond flours, aromatic cardamom, and nutmeg. Biting into them is the perfect mix of crunchy and sweet without overtaking your entire palate.
Savory Chana Masala
The perfect complement to gujiyas and fritters, Savory Chana Masala brings the spice to this meal. Slowly simmered chickpeas meet a tomato-based sauce for a cozy and comforting recipe. Enjoy naan or rice alongside this dish.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Recipes by Palak Patel
Styling by Ana Kelly
Photography by Adam Milliron
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