PART OF International Eats

14 Indian Treats for Holi

Hindus all over the world celebrate the end of winter with Holi, a two-day festival steeped in religious iconography, myths and stories. On the first day, people traditionally gather to pray, build ceremonial fires and burn small amounts of food (like coconut, puran poli or fudge-like burfi) as an offering to Vishnu. The following day is marked by a large, rambunctious gathering where everyone covers each other with colored powder or colored water.

Every region of India celebrates with pomp, feasting on a dizzying variety of desserts. As a festival with religious undertones, all the foods are vegetarian. Most treats set out during Holi are finger-foods (often served at room temperature), so that folks can easily return to the festivities. Seasonally cooling drinks are included to wash it all down—because Holi revelry tends to make you thirsty. Most dishes can be made a day ahead.

Curated by Nandita Godbole

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Jalebi

This swirly orange treat is crunchy, sweet and irresistible. To make it, a batter is poured into hot oil in a steady stream. Once fried, the pieces are quickly drained and dunked into a warm sugar syrup. Freshly made jalebis are finger-licking good, and regional variations are worth discovering.

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Puran Poli

An essential offering made to the fire on the eve of Holi along the west coast of India. Simply put, it's like a sweet, stuffed paratha—but once you’ve tasted one, you may want to eat the whole stack. This dish is so popular, children even sing “holi-re-holi, puranachi-poli”—an eager plea to get to eat this special treat.

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Thandai

Much like its Latin American cousin, horchata, thandai is a tasty thirst quencher made from almonds. Thandai is an essential addition to a Holi celebration party. This recipe uses almond extract, sunflower seeds and poppy seeds, and enhances these flavors with anise seed, rose water, cardamom and black pepper. Thandai—when made well—is a drink to be sipped chilled and slowly.

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Burfi

Another simple preparation designed for sharing, burfi is a generic term for a fudge-like treat, and there can be many kinds, depending on the ingredients and flavorings. This one—like so many Indian desserts—is best consumed in small quantities, but very often, burfi pieces tend to go missing without a trace.

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Samosa

This unspoken ruler of any savory snack platter is much easier to make than it sounds. A good samosa includes a savory, robustly flavored mash of potatoes and spices, which is stuffed into a pastry shell. Though traditionally fried, this recipe offers a baked version.

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Sekanji

This salty-sweet and spicy ginger lemonade is a fantastic mocktail to quench your thirst. The recipe contrasts the tangy lemonade with ginger, cumin and rock salt to round out the flavors. Make it once and it will quickly become your go-to lemonade for life.

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Kulfi

There is standard ice cream... and then there is kulfi. Frequently sold by street-side vendors and devoured within minutes, this effortlessly superior recipe shows you how to up your dessert game by several notches.

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Batata Vada

If you love hush puppies, these batter-fried potato balls have a crispy crust that will certainly delight. These spicy, piping-hot preparations seldom make it to the buffet table, because it is nearly impossible to only eat one. Pair it with your favorite chutney, or even a dab of ketchup!

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Mango Lassi

A mango lassi is like no other drink. The cool yogurt offers a nutritional boost, and it is hard not to love the flavor of mango.

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Gajar Halva

A succulent and decadent dessert, gajar halwa comes together surprisingly quickly. This dish is very popular in Northern India, and combines sweet carrots with half-and-half and aromatics like cardamom and nuts. You may have some trouble, though, in determining whether it's the recipe's simplicity or fantastic taste that makes it so addictive. Either way, there's no harm in making it more often until you figure it out.

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Besan Ladoo

Many Indian food lovers believe that the love of a dear one comes through in the form of a well-made ladoo. Round spheres made with chickpea flour, almonds, ghee and sugar, these besan ladoos are also likely to do the disappearing trick. The best remedy? Make more.

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Pista Cashew Poli

This stuffed sweet combines the nutty flavors of pistachio, coconut and cashew. It comes together quickly, and makes a delicious addition to a festive platter.

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Rice Kheer

No collection of Indian desserts would be complete without kheer. Kheer is a larger category of soft, pudding-like treats. This one is made by slowly cooking down rice and milk until it becomes thick and creamy. The trick is to cook it slowly, without rushing.

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Onion Bhaji

This is the Indian version of onion rings: batter fried wedges of onions. They pair with all kinds of hot and cold drinks, including sekanji.

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