HOLI SPECIAL RECIPES FOR YOU

HOLI SPECIAL RECIPES BY SWAPNADEEP MUKHERJEE, EXECUTIVE CHEF, THE METROPOLITAN HOTEL & SPA, New Delhi.

THANDAI KULFI

Ingredients                                                     Quantity
Milk (Full Cream)                                            2 lit
Almond                                                              20 gm
Pistachio                                                           20 gm
Green Cardamom                                            4-5 no
Thandai Syrup                                                 150 gm
Sugar                                                                  Optional

Method
Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan on slow heat
Add crushed green cardamom and simmer until reduced by half.
Strain and put on fire again on slow heat.
Continue stirring and scraping the sides to avoid burning
Now add blanched, skinned and slivered almonds and pistachio.
Reduce further until 1/3 rd. remaining.
Take off fire. Cool and add Thandai syrup. Mix thoroughly
Add in moulds and refrigerate
Demould and serve chilled

GAJRELE KI GUJIYA

Ingredients                                   Quantity
Ghee/Oil                                              to fry
for the cover
Maida (All-purpose flour)           500 gm
Oil / Ghee (melted)                        6 tbsp

for the filling
Carrots                                                 1 kg
Khoya                                                   200 gm
Green cardamom pwd                  1/2 tsp
Almonds, chopped                          25 gm
Cashewnuts, chopped                   25 gm
Raisins                                                 25 gm
Dried coconut, shredded             25 gm
Sugar                                                    100 gm

Method
Sieve the flour, add oil to it and mix with fingers. Add moisture and make a tight dough, cover with damp cloth and keep aside
Wash, peel and grate carrots to sauté in ghee. Stir continuously to cook evenly. Add khoya in it
Add green cardamom powder, raisin and dry nuts and cook on slow flam
Cook until sticky consistency, add sugar if desired. Allow to coo
Divide the dough into small balls and roll each ball into 4 inches diameter pancake
Fill the pancakes with the carrot filling, few chopped raisins and coconut shreds and seal it in half moon shape, twisting the edges inwards
Repeat the same to rest of the dough and fry in medium heat. If your pan or kadai is not heavy then fry in medium-low heat. Fry till golden brown in colo
Place the fried gujiya on kitchen paper tissue. Fry all the prepared gujiyas in batches
Garnish  with shredded carrots, nuts or silver leaf/ gold leaf or as per your choic
When cooled completely, store them in an airtight box and serve to your friends and family.

NAVRATTAN KHEER

Ingredient                                                      Quantity
White pumpkin (lauki)                                01 kg
Sabudana                                                         100 gms
Milk                                                                    02 lts
Sugar                                                                 200 gms
Khoya (paste)                                                 150 gms
Seasonal fruits, finely chopped
Pomegranate for the garnish

Method
Scrape lauki lightly and grate.
Soak sabudana in water for about half an hour. Boil the grated pumpkin in at least ½ litre of milk for about 10 mins. When cool, make into a paste.
Cook the remaining milk with sugar. Then add lauki paste, soaked sabudana and khoya.
Allow it to cook until it reduces to almost half of its volume and reaches a smooth texture. Remove
from heat and allow it to cool.
Add chopped fruits to the kheer. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Serve chilled, garnish with Kabuli anardana.

ANGOORI PANEER TIKKA

Ingredients                                      Quantity
Cottage cheese                              300 gm
Green grapes                                     100 gm
Black grapes                                      100 gm
Red grapes                                         100 gm
Hung curd                                          50 gm

Ginger paste                                      1/2 tsp
Garlic paste                                        ½ tsp
Gram flour                                          30 gm
Butter                                                   2 tbsp
Turmeric powder                            ¼ tsp
Yellow chilly powder                     ¼ tsp
Dhaniya powder                              ¼ tsp
Cream                                                   2 tbsp
Salt                                                        to taste

Grape Chutney (is optional but will add great taste to the paneer tikka)

Grapes – green, black, red            200 gm each
Ghee                                                      ½ tbsp
Onion seeds                                       ¼ tsp
Lemon juice                                       10 ml
Chat masala                                       to taste

Method
Let’s start by making green chutney to accompany the dish. It is simple yet delicious. Heat oil in a pan, add onion seeds, and sauté  
Add diced grapes and cook till consistency is thick
Remove from flame, add lemon juice, and chat masala.
For Angoori Paneer tikka, heat butter in a pan and roast gram flour in it till light brown
Add roasted gram flour in hung curd and add all the remaining spices and cream together making a smooth mixture
Cut the cottage cheese in cylindrical shape and put slits in it.
Fill the slits with prepared grape chutney and marinate in the prepared marinade.
Place the paneer tikka on a skewer and roast in tandoor till light brown from outside
Serve with grape chutney and crunchy salad on the side