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Holi party goes fun with pichkari cupcakes and thandai frappes!
On Holi today, experts tell us how sweets and savouries have got an innovative, colourful appeal.
Having a happy Holi? Make that a delicious one, too! For the festival of colours has a fun, quirky party platter for guests today. Folks are whipping up the zaniest cupcakes, 2.0 thandai versions, rasmalai and savouries that push the culinary envelope. Affirming the trend, Gurgaon-based chef and founder of CB Hospitality, Ashish Bhasin says, “Food for Holi is becoming more chatpataa with things you can eat easily without messing up. So, it’s about small DIY bites like aloo papri chaat, dabeli croquettes, pav bhaji bruschetta, innovative vada paos, etc, which can be done easily.”
SAVOURY AND SWEET SURPRISES
Chefs and foodies are giving innovative and festive treats a thumbs-up. Sharing a few examples, chef Nishant Choubey says,“Papdi chaats now have avocado and malpua has become malpua tres leche with cashew caramel.”
While MasterChef India 4 finalist Karishma Sakhrani has rainbow idlis and chaat French fries planned for Holi, Bhasin says gujiyas can get experimental, too: “You now have coconut and chocolate gujiyas, stewed fruit-stuffed gujiyas like a cinnamon star anise-infused apple gujiya with a tinge of lemon zest, and some with European fillings such as wild mushroom truffle, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella. With globalisation, there is no boundary in mixing cuisines together.”
THEMED CUPCAKES FTW
Pastry chef Leena Mathai of Crave by Leena in Bengaluru, has come up with Holi-inspired cupcake toppings.
“These have designs like pichkaris, bags of gulaal, water balloons and coloured hands,” she shares.
Meanwhile, Sarah Zia of Fluff In A Cup, Kochi, has a malpua-rabdi cupcake for some dessert indulgence. On her fusion, she says, “As a cupcake enthusiast, combining flavours is what I love.”
Going all out, Trisha Parswani, head chef from Agra-based Flavoratii, has created a Holi-themed grazing table with savoury and sweet delights such as cheeses, fruits, pizza bites and macarons.
THANDAIS GO CHILLED OUT
While we all love a classic thandai, why not take it one step ahead like Nidhi Bothra, a recipe curator from Jaipur who has made a Thandai Mahalabia (milk pudding) with rose jelly.
“The rose jelly and fruit topping adds a dimension of colour and cuts through the sweetness with its tartness,” she reveals.
For more ideas, take cues from Indore-based home chef Namisha Bhandari’s paan thandai frappe and thandai mousse.
“Just blitz paan or betel leaves, vanilla ice cream, thandai powder and chilled milk and it’s ready to serve,” she tells us, adding, “For the mango thandai mousse, whisk together heavy cream, white chocolate, thandai powder and mango pulp. Garnish with rock sugar and dried rose petals.”
PICTURE PERFECT
In the age of social media, the dinner table must look as good as it tastes. A sure shot way of doing this is through roses, says Delhi-based food stylist Sweta Shukla.
“The rasmalai fusion cake can be a showstopper and the rose lassi looks so good with its floral aroma and creamy texture,” she opines.
BITE-SIZED INDULGENCE
Sending something over to a friend? Go customised. Nush Mush, Gurugram, has come up with Holi special dessert hampers.
They comprise thandai cupcakes, gujiya baklava and paan cheesecake. “The bite-size desserts make the Holi party even more happening,” says Vishal Anand, owner.
