* Kanji vada: A light and spicy must have on Holi, feels chef Jodha Ram Choudhary of the Khandani Rajdhani chain of thali restaurants.
To make kanji, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, yellow mustard, salt and black salt is added to cool water and mixed well. It is kept in a sealed container and needs to be stirred daily and on the fourth day, if it tastes tangy and spicy, the drink is ready. Put around five vadas in a glass and top it with kanji.
* Phul kachori: A crunchy snack with spicy filling which is also easy to make. It can be prepared in 20 minutes flat, said Choudhary.
Mix refined flour with ghee and salt and knead into a semi-soft dough using a little water for the outer covering. Divide the dough into equal parts and keep covered with damp muslin.
For the filling, cumin seeds and asafoetida should be heated in a pan. When the seeds begin to change colour, moong dal soaked in water should be added and sauteed.
Then add the ginger-green chilli paste, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, amchur powder, gram flour and salt and stir. The filling is prepared and should be covered with the dough prepared earlier.
Deep fry the dumplings in oil till golden brown.
For those with a sweet tooth, Holi is the perfect excuse for binging on malpuas, especially in places like West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, feels Ashish Joshi, executive chef, Jaypee Siddharth.
