The Festival of Colors.
When I arrive in the inner courtyard of my new shared flat, a
colorful cloud of different colors
is floating in the air.
People sing, laugh, dance, eat and throw bright colors at everyone who comes in.
What a reception!
Of course, this reception is not necessarily for me, but for the beginning of
spring
.
A big coincidence ensures that on the day I move in I get to know one of the most beautiful and
colorful festivals in Hindu culture
: the
Holi Festival
.
For you guys I asked my roommates and friends who celebrate the Holi Festival what
snacks and drinks
prepare them when the Holi festival is coming up.
The result is a list full of savory and sweet treats:
1. Puran Poli
+
Puran Poli (Pooran Poli) is a popular stuffed sweet flatbread specially prepared for the Holi Festival.
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The Puran Poli consists of a whole wheat dough and is traditionally filled
with soft-boiled
yellow lentils
,
jaggery
(unrefined sugar from Asia),
cardamom
,
nutmeg
and
saffron .
This sweet flatbread is served with savory side dishes and is a must for the Holi Festival.
2. Thandai
+
Thandai is a refreshing milk-based drink flavored with nuts, seeds and spices.
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After people have been dancing, laughing and throwing colored powders in the blazing sun all day, a refreshing drink is just the ticket.
The word "Thand" means cold, so
Thandai
loosely translated means
refreshing drink with a cooling effect
.
A mixture of
almonds
,
cashew nuts
,
pistachios
,
melon seeds
,
poppy
seeds ,
cardamom
,
saffron
and
rose petals
is ground, stirred into milk and then boiled.
After that, the Indian milkshake is kept in the refrigerator for at least 6 to 8 hours.
By the way: some ingredients for this milk are
Ayurvedic spices
.
They are said to have healing properties in Indian culture.
If you have always wanted to prepare an Ayurvedic dish, you can
try this
Aloo Gobi :
3. Dahi Bhalle/Dahi Vada
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In North India these aromatic balls are known as Dahi Bhalle while in South India they are called Dahi Vada.
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These small fried
dumplings made from black chickpeas,
combined with the refreshing
yoghurt sauce
, will definitely create a firework of colors on your tongue.
4. Malpua
+
Malpua is a traditional North Indian dessert that cannot be missed at the Holi Festival
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The
pancakes, coated with sugar syrup,
are made from flour, yoghurt, spices and the so-called khoya, a dried milk, and then topped with various nuts.
Crispy
on the outside
and
fluffy
and
juicy
on the inside - yummy!
5. Lassi
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Basically, lassi is nothing more than a thicker, Indian version of buttermilk.
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The Indian
soft drink
is available in all
colors
and
flavors
.
This makes the yoghurt drink just perfect for the Holi Festival.
My favorite is definitely
lassi with rose water
.
During the Holi Festival, my friends mainly drink the so-called
Mithi Lassi
, a sweet lassi that is only prepared with sugar.
But
Masala Lassi
, consisting of yoghurt, water, coriander, mint, salt, chaat masala (Indian spice mixture) and roasted cumin powder, is also very popular.
6. Ghujiya
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Gujiya are crescent-shaped fried puff pastry pockets that are a must-have at the Holi Festival.
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Gujiya are basically the sweet Indian version of empanadas.
Traditionally, the
fried puff pastry pockets
are filled with
sweetened khoa
, an Indian dairy product made from buffalo milk,
cardamom
, and
various nuts
.
Spring is coming.
Let's party!
For me, celebrating the Holi festival was a beautiful experience.
That day I learned a lot about the
sagas surrounding the Holi Festival
and other Hindu holidays.
They are legends about good and bad gods and they always have one thing in common:
good always triumphs over evil.
No matter what skin color or social status, nothing matters on these holidays except having fun, laughing, dancing and eating together.
Let's carry such traditions out into the world and celebrate and be happy together with our friends and families.