Holi Food Ideas: Festive Treats & Sweets

Holi Food Ideas – Holi is a festival of colors, joy, and, most importantly, delicious food. Traditional Holi food ideas include a variety of sweet and savory treats that enhance the festive spirit. Gujiya, a deep-fried pastry stuffed with khoya and nuts, is a must-have, while malpua, a syrup-soaked pancake, adds a rich and indulgent touch.

Thandai, a cooling drink made with milk, nuts, and spices, is the perfect festive refreshment. Savory delights like dahi bhalla, crispy pakoras, and spicy chaat make for irresistible snacks. For those who love fusion dishes, colorful sweets, Holi-themed cupcakes, and vibrant mocktails add a modern twist to the celebration. Preparing and sharing these flavorful treats with loved ones not only enhances the joy of Holi but also strengthens the bonds of togetherness and tradition.

Holi Food Ideas

Here’s a 100+ Holi Food Ideas list, covering traditional sweets, snacks, drinks, and main dishes to celebrate the festival of colors! 🌸🎨

Sweets & Desserts 🍬

1. Gujiya (Traditional & Chocolate)
2. Malpua
3. Thandai Cheesecake
4. Puran Poli
5. Rasmalai
6. Moong Dal Halwa
7. Jalebi
8. Coconut Barfi
9. Kaju Katli
10. Besan Ladoo
11. Badam Halwa
12. Gajar Ka Halwa
13. Mawa Kachori
14. Cham Cham
15. Sandesh
16. Gulab Jamun
17. Rabri
18. Kulfi (Pista, Mango, Kesar)
19. Phirni
20. Mishti Doi
21. Malai Ghewar
22. Rava Kesari
23. Boondi Ladoo
24. Chhena Poda
25. Milk Peda
26. Makhan Misri
27. Mango Shrikhand
28. Rose Barfi
29. Nariyal Ladoo
30. Dry Fruits Halwa

Savory Snacks & Chaats 🍽️

31. Dahi Bhalla
32. Papdi Chaat
33. Pani Puri (Golgappa)
34. Bhel Puri
35. Sev Puri
36. Samosa (Classic & Paneer)
37. Chole Bhature
38. Kachori (Dal & Matar)
39. Aloo Tikki Chaat
40. Moong Dal Pakora
41. Onion Bhajiya
42. Bread Pakora
43. Dhokla
44. Masala Corn Chaat
45. Chana Chaat
46. Paneer Tikka
47. Methi Mathri
48. Lachha Tokri Chaat
49. Dahi Kebab
50. Hara Bhara Kebab
51. Mirchi Bajji
52. Masala Peanuts
53. Corn Pakora
54. Sabudana Vada
55. Matar Kulcha
56. Raj Kachori
57. Aloo Chaat
58. Batata Vada
59. Masala Vada
60. Singdana Chaat

Drinks & Beverages 🍹

61. Thandai (Classic & Rose)
62. Kesar Badam Milk
63. Mango Lassi
64. Masala Chaas (Buttermilk)
65. Paan Shots
66. Aam Panna
67. Jaljeera
68. Rose Sharbat
69. Nimbu Pani
70. Kokum Sharbat
71. Fennel & Cardamom Cooler
72. Kesar Lassi
73. Fruit Punch
74. Watermelon Cooler
75. Banana Smoothie
76. Chikoo Milkshake
77. Pineapple Panna
78. Pudina Lemonade
79. Bhang Thandai (For Traditional Celebration)
80. Ganne Ka Juice
81. Guava Mocktail

Main Course 🍛

82. Aloo Puri
83. Chana Masala
84. Rajma Masala
85. Paneer Butter Masala
86. Shahi Paneer
87. Dum Aloo
88. Baingan Bharta
89. Bhindi Masala
90. Matar Paneer
91. Dal Makhani
92. Punjabi Kadhi Pakora
93. Jeera Rice
94. Peas Pulao
95. Khichdi
96. Gatte Ki Sabzi
97. Dal Baati Churma
98. Stuffed Paratha (Aloo/Gobi)
99. Chilli Paneer
100. Masala Poori

Extras & Innovative Dishes 🎨

101. Holi Special Rainbow Cake
102. Thandai Macarons
103. Gujiya Donuts
104. Paan Pudding
105. Chocolate Gujiya
106. Thandai Mousse
107. Holi Colorful Cupcakes
108. Gulab Jamun Trifle
109. Multicolored Jalebi
110. Saffron & Rose Ice Cream

Recipe

1. Traditional Gujiya Recipe

Gujiya is a deep-fried dumpling filled with a sweet mixture of khoya, nuts, and sugar, popular during Holi celebrations.

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
• 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• ½ cup water (as needed)

For the Filling:

• 1 cup khoya (mawa)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup chopped almonds and cashews
• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• 2 tbsp raisins

For Frying & Coating:

• Ghee or oil for deep frying
• Sugar syrup (optional for coating)

Instructions:

1. Prepare Dough: Mix flour and ghee until crumbly. Slowly add water and knead a firm dough. Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.
2. Make Filling: In a pan, roast khoya until light golden. Add sugar, nuts, coconut, cardamom, and raisins. Mix well and let it cool.
3. Shape Gujiya: Roll out small circles of dough. Place a spoonful of filling in the center, fold into a semi-circle, and seal the edges with water or a fork.
4. Fry Gujiyas: Heat oil/ghee in a pan and deep-fry gujiyas on medium heat until golden brown.
5. Optional Sugar Coating: Dip fried gujiyas in sugar syrup for a glossy finish. Let dry before serving.

2. Chocolate Gujiya Recipe

A fusion version of gujiya, stuffed with chocolate and nuts, perfect for chocolate lovers.

Ingredients:

• Same dough ingredients as traditional gujiya
• ½ cup melted dark chocolate
• ¼ cup chopped almonds and hazelnuts
• 2 tbsp condensed milk

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dough as above and let it rest.
2. Mix melted chocolate, nuts, and condensed milk for the filling.
3. Roll small dough circles, fill with chocolate mixture, fold, and seal.
4. Deep-fry until crisp, then drizzle with melted chocolate for an extra touch.

3. Malpua Recipe

Malpua are crispy, syrup-soaked pancakes flavored with cardamom and fennel seeds.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (maida)
• ¼ cup semolina (suji)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• Ghee for frying
• ½ cup sugar syrup (sugar + water + saffron)

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, semolina, milk, sugar, cardamom, and fennel seeds into a smooth batter. Rest for 30 minutes.
2. Heat ghee in a pan. Pour a small ladle of batter and fry until golden.
3. Dip malpuas in warm sugar syrup, then serve warm with rabri (thickened milk).

4. Thandai Cheesecake Recipe

A creamy no-bake cheesecake infused with traditional thandai flavors.

Ingredients:

• 200g crushed digestive biscuits
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup cream cheese
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup thandai syrup
• ¼ tsp saffron strands
• Chopped pistachios for garnish

Instructions:

1. Mix biscuits and melted butter. Press into a pan and refrigerate.
2. Beat cream cheese, sugar, cream, and thandai syrup until smooth.
3. Pour over the biscuit base and refrigerate for 4 hours.
4. Garnish with saffron and pistachios before serving.

5. Puran Poli Recipe

A sweet flatbread stuffed with jaggery and lentils.

Ingredients:

For Dough:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp oil

For Filling:

• 1 cup chana dal
• ¾ cup jaggery
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. Cook chana dal until soft. Mash and mix with jaggery and cardamom.
2. Prepare soft dough and roll into small discs.
3. Place filling in the center, seal, and roll out again.
4. Roast on a hot tawa with ghee until golden.

6. Rasmalai Recipe

Soft cheese dumplings soaked in saffron milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Saffron strands
• 2 cups thickened milk

Instructions:

1. Boil milk, add lemon juice to curdle. Strain and press to remove water.
2. Knead chhena (paneer) into soft dough, shape into small discs.
3. Boil in sugar syrup for 15 minutes.
4. Soak in thickened saffron milk and chill before serving.

7. Moong Dal Halwa Recipe

A rich and aromatic halwa made from lentils and ghee.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
• ½ cup ghee
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• Chopped almonds & cashews

Instructions:

1. Soak moong dal for 4 hours and grind into a paste.
2. Fry the paste in ghee until golden.
3. Add milk and sugar, cook until thick.
4. Garnish with nuts before serving.

8. Jalebi Recipe

Crispy spirals soaked in sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp yogurt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup sugar syrup

Instructions:

1. Mix flour, yogurt, baking powder, and water into a batter. Let it ferment for 6 hours.
2. Pipe spirals into hot oil, fry until golden.
3. Dip in sugar syrup and serve warm.

9. Coconut Barfi Recipe

A soft, chewy coconut fudge perfect for Holi.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups desiccated coconut
• 1 cup condensed milk
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Chopped pistachios

Instructions:

1. Heat condensed milk and mix in coconut.
2. Stir for 5 minutes, then add cardamom and pistachios.
3. Set in a tray, cut into squares when cool.

10. Kaju Katli Recipe

Smooth, melt-in-mouth cashew fudge.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cashews (ground into powder)
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water

Instructions:

1. Heat sugar and water to make syrup.
2. Stir in cashew powder and cook until it forms a dough.
3. Roll and cut into diamonds.

11. Besan Ladoo Recipe

Sweet gram flour balls with ghee and sugar.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups besan (gram flour)
• ½ cup ghee
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

Instructions:

1. Roast besan in ghee until golden and aromatic.
2. Add sugar and cardamom, mix well.
3. Shape into ladoos while warm.

12. Gajar Ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa)

A rich and aromatic carrot-based dessert made with ghee, milk, and nuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 kg carrots (grated)
• 1 liter full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar (adjust to taste)
• 4 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ cup chopped almonds and cashews
• 2 tbsp raisins

Instructions:

1. Heat milk in a large pan and add grated carrots. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the milk reduces and thickens.
2. Add sugar and mix well. Continue to stir and cook for 10–15 minutes until it further thickens.
3. Pour in ghee and cook for another 5 minutes while stirring continuously.
4. Add cardamom powder, nuts, and raisins. Mix well and cook for a final 2–3 minutes.
5. Serve warm, garnished with additional nuts.

13. Mawa Kachori

A crispy, deep-fried pastry stuffed with sweetened khoya (mawa) and nuts, dipped in sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp ghee
• Water (as needed to knead a firm dough)

For the Filling:

• 1 cup khoya (mawa)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup chopped almonds and cashews
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

For the Sugar Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup water
• ½ tsp saffron strands

Instructions:

1. Mix flour and ghee, then slowly add water to knead a firm dough. Cover and let it rest.
2. In a pan, roast khoya until slightly golden. Mix in sugar, nuts, and cardamom powder. Let it cool.
3. Roll out small dough circles, place filling in the center, and seal the edges to form a kachori shape.
4. Deep fry on low-medium heat until golden brown.
5. Dip in warm sugar syrup for 30 seconds and then serve.

14. Cham Cham

A soft, spongy Bengali sweet soaked in flavored sugar syrup and garnished with coconut and pistachios.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (mixed with 2 tbsp water)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut
• Chopped pistachios for garnish

Instructions:

1. Boil milk and add lemon juice to curdle it. Strain and rinse the paneer (chhena) with cold water.
2. Knead paneer into a soft dough and shape into small cylindrical logs.
3. In a pan, heat sugar and water to make syrup. Add cardamom powder.
4. Drop cham chams into the boiling syrup and cook for 20 minutes on medium heat.
5. Let them cool, then roll in desiccated coconut and garnish with pistachios.

15. Sandesh

A light Bengali dessert made with fresh paneer (chhena) and flavored with saffron and cardamom.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp saffron strands

Instructions:

1. Boil milk, add lemon juice, and strain the curdled paneer.
2. Knead the paneer until smooth, then mix in sugar, cardamom, and saffron.
3. Shape into small discs or balls and chill before serving.

16. Gulab Jamun

Soft, spongy fried dough balls soaked in fragrant sugar syrup.

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 1 cup milk powder
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp ghee
• ¼ cup milk (warm)
• ½ tsp baking soda

For the Syrup:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Few saffron strands

Instructions:

1. Mix milk powder, flour, ghee, baking soda, and warm milk into a soft dough. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
2. Roll into smooth balls, ensuring no cracks.
3. Heat oil/ghee and fry the balls on low heat until golden brown.
4. Prepare syrup by dissolving sugar in water, adding saffron and cardamom.
5. Soak fried gulab jamuns in warm syrup for 2 hours before serving.

17. Rabri

A thickened, sweetened milk dessert garnished with nuts and saffron.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• ¼ tsp saffron strands
• Chopped almonds and pistachios

Instructions:

1. Boil milk in a heavy-bottomed pan and simmer until reduced to half.
2. Add sugar, cardamom, and saffron. Stir occasionally.
3. Continue simmering until thick and creamy.
4. Garnish with nuts and serve chilled.

18. Kulfi (Pista, Mango, Kesar)

A dense, creamy Indian ice cream available in different flavors.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup chopped pistachios (for pista kulfi)
• ¼ cup mango puree (for mango kulfi)
• ½ tsp saffron (for kesar kulfi)

Instructions:

1. Boil milk and reduce it to half while stirring occasionally.
2. Add sugar and chosen flavoring (pistachios, mango, or saffron).
3. Pour into molds and freeze for 6–8 hours.
4. Unmold and serve chilled.

19. Phirni

A creamy rice pudding made with ground rice and flavored with saffron and cardamom.

Ingredients:

• ½ cup basmati rice (soaked and ground to a paste)
• 1 liter milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ tsp cardamom powder
• Few saffron strands
• Chopped nuts for garnish

Instructions:

1. Boil milk and add the rice paste, stirring continuously.
2. Simmer until thick, then add sugar, cardamom, and saffron.
3. Pour into earthen bowls and chill before serving.

20. Mishti Doi

A Bengali sweet yogurt made with caramelized sugar and thickened milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full-fat milk
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup yogurt (starter culture)

Instructions:

1. Boil milk and reduce slightly.
2. Caramelize sugar in a pan and mix it into the milk.
3. Let it cool slightly, then add yogurt and mix well.
4. Pour into clay pots and let it set overnight.
5. Serve chilled.