Published 8th Mar. 2023
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Festivals and food go hand in hand, especially during Holi. After all, celebrating for two days straight (or an entire week if you find yourself in Mathura’s Braj region) is hungry work. In between street bonfires and pujas (prayers) that commemorate Prahlada’s victory over evil, and colour parties that turn India’s skies, streets and celebrants into kaleidoscopic Jackson Pollocks, there’s always time for food. Kickstart the colourful festival on your holiday in India with a morning mathris and refuel in the afternoon with a couple of pistachio burfis. Join locals in giving thanks for the spring harvest with wheat sheaves, coconut and green chickpeas offerings, and get stuck in at community kitchens making Holi food staples such as gujiya and papri chaat. Read on to discover how this florid festival is just as delicious as it is colourful.
The Indian equivalent of an English muffin, mathris are considered the Holi breakfast staple. Made from wheat flour, gram flour, salt and spices (think onion and carom seeds, fenugreek leaves and crushed black pepper), these savoury biscuits come as crispy as they do flaky. And each region likes to put their own spin on them. In Rajasthan, it’s all about accompaniments, from hot garlic and coriander chutney to Indian achar (pickles). While in Gujarat, where they prefer to call them farsi puri, an extra dollop of ghee is added to make this Holi food even more moreish.
Gujiya makes it onto every festival table, but especially Holi’s. A crossover between a Cornish pasty and Turkish baklava, they come served deep fried and stuffed with khoya, green cardamom, finely chopped almonds and sugar. Despite being most commonly associated with Holi, these crunchy sugar-filled treats have been kicking around since the 13th century, particularly in the country’s northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. And it’s not hard to see why. How else are you to maintain peak paint party fever without a midday sugar pick-me-up? Especially on the streets of India’s most populated cities. They even come decorated in colourful flowers and spices, meaning no chance of street festivity FOMO (fear of missing out) if you are partied out.
Known as pisti barfi, this pistachio snack is the epitome of Holi. Bright green in colour, it has the consistency of fudge thanks to its generous addition of grated fresh coconut. Mixed to form a smooth burfi mixture, it is then combined with sugar syrup and cardamom powder and left to set overnight. The treat is a sure fire way to impress guests if you’re planning on hosting a Holi dinner party. If you’d rather take them to go, save them for later when you’re in the heart of nearby Ranthambore National Park and hankering for a post-safari snack. After all, gulal green does symbolise nature, new beginnings and happiness, so fitting really.
If you’ve reached your sweet food limit, we recommend going in search of papdi (or papri – depending where you are in the country) chaat. Found steaming away on giant stoves behind street stalls, it is India’s answer to nachos. Think crispy fried flour crackers under generous servings of cooked chickpeas and potatoes, topped with dollops of cooling creamy yoghurt, crunchy pomegranates and cracked spices. What makes this dish such a perfect Holi food though is how easily it lends itself to sharing. Simple to make and quick to consume, it’s a timeless crowd pleaser. With historical origins that trace as far back as Mughal times, when the dish was created in ancient collaboration with the Ganga-Jamuni people (known for their distinctive and syncretic Hindu-Muslim culture), it just shows the power of good food.
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