Thandai combos for you ‘Holi-day’ party

Holi is all about uniting as a community without any boundaries to have fun. Painting the faces of your loved ones consequently paints the biggest smile on your face.And no celebration in India is complete without vast amounts of scrumptious food to gorge on. Soothingly sweet thandai paired with delectable snacks is the hallmark of this celebration. Praveen Gonsalves, Chef, Barbeque Nation presents a list of dishes that pair up perfectly with thandai, promising a unique experience at your Holi party this year.

1. Divine Dates and Walnut Kheer: When everything is being painted in vivid colours, why make your usual white kheer? Add colour to your menu with this silky and lip-smacking Dates and Walnut Kheer. This easy-to-prepare dish consists of dates, walnuts, oats, sugar, almonds, milk and cream. Chef advises us not to complicate this dish with extra additions and let the taste of each ingredient come through. Once this dish lands on their plate, your guests will relish every spoonful. While this traditionally doesn’t pair up with thandai, it’s a healthier alternative to gujiyas and the perfect end to a meal.

2. Zesty hot Peri-Peri Chicken: If you and your guests are fans of grilled chicken and spices, this is the perfect dish. Don’t fret, Chef Gonzalves tells us how to make zesty Peri-Peri Sauce from scratch. In a pre-heated oven, roast the chillies for 10 minutes. Chop them finely and sauté the chillies, oregano, salt, paprika, garlic, olive oil and red wine vinegar in a pan and bring them to simmer. Cool the mixture and make a paste out of it. Hand-rub the PeriPeri mixture over the chicken and leave it aside for marinating. Grilling this will ensure searing in all of the flavourful juices while charring the outside of succulent PeriPeri Chicken.
3. Vibrant VegetarianSeekh Kebab: This is a dish that radiates with the vibrancy of spring, just like the festival of Holi. Seekh kebabs are prepared using fresh vegetables and spices, and grilled or pan-fried to perfection. Chef recommends this light and flavourful snack for a perfect pairing with Thandai. Eat it for the taste, love it for the nutrition!
4. KarariTikki:Potatoes, as we know, are versatile and can be prepared in many delicious ways. Chef tells us how to make this simple yet flavour packed dish using only basic ingredients. Into a bowl of mashed potatoes, just add curd, lemon juice, green peas, ginger paste, chopped garlic and mustard oil. Flatten out these tikkis and shallow fry them. The result? A tikkithat is crisp-on-the-outside, gooey on the inside, guaranteedto be a crowd pleaser. These make for the perfect finger food with mint chuntey and a cold glass of Thandai.

5. Goodness of Gujiya:Gujiyas are the signature dish of Holi. A flaky, buttery crust that crumbles just as you bite into it, followed by the sensational stuffing. The stuffing generally includes khoya, dried coconut and dry fruits. The crunchy taste of gujiya goes perfectly with the light and refreshing thandai. Even though gujiyas are traditionally prepared with khoya, you can recreate this dish using unique ingredients like condensed milk, sooji, chocolate etc.

Make this Holi about colours, food and fun. Try out these sumptuous dishes with your loved ones at your Holi party.

(Inputs by Barbeque Nation Hospitality Ltd.)