Your traditions
How we celebrate
Holi festival
We talk to foodies around the UK who
celebrate the Hindu festival of spring
T
he Hindu celebration of
spring takes place on
29 March this year. Also
known as the festival of colour,
it is based on a story of good
triumphing over evil. It sees the
throwing of symbolic coloured
powders and the sharing of
traditional food and sweets.
PA P D I C H A AT
Serves 6 (as a snack)
Takes 40 mins
Cost per serve 63p
Monica Haldar is a chef and
teaches home-style, regional
Indian cookery via her cookery
schools in Manchester and
Birmingham. She also runs
SHIKSHAK - an online Indian
cookery school (shikshak.co.uk).
What is your favourite food to
eat at Holi?
‘My favourite sweet is gujiya, a
flaky pastry with dried fruits.
For savoury, it has to be papdi
chaat (see right). It is a flavour
explosion: fried, crisp pastry
thins with potatoes and sweet
and savoury chutneys.’
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How is Holi celebrated in
the UK?
‘Holi is celebrated at
temples, community centres
and parks. On the eve of Holi,
a bonfire is burnt, which
symbolises good conquering
evil and the power of
devotion. On the day itself,
people gather for the colour
throwing and enjoy an array
of special foods and drinks.’
Ô
H
Holi is celebrated
on a different date
each year, but it is
always observed in
March on the day of
the full moon
n
Ô
What does Holi represent and
why it is important to you?
‘For me, Holi is a time for family,
friends and the community to
come together. The festival
brings colour into the home
and lets people enjoy life like a
child again! In India there are
lively water and colour fights,
and everyone shares delicious
food and sweets.’
For the papdi
130g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp nigella seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for
greasing and deep-frying
For the coriander & mint chutney
20g fresh coriander
10g fresh mint, leaves picked
1-2 green chillies
½ lime, juiced
½ green eating apple, roughly
chopped
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp salt
For the chaat topping
250g potatoes, peeled and diced
into 1cm cubes
50g tinned chickpeas, drained and
rinsed
6 tbsp Greek-style yogurt
6 tbsp tamarind sauce
1 medium tomato, finely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
30g fresh coriander, leaves picked
and finely chopped
2 tbsp dried cranberries, roughly
chopped
4 tbsp Bombay mix, to taste
1 tsp chaat masala (optional)
1 To make the papdi, mix the flour,
a pinch of salt and the nigella seeds
in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and
