Celebrating the onset of spring as well as Holi is what makes this time of year so colourful and bright. The celebrations for the festival begin a day before when Holika Dahan is performed by burning an effigy of Holika, the bad spirit, and celebrating the victory of good over evil. Not just that, the following day, people rejoice and play with water and colours throughout the day after the veneration in the morning.
Many people organise Holi parties, and it is a great way to get together and celebrate the day. Now, since there’s a party, there has to be food and drinks. Bhaang and thandai are the two quintessential festive drinks, and gujiya is the sweet commonly associated with the celebration. However, in between, when you've got to snack on something, dig into these meatilicious snacks and make the most of the festival.
1. Chicken Kachori
Bored with the same old moong dal and pyaaz kachoris? Try this chicken kachori instead. For all the hard-core non-vegetarians, nothing is better than a flaky kachori filled with succulent pieces of chicken. The deep-fried delicacy can be paired with mint-coriander chutney and tamarind chutney, too.
2. Mutton Pakoda
Pakoras are a popular treat during the monsoon, but well, Indians don’t need an excuse to have something fried and hot, right? After getting drenched in water all day long, one would love to dig into a plateful of crispy, hot mutton pakoras with juicy meat in every bite. Shape the little pieces of cooked boneless mutton the way you like and dip them in the besan mixture to batter-fry and pair with tomato ketchup and mint chutney.
3. Mutton Rolls
Want to have something crispy and deep-fried but can’t decide what? These mutton rolls could be the answer to all your questions. After being dipped in a corn flour and water slurry, the tender mutton is minced into keema and rolled in breadcrumbs. Finally, fry them in a kadhai full of hot oil and take them out as soon as they turn golden brown.
4. Chicken Vada
This is not your regular urad dal vada that you enjoy with sambhar and coconut chutney. The crispy vadas are stuffed with a flavourful chicken filling that is made with shredded chicken, salt, red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, and a few other spices. This needs to be fried until it turns dark brown to achieve the right texture of the outer coating.
5. Prawn Potli
Heard of potli samosa? This one is a seafood variety shaped like a potli. For the filling, you would require prawns, ginger-garlic paste, coconut, onions, and some spices. The dough is made with all-purpose flour or maida, salt, water, and oil. Roll out the dough, stuff it with the mixture, and shape it into a potli. Deep-fry until golden brown.
6. Chicken Patties
Aloo patties might be the most common ones that you’ve had till date, but these chicken patties will definitely steal the show. The patty dough is shaped like a parcel and packed with a chicken and onion mixture. These are then baked in an oven till they have a flaky and delicious outer layer. Dig into the layers to uncover the moist and succulent filling.
7. Fish Tikkis
Seafood lovers can rejoice once more, as these fish-filled tikkis can be prepared easily at home. Tikkis, for the unfamiliar, are roundels made of a particular meat or vegetable and covered in a batter before frying. The fish is shallow-fried before being shredded. Then it is bound together with moist bread and shaped into rounds. Dipped in a slurry, the tikkis are then fried on a pan and served with chutneys and sauces.
8. Egg Kebabs
When talking about non-vegetarian snacks, why leave out eggs? These egg kebabs, also known as dinosaur eggs, are named so after their huge size. The eggs are roasted with a marinade of spices. These are then coated with a potato mixture and deep-fried. The end result is a dark-brown confection that tastes divine in every bite.
9. Keema’R Doi Bora
As the name suggests, it is a Bengali delicacy that consists of minced mutton boras, or balls, dunked in a tangy yoghurt mixture. Hailing from the Thakurbaari cuisine, collated by Rabindranath Tagore, this dish is a great amalgamation of distinct flavours. Garnished with mint leaves and tamarind chutney, the dish is rich and refreshing at the same time.
10. Prawn Aloo Chaat
If you’re going to a desi party, the menu is incomplete without a chaat dish. With immense love for all things chatpata and tangy, this prawn aloo chaat is a great combination of deveined prawns and diced potatoes. Spruced up with a chilli, tomato, and yoghurt-based sauce and drizzled with tamarind chutney in the end, it offers a mélange of flavours in a single bite.