One may wonder what the significance of tricolour food is on Republic Day. The three colours of the Indian flag—saffron, white, and green—are a marker of patriotism. And to rejoice and pay tribute to the significance of the flag colours with the same feeling, food is prepared with a tricolour or tiranga theme. While the president's address to the nation at Rajpath is one of the day's main draws, the tricolour-themed foods have grown in popularity too.
From sweet to savoury, you’ll find plenty of options to devour on this day. Since no celebration is complete without desserts, there are some yummy delights you can make at home with a tiranga touch. All of your desi and videshi bites, whether ladoo, barfi, or halwa, can be given a tricolour makeover.
Here are some recipes to try for Republic Day.
1. Tricolour Ukadiche Modak
A Maharashtrian dessert that is usually prepared around Ganesh Chaturthi, modak is a dumpling-shaped mithai that has a long peak on top. Made with rice flour, coconut, and jaggery, the delicious sweet is given a Republic Day spin by dipping it in edible red and green colouring. Saffron strands are added to warm milk to give it a tantalising aroma and taste.
2. Tricolour Rasmalai
The spongy sweetmeat is made with chenna or paneer. The thickened milk is sweetened and flavoured with saffron strands, and the balls are dipped in this milk. While saffron lends the dessert an orangish colour, the green cardamom powder gives it a greenish hue, making it an ideal tricolour dessert.
3. Milk Barfi in Tricolour
The milky, solid squares, known as barfi, are a classic Indian sweet. The mithai is made with milk, fresh cream, chenna, sugar, and cardamom powder. Each of the barfis is carefully layered with orange and green food colouring and then shaped into squares. The cut-out barfi is then rested before being devoured.
4. Tricolour Fruit Trifle
This delicious treat is made with layers of several fruits that represent the colours of the Indian flag. The bottom of the glass is filled with sliced kiwis. Next, fresh whipped cream is spread on it. The final layer is that of either papayas or fresh orange juice. Dusted off with powdered sugar, this trifle is a great chilled dessert to relish.
5. Tricolour Malai Cake
As the name suggests, this creamy and delicious cake is made with scoops of malai in between the layers of saffron, white, and green cake. All-purpose flour, milk, baking powder, sugar, and eggs are combined to make a cake batter. One layer of the cake is dipped in orange food colouring, the second in none, and the third and final layer in green food colouring. Baked to perfection, this cake turns out ultra-spongy and airy. The three cake layers stacked one on top of the other with oodles of malai in between make for a hearty dessert.