Celebrate Holi 2026 with easy homemade recipes like gujiya, thandai, puran poli, malpua, dahi bhalla, and namak pare. Check step-by-step methods, ingredients, and popular Holi sweets and snacks to make the festival colorful and delicious.

New Delhi: Holi 2026 will be celebrated on March 4 and 5, on the full moon day of the month of Phalguna. The festival brings bright colors, happiness, and delicious traditional food across India. As people search online for “Holi recipes 2026 Gujiya Thandai,” “easy Holi sweets at home,” and “popular Holi foods in India,” gujiya remains the most loved Holi sweet. Other popular items include thandai, puran poli, malpua, dahi bhalla, and namak pare.

These dishes include both sweet and savory flavors and show India’s rich food culture. For example, gujiya is popular in North India, while puran poli is famous in Maharashtra. Below is a complete and simple guide with step-by-step recipes using traditional methods, perfect for celebrating Holi.

Gujiya: The Most Popular Holi Sweet

Gujiya is a crispy, fried sweet filled with khoya and dry fruits. It is the most important sweet made during Holi and is seen as a symbol of prosperity.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: About 20 pieces

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• Water as needed

For the filling:

• 1 cup khoya (mawa)
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup chopped almonds, cashews, and pistachios
• ¼ cup dry coconut
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder

Steps

1. Mix flour and ghee, add water, and knead into a stiff dough. Rest for 30 minutes.
2. Roast khoya on low heat until light golden. Add sugar, nuts, coconut, and cardamom. Let it cool.
3. Roll small dough balls into circles, add filling, fold into a half-moon shape, and seal the edges.
4. Fry in hot ghee on medium heat until golden. Drain excess oil. You can dip them in sugar syrup for extra shine if you like.

Thandai: A Cool and Refreshing Drink

Thandai is a cold milk drink made with nuts and spices. Adults sometimes add bhang. It cools the body and goes well with Holi snacks.

Preparation time: 15 minutes (plus soaking time)
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 liter full-cream milk
• ½ cup soaked almonds
• 2 tablespoons melon seeds
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• Few saffron strands
• Sugar as needed
• Rose petals and nuts for garnish
• Optional: bhang paste

Steps

1. Soak almonds and seeds overnight and grind them into a fine paste.
2. Boil milk, add the paste, cardamom, saffron, and sugar. Cook for 5–10 minutes.
3. Cool the mixture, strain if needed, and chill for 2 hours. Garnish and serve cold.

Puran Poli: A Traditional Sweet Flatbread from Maharashtra

Puran poli is a soft, stuffed flatbread filled with sweet lentils and jaggery. It is commonly made during festivals in Maharashtra.

Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves: 6–8

Ingredients

For the dough:
• 1 cup wheat flour
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• Water as needed
For the filling:
• 1 cup soaked chana dal
• 1 cup jaggery
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
• A pinch of nutmeg

Steps

1. Boil chana dal until soft. Mash it with jaggery and cook until thick. Add spices and cool.
2. Knead flour with ghee and water into a soft dough. Rest for 30 minutes.
3. Stuff dough balls with filling, roll gently, and cook on a tawa with ghee until golden spots appear.

Malpua: Sweet Fried Pancakes in Sugar Syrup

Malpua is a popular North Indian sweet. It is crispy on the outside, soft inside, and soaked in saffron sugar syrup.

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

For batter:
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
For syrup:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• Saffron strands

Steps

1. Mix all batter ingredients and rest for 30 minutes.
2. Boil sugar and water with saffron to make syrup. Keep warm.
3. Fry small portions of batter in ghee until golden. Dip them in syrup and garnish with nuts.

Dahi Bhalla: Soft Dumplings in Yogurt

Dahi bhalla is a savory dish that balances sweet Holi foods. It is made with soft lentil dumplings soaked in spiced yogurt.

Preparation time: 30 minutes (plus soaking)
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients

For vadas:
• 1 cup soaked urad dal
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt
• Oil for frying
For yogurt:
• 2 cups curd
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Roasted cumin powder
• Red chili powder
• Tamarind and mint chutneys

Steps

1. Grind dal into batter, fry small vadas, soak them in warm water, and gently squeeze.
2. Whisk yogurt with spices, place vadas, pour yogurt, and top with chutneys and sev.

Namak Pare: Crispy Salty Snacks

Namak pare are crunchy fried snacks, perfect to eat while playing Holi.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ajwain
• Salt
• 4 tablespoons ghee
• Water as needed
• Oil for frying

Steps

1. Knead flour with spices and ghee into a stiff dough.
2. Roll thin and cut into strips or diamond shapes.
3. Fry until crispy and golden. Cool before storing.

Other Popular Holi Foods

• Bhang Ladoo (consume carefully)
• Dal Kachori
• Methi Mathri
• Pakoras
• Gulab Jamun
• Ras Malai
• Sweet Saffron Rice
• Lassi
• Sabudana Vada
• Kheer

These dishes make Holi celebrations special and memorable.

As Holi 2026 approaches, these traditional recipes—from sweet gujiya and cool thandai to soft puran poli, crispy malpua, tangy dahi bhalla, and crunchy namak pare—bring families together with joy and love. Making these dishes at home fills the festival with warmth, sharing, and happiness.

Prepare them with care, add your own touch, and enjoy the true flavors of Holi.
Wishing you a colorful, safe, and delicious Holi full of joy and sweet memories! 🌸

Also Read on jabalpur today: When is Holi 2026? Know Everything About the Festival of Colors