Bura na mano…but lets face it, you’re going to be legit wasted today thanks to the year’s most eligible reason to party! If Diwali is India’s Christmas, Holi is our very own Mardi Gras.

Each year, my Holi starts at home with the family, playing politely with colours. Which later escalates to a Rohit Shetty-esque movie when the friends show up. I am talking about colours that don’t come off for days and sneaky water fights that become revenge agendas for next year’s Holi. I’ve held a grudge against this one person for four years now, and even though we catch up for beers every now and then, our water balloons shall forever be aimed at each other.

No matter what your style of Holi is, chances are that you’ll be drinking your way through and at some point, an uncle or a friend will pass you a giant glass of thandai laced with Bhaang which is likely to make you dance extra hard to yet another loop of ‘Balam Pichkari’.That Bhaang will make you hungry, SO hungry. The only fix at this time, my friend, is not mum’s Gujiyas, or space cookies your woke friend picked cooked up in her garage. Instead, it’s a good ol’ fashioned box of donuts. Take it from a pro.

The sugary, spiciness that you can get from a cakey donut just can’t be found in any other munchie. So this year, I’ve taken the classic donut recipe and made it a little more ‘Holi’ with the addition of Thandai.

Plus, it’s so easy that you can throw it together just before the colour monsters show up. Oh, and it’s also healthy-ish so you don’t feel too bad when the munchies strike. Pretty it up with a chocolate glaze, a few flowers and you’ve got a whole new festive rager that your friends will be thanking you for years to come.

Take that, Ms Water Balloon with Egg.

 

THANDAI DONUTS

INGREDIENTS

• White Whole Wheat Flour – 1 cup
•  Brown Sugar – 1/3 cup
• Baking Powder – 1 1/4 tsp
•  Salt – 1/4 tsp
•  Milk – 1/4 cup
• Thandai mix – 1 tbsp
• Plain Greek Yogurt – 1/4 cup
• Egg – 1, large
• Vanilla – 1 tsp

For the Glaze:

• White Chocolate, chopped – 165g
• Red Food Colouring – a few drops
• Fresh Flowers to decorate

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Spray a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Gently heat the milk and stir in the Thandai. Let it come to room temperature.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Add the Thandai milk, yogurt and vanilla and whisk until smooth.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, but be careful don’t overmix.
6. Pipe the batter into the donut pan and bake for 5-10 minutes, until done. Keep a sharp eye on it, you don’t want to overbake.
7. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler and whisk to remove all the lumps. Add a few drops of colour to the chocolate to reach desired shade of pink.
8. Remove donuts from oven and let it cool for a minute or two. Turn them out and let them cool.
9. Dunk each donut in the melted chocolate and stick on a few fresh flowers.
10. Serve warm and enjoy!

If you’re looking for a few drink ideas for your Holi party, this festive cocktail is a great addition to the mix. Here’s wishing you a happy and a safe Holi.