Celebrate Independence Day with tricolour food

These snacks and sweets will put you in the right mood on August 15

Sunday is Independence Day. To celebrate the spirit of freedom, here are some fun recipes to try at home and indulge in with family and friends.

These tricolour foods are easy to make and need simple ingredients, easily available at home.

Tiranga dhokla

Ingredients

1 ½ - suji

¾ cup – curd

¼ tsp x 3 - baking soda (for different layers)

1 tsp - salt

1 ½ tsp - sugar

1 - carrot

½ cup - spinach

Water as needed

Oil for greasing and for tadka

1 tsp - mustard seeds

Method

Take 1 ½ cup of suji into a bowl. Add one tsp of salt and the curd.

Mix all of this together. Make a soft mixture and keep it aside for about 30 minutes

To make colours orange and green, puree the carrot and spinach individually. Make a fine paste and pour in to different bowls.

After 30 minutes, divide the suji mix into three bowls.

Add ½ tsp sugar into each bowl.

In the white mix, add water and mix it for a few minutes, until the batter becomes a good consistency. Keep it aside.

For the green mix, add 2 to 3 tsp of spinach puree, and mix it well, until its consistency is thin and similar to the white one.

Add the carrot puree into the third bowl and mix for the same consistency for the orange layer.

Grease a cake tin well with oil.

Mix ¼ tsp of baking soda in all three bowls and mix.

Pour the green mix into the cake tin and place inside a steamer/cooker/idli cooker. Cover and steam for five minutes.

After that add the white layer and spread it. Steam for about five minutes.

Once the white layer is prepared, add the orange layer and spread it well. Steam for 10 minutes.

Check if the mix is cooked well, with a toothpick. Cool for 30 minutes.

Take a knife and release the dhokla off the edges. Place the cake tin upside down on a board/large plate and tap to release it from the pan.

Cut into triangular or square pieces according to preference.

For tadka: Heat a tbsp of oil and once it’s hot, add a tsp of mustard seeds.

Add hing and curry leaves if you wish to. Pour the tadka over the dhoklas.Serve with fried green chillies, sweet tamarind chutney and green chutney, according to preference.

Tricolour idli

Ingredients

175 gm - parboiled/idli rice

75 gm - washed urad dal

10 to 15 gm - salt

25 gm - carrot puree

25 gm - spinach puree

Method

Soak rice and urad dal for 2 to 3 hours. Grind to a fine paste with a mixer or stone grinder, according to availability. Add salt and mix well.

Set aside for fermentation at room temperature, for 12 hours or more.

Divide this mix into three parts. Leave one part for the white idli or layer.

Mix carrot and spinach puree to make the other parts.

Pour the batter in a way as to make the flag — orange, white and green layer. You could also make idlis of just single colour, by pouring the batter into different round moulds.

Steam in idli cooker or cooker until done.

Serve with red chilli chutney, coconut chutney and green coriander chutney, to complete the look.

For instant idlis
For those who make idlis with instant batter, divide it into three bowls and mix the purees accordingly and prepare tricolour idlis.

Freedom peda

Ingredients

1 litre - milk (with fat)

100 gm - milk powder

100 ml - condensed milk

50 gm - butter

300 gm - sugar

Cardamom powder - according to taste

2 drops - edible orange colour

2 drops - edible green colour

Method

Take a deep/heavy bottom pan.

Melt butter in the pan and add milk, milk powder, condensed milk, sugar and cardamom powder, one by one. Mix well and keep stirring, till you get a thick consistency.

Lower flame and keep stirring. The mix will get thicker and separate from the sides. Cool the mix for around 30 minutes. Divide the mix into three parts. Add orange colour into the first part and add green colour into the second. Mix well. Leave the third part alone. Apply some ghee on your palms and roll the mix into small balls.

Garnish with saffron and pistachios. Peda is ready.