Article Updated March 1, 2026
The festival of colors in India, Holi, is ready to set sail with recipes to fill the holiday table. This celebration of spring and community brings together people from all over to rejoice colorfully together. You’ll often see families throwing handfuls of powdered dyes and pigments at each other and joyfully dancing along to live music. In addition to the rainbow of color and the fun, part of what is so special about Holi is the food. Each dish is made for sharing, with many recipes able to be handheld as well. Below, Chef Palak Patel shares some of her personal favorite Holi recipes all with a slight twist to encourage you to try something new.
Holi Recipes for Celebrating the Start of Spring
Kachori Fritters
Little fritters full of peas and edamame bring fresh green vegetables to the Holi table. These small, deep fried rounds use plenty of seasonings to make the pea and edamame filling far from boring. Try it with a green yogurt dipping sauce to complete your spread.
Thandai
Of course you’re going to need a beverage to enjoy with all this delicious food. Thandai is a cooling pistachio and saffron drink that adds to the richness of Holi. There is some room for variation here depending on what spices you prefer, but we recommend garnishing with dried rose petals or rose water.
Sweet Gujiyas
Every culture seems to have a type of dumpling, and for Holi, these Sweet Gujiyas channel that universal dumpling energy. These flour dumplings are filled with a combination of creamy ricotta, sugar, both coconut and almond flours, aromatic cardamom, and nutmeg. Biting into them is the perfect mix of crunchy and sweet without overtaking your entire palate.
Savory Chana Masala
The perfect complement to gujiyas and fritters, Savory Chana Masala brings the spice to this meal. Slowly simmered chickpeas meet a tomato-based sauce for a cozy and comforting recipe. Enjoy naan or rice alongside this dish.
Colorful Recipes for Celebrating Holi’s Gulal Powders
During Holi, people throw colored powders known as gulal at each other, and each color carries a special meaning. Originally, each of these colors came from natural sources like ground neem leaves, turmeric, henna leaves, chrysanthemums, pomegranate, and charcoal.
Red – Lentil Pasta Primavera (Love, Fertility)
Gluten-free red lentil pasta is the star of the show here along with cherry tomatoes to showcase passion in a dish. The added broccolini here represents the new cycles of the color green.
Orange – Easy Hot Honey Peach Galette (Strength, Sacrifice)
From the golden crust to the slices of tender peaches and drizzle of hot honey, orange seeps into this galette. The best part of the galette is tis free-form pastry allows you to get rustic and creative.
Yellow – Bacon Wrapped Scallops with Mango and Pineapple Salsa (Healing, Happiness)
Pineapple and mango are vibrant fresh fruits that in a salsa brighten perfectly seared scallops. The bacon here adds a luxurious smokiness to the dish that’s sure to have you smile.
Green – Pea Salad with Greens, Strawberries, and Mint Vinaigrette (New Beginnings)
This salad is as spring seasonal as you can get. Use all of nature’s bounty to layer pickled sugar snap peas, cucumber, fresh peas, butter lettuce, and strawberries. Then top it with a Dijon oil-vinegar dressing.
Blue Gluten-Free, Vegan Jammy Blueberry Bars (Calmness, Serenity)
Blueberries balance between tart and sweet works into gluten-free oat bars that use a bit of maple syrup within the jam. These treats are a joy to make and even better to eat.
Purple Roasted Beet Hummus (Wisdom, Peace)
Beets are one of those foods that doesn’t feel real due to how they can cook into such a bright color of purple. Our Roasted Beet Hummus is naturally sweet and earthy with a blend of tahini, fresh lemon juice, and a hint of garlic.
Pink Whole-Lemon Pound Cake with Pomegranate Glaze (Joy, Youthfulness)
While you may think of pomegranates as ruby red, this fruit can cook into a beautiful pink glaze. When drizzled atop a moist lemon pound cake it’s bright, tart, and comforting all at once.
Story by Kylie Thomas
Traditional Holi Recipes by Palak Patel
Traditional Holi Styling by Ana Kelly
Traditional Holi Photography by Adam Milliron
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