On the occasion of India’s 68th Independence Day, ignite the patriotic foodie in you. Take your Independence Day celebration to a whole new level with these fun yet healthy tri-colour recipes.
Starters
1.Tri-colour Sandwich:
Ingredients:
- Brown bread slices – 8
- White bread slices – 4
ORANGE LAYER
- Carrots grated (orange layer) – 1 cup
- Eggless mayonnaise – 2 tablespoons
- Salt
GREEN LAYER:
- Cottage cheese grated (green layer) – 1cup
- Green chutney – 4 tablespoons
Method:
- For the orange layer mix grated carrots, mayonnaise and salt.
- For the green layer cottage cheese with green chutney and salt. Place bread slice on the work top.
- Spread the green layer evenly over it. Place a white bread slice over it.Spread the orange layer over the white bread slice evenly and top with a brown bread slice. Press gently.
- Cut each sandwich into three fingers and serve immediately.
2. Tri-colour Dhokla:
Ingredients:
- 3 cups Idli batter
- 1/4 cup spinach puree
- 1 green chilli and 1 small piece ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon Gun powder (Idli molagai podi)
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Oil for greasing the plate
Garnishing:
- 2 tablespoon Grated coconut
- Coriander leaves
Seasoning:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp white sesame seeds
Preparation:
Divide the batter into three parts:
GREEN BATTER
1 cup batter, spinach puree, ginger green chilli paste and mix well.
WHITE BATTER
1 cup batter
ORANGE BATTER
1 cup batter, 1 tablespoon gun powder, chilli powder.
Method:
- In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients mentioned for green layer and transfer it to a greased plate and steam it.
- When it is done, pour one cup batter for white layer and steam.
- Then, add the third layer. ie orange layer on top of it and steam.
- When it is done, remove and allow to cool.
- Cut it into desired shapes and arrange in a plate for tri-colour dhokla.
- Season with the items mentioned and garnish with coconut and coriander leaves.
- Serve with green/sweet chutney as you wish.
3. Tri-colour Idlis:
Ingredients:
- Idli batter – as required
For Orange Color:
- Tomato – 1 big
- Red chillies
For Green Color:
- Cilantro/Mint – 1 cup
- Green chilli – 1
- Cumin seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
Method:
Tri-colour Idli
Take the required portion of the idli batter and divide it into three equal parts. Keep one part as such for the white color of the tri-colour idli/dosa.
For Orange Colour:
- Chop the tomatoes into chunks.
- Sauté the tomatoes and red chillies for just a couple of minutes for the raw taste to go.
- Cool it and grind it to a smooth paste.
- Mix it with one portion of the batter to make the orange color of the tri-colour idli/dosa.
For Green Colour:
- Chop the cilantro (or mint leaves) roughly.
- Sauté it with the green chillies for just a couple of minutes to remove the raw flavor.
- Cool it and grind it to a smooth paste.
- Mix it with the third portion of the batter to make the green color of the tri-colour idli/dosa.
To make the tri-colour Idlis:
- You can make separate idlies with the three batters and arrange it in tri color as shown in the picture below.
- Alternatively, pour a tbsp of the three colored batter and make a single tri colored idli.
Main Course:
4. Tri-colour Pasta:
Ingredients:
- Garden rotini pasta – 1/2 lb (1/2 of a 16 oz box)
- Hard boiled eggs – 2
- Bell peppers (Green & Orange) – 1 each
- Onion – 1/2 (sliced)
- Garlic – 2 cloves (finely minced)
- Italian seasoning – 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Red chilli flakes – 1/2 teaspoon
- Soy sauce – 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
- Olive oil – 2 tablespoon
- Salt – as per taste
Method:
- Cook the pasta as per the package instructions with some salt. Drain the water and keep aside.
- Cut the whites of the hard boiled eggs into slices. Use the yellow for some other purpose or discard it.
- Similarly cut the bell peppers into thin strips. You can use any colour. I’ve used green and orange to match with the colours of the pasta.
- Heat some olive oil in a frying pan or wok.
- Add the minced garlic and onion slices. Stir fry for a minute.
- Add the bell peppers and fry for another minute.
- Next add the Italian seasoning, pepper powder, red pepper flakes and the egg white slices. Toss together.
- Add the soy sauce, lemon juice and little salt (if needed).
- Immediately add the cooked pasta and stir fry till everything comes together.
- Serve as a pasta salad or as a meal.
5.Tri-colour Zafrani Pulav:
Ingredients:
- Basmati rice – 2 cup
- Saffron – 1 teaspoon
- Nuts (Cashews, Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts etc) – 1 cup
- Dried fruits (Black Raisins, Golden Raisins, cranberries, pineapple, papaya etc) – 1 cup
- Fresh fruits (Pomogranate, Grapes, Apple ) – 1 cup
- Whole garam masala – (1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cardomon, 3 cloves)
- Black cumin – 1/2 teaspoon
- Fried onions – 1/2 cup
- Ginger garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
- Cilantro – handful
- Mint – handful
- Sugar – 1 tablespoon
- Coriander- Cumin powder – 1 tablespoon
- Milk – 1/4 cup
- Oil – 2 tablespoon
- Ghee – 1 tablespoon.
Preparation Steps
- Heat oil in a pan and splutter the cumin seeds and whole garam masala.
- Add the nuts and dried fruits and saute for a minute on very low flame to prevent them from getting burnt.
- Add the ginger garlic paste, sugar and coriander-cumin powder.
- (After this you can cook in a rice cooker or stove top.) Add the above mixture to the rice along with required water, fried onions, half of the saffron- milk mixture and finely chopped coriander and mint leaves.
- Let it cook till the rice is done. At this stage add the remaining saffron-milk mixture on top of the rice.
- Add the fresh fruits and mix gently with a fork without breaking the rice.
- Add few drops of ghee on top.
- Garnish with additional nuts, fruits, cilantro and fresh saffron strands
Dessert:
Tri-colour Halwa:
Ingredients:
PALAK HALVA
- 1 cup palak puree
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoon sugarite (sugar free)
- 2 teaspoon ghee
- cardamom powder
- dry fruits for garnishing
CUCUMBER HALVA
- 1 cup cucumber
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon khoya
- 6 tablespoon sugarite (sugar free)
- 2 teaspoon ghee
- cardamom powder
- dry fruits for garnishing
CARROT HALVA
- 1 cup grated carrot (English carrot)
- 1 cup milk
- 6 tablespoon sugarite (sugar free)
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- cardamom powder
- dry fruits for garnishing
Method:
GREEN LAYER (PALAK HALWA):
Wash the palak and blanch the same, run through cold water and make a puree of it to get one cup of puree. Use one bunch of palak to get one cup puree. Heat ghee in a pan and add the palak, saute for 5 minutes then add milk, sugarite and keep on stirring till it starts leaving the pan.
When it is done, remove and arrange on a plate at the bottom side.
WHITE LAYER (CUCUMBER HALWA):
Wash and peel one cucumber. Grate it and squeeze out the water. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cucumber and saute for 5 minutes. Add the milk, sugarite and keep on stirring. Once the milk is dried up, add the khoya and mix well till it starts leaving the pan. When it is done, remove and arrange on the plate for second layer i.e. white.
ORANGE LAYER (CARROT HALWA):
Wash, peel the carrot and grate it. Heat ghee in a pan and add the carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add the milk, sugarite and keep on stirring till it is done. Remove and arrange above the second layer i.e. white.
Your tri-colour halwa is ready. Garnish with dry fruits of your choice.
7.Tri-colour Popsicle:
Ingredients:
For Orange Juice:
- Oranges – 2
- Sugar – 2 tablespoon
For White Juice:
- Banana – 1
- Milk – 1/2 cup
- Sugar – 2 tablespoon
For Green Juice:
- Kiwi – 1
- Water – 1/2 cup
- Sugar – 2 tablespoon
Method:
To make tricolor Popsicle
- Pour the orange juice into the Popsicle mold to fill 1/3rd of it.
- Let it freeze in the freezer for about 1 hour until it is partially frozen.
- Add the banana milkshake on top of this juice. Freeze again for another 1 hour.
- Now add the kiwi juice to fill the Popsicle maker.
- Insert the sticks at this stage. Freeze overnight or for at least 5 hours before serving for it to set.
Looks appetizing? Well then, get on with it. Celebrate your freedom to stay healthy this independence. Let us know your views in the comments section below. Happy Independence Day!
