Spring is almost here and my rose plants are filled with buds. Even before the Chaitra month according to the Hindu calendar begins, my very fragrant Chaitri Gulab or spring roses are blooming. As we celebrate holi, the festival of colors welcoming spring...the sight of blooming gulabi/pink roses brings smile on my face. I feel so fortunate to have owned these plants and watching the roses bloom in our yard.
Traditionally, holi which is the festival to celebrate spring and colors would be celebrated by using flower petals. Rose petals were popularly used to make natural holi colors by drying and grinding them into powder or just using them fresh. Roses and flowers are used in abundance at homes and in temples decorating temples and Idols of God and Goddesses with floral garlands. Eventually traditional Eco-friendly holi turned into holi with dirty chemicals and harsh colors that would stain the skin, hair, and nails. The stain would be difficult to remove too. These colors not just have adverse effects on the person, but are also detrimental to the environment. As educated citizen, I feel we all should enjoy this festival as it symbolizes color, best wishes, and love from friends and family. Applying just a little color on the loved ones and friends is Shagun/Good Luck and fun, and while having fun we all need to respect each other and the environment. I learned to make simple holi colors at home using cornstarch and food color. My friends love it and it is safe for little children to enjoy it too.
Make Eco-friendly holi colors at home.
Click on the picture below.
Last season my husband and I experimented with making gulkand with homegrown organic roses. We tried different techniques and checked different recipes online to get the perfect blend. We left it in the sun the entire summer for rose petals and sugar to naturally cook and yield Gulkand.
This season while the roses are blooming and everyone is making gujiyas to celebrate the spring and holi festival, I wanted to make gujiya stuffed with our homemade gulkand. And the exciting part is that they are in the shape of blooming roses. I have made rose dumplings before and I exactly knew the technique of creating these rose shaped gujiyas.
My husband loved these. He said it tasted very good and looked so pretty and festive for the season! So even of you make regular gujiyas, Make few of these to offer God and thank Him for spreading blooms in our lives.
Here is our homemade gulkand made with
organic rose petals, organic sugar, fennel seeds, and cardamom powder.
Ingredients (makes 8-10 rose shaped gujiyas)
2 cups all purpose flour/maide
2 tbsp. ghee.
1 cup coarsely ground nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios)
1 cup gulkand
Ghee or oil for frying
- Mix flour and ghee well. Use around 3/4 cup water to make a stiff dough. Knead it well and leave it aside.
- Mix gulkand and coarsely ground nuts together. Gulkand can be homemade or store bought.
- Roughly divide the dough into 8 parts.
- Roll each part into an 8 inch diameter disc. Use a 3 inch diameter cookie cutter or mold to cut into equal disc.
- Place discs in a row slightly overlapping each other.
- Place gulkand and nut mixture in the center.
- Fold discs into half and then roll the entire row to obtain a rose bud. Press the bottom the seal it well.
- Deep fry on low heat till the rose gujiya turns golden brown. I like to fry it in ghee as it imparts beautiful flavor and aroma to this traditional sweet. You could also apply some ghee on it and bake it in a 400 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or till it turns golden brown.
- Dust a bit with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Here is step-by-step pictorial recipe:
Mix flour and ghee well. Use around 3/4 cup water to make a stiff dough. Knead it well and leave it aside.
Mix gulkand and coarsely ground nuts together. Gulkand can be homemade or store bought.
Roll each part of dough into an 8 inch diameter disc. Use a 3 inch diameter cookie cutter or mold to cut into equal disc.
Place discs in a row slightly overlapping each other.
Place gulkand and nut mixture in the center.
Fold discs into half and then roll the entire row to obtain a rose bud. Press the bottom the seal it well.
Deep fry on low heat till the rose gujiya turns golden brown. I like to fry it in ghee as it imparts beautiful flavor and aroma to this traditional sweet. You could also apply some ghee on it and bake it in a 400 F preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or till it turns golden brown.
Dust a bit with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Happy Gulabi Holi!
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