Independence Day is a great opportunity for compatriots from different states to get together and share their traditional dishes. It allows us to taste foods infused with flavors from across the country and also gives us a chance to appreciate India’s vibrant and varied cuisines. This year, with kids locked in due to the pandemic, perhaps we could try out a few simple tri rang (tricolor) desserts or dishes in the colors of the national flag to bring out the patriotic zeal in the young.
For a healthy dessert with a tricolor theme you could try combinations of various fruits using orange crush for the top orange color; chia seeds or oats soaked overnight in milk or yogurt for the white; and kiwis for the bottom green color. You could also vary the dessert by using your imagination to come up with tricolor cakes, puddings, custards or jelly.
Tricolor idlis are another variation, by adding grated carrots to the idli batter for the orange, using normal idli batter for the white, and adding pureed green spinach to the batter for the green.
Tricolor paneer tikka
Ingredients
250g paneer diced
Capsicum diced – 1
Onion diced – 1
Tomato diced -1
Ginger garlic paste – 2 tsp
Black pepper powder – ½ tsp
Mint or coriander chutney 2 tbsp
Red or orange colour (optional)
Thick curd – ½ cup
Garam masala -1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder – ½ tsp
Instructions
First of all, cut and dice paneer and all the vegetables.
Now mix paneer, onion, capsicum, tomato, ginger garlic paste, hung curd, oil, salt and black pepper.
Marinate them for 1-2 hours. Divide them into 3 proportions. Use the first part as it is for the white portion.
Either add red chilly powder and turmeric or a pinch of red food color to the next part to give it the orange color.
For the green add mint or coriander chutney..
Now use skewers and add them according to the flag colors.
In a non-stick pan, heat oil and cook these skewers evenly on both the sides.
Once done, serve hot with chutney of your choice.
Tricolor Phirni
A classic Indian dessert to prepare at home, phirni is an amalgamation of milk and sugar along with nuts and dry fruits.
Ingredients
100g broken basmati
50g semolina (sooji)
100g rice powder
2 ltr milk
1 tin condensed milk
100g sugar
500 ml cream, chilled
1 tsp green cardamom powder
3 tbsp raspberry, preserved
3 tbsp blueberry, preserved
3 tbsp mango chunks
3 tbsp almond flakes
Instructions:
In a bowl, soak the broken basmati rice for 15-20 minutes.
Make granule size paste with semolina and keep aside.
Make a paste with the rice powder and keep aside.
Heat milk in a heavy bottom pan and reduce it a little bit, adding condensed milk as well.
Add the soaked rice, semolina paste and rice powder paste slowly into the milk. Keep stirring to avoid lumps.
Cook on a slow flame for 15-20 minutes, or till the time the rice is cooked properly, along with sugar.
Once the rice is cooked, keep phirni aside to cool down. Add chilled cream and cardamom powder. Mix well.
Once the phirni is chilled properly, divide equally into three parts and flavor it with different berries and mango chunks.
Tricolor Fruit Jelly
With the goodness of fruit juices such as orange, litchi and kiwi along with coconut milk and the tang of lime this delightful dish is sure to make the kids happy.
Ingredients:
350ml coconut milk
2 Kafir lime leaves
40g orange dices
30ml lychee juice
coconut water (from one shell)
350ml orange juice
A pinch of salt
sugar to taste
40g kiwi dices
15g agar agar
Instructions:
Place a saucepan on flame and pour coconut milk dissolved in coconut water and bring to boil; add sugar, kafir lime and wait until it releases flavor, then remove from flame.
Place another saucepan on flame and pour about 150 ml of water and add the agar agar into it. Switch flame to high mode and let it boil well, wait until it dissolves. Wait patiently, it will dissolve after about 10 to 15 minutes of time.
Now make the diced kiwi into a puree and add to boiling water. Once it starts boiling add agar agar and let it dissolve. Add litchi juice to adjust the sweetness, once the mixture is completely dissolved remove from flame and put in a glass jar for the layer to set.
Now pour one third of agar agar into hot coconut milk and stir well. Add little salt also.
Cut the oranges and take out the chunks, Add orange juice to boiling water then add agar agar and wait to dissolve. Once done, add cut orange pieces.
Layer the glass jar with a second layer with coconut milk and keep in the fridge for setting the layer. Once done take it out and put the third layer with orange juice.
Refrigerate or let it set in room temperature, but refrigeration will help quicken the process. Use a ladle to pour the mixture and be very gentle while pouring, see that there are no air bubbles while you pour.
Try pouring equal levels to make sure it looks good. Refrigerate or set aside until it sets well.
Tricolor Macaroons
Packed with a cream-cheese filling and laced with the national tricolour, these macaroons are perfect to make at home and ring in the Independence Day.
Ingredients
1 cup almond flour
1.5 cup powdered sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 tbsp white sugar
green food colour
orange food colour
white food colour
For cream cheese filling:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
100g cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp heavy cream
Instructions:
For macaroon shells:
In a bowl mix together almond flour and powdered sugar.
Beat the eggs whites using a wire whisk. As the egg white starts to foam a little, add cream of tartar. In a while, the egg whites will develop a shaving cream like consistency, start adding sugar.
Fold in the almond flour-sugar mixture into the egg whites. The batter should not be runny, it should be slightly thick.
Divide batter into three parts, leave one as such and add green and orange food coloring to the remaining two batters and transfer them to three different piping bags fitted with 1/2 inch round tip. Pipe the batter onto the cookie sheets.
Let the macarons sit at room temperature for 45 minutes. Once the shells have dried completely bake them in a preheated oven at 148 degree C for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.
For cream cheese filling:
Beat butter and cream cheese till smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Add vanilla extract and mix till combined. Also add white food color.
Add heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time till you get the desired consistency. The filling should remain thick, so do not add too much liquid.
Filling the macaroons:
Remove macaron shells from the parchment paper once they have cooled completely and fill them with the prepared cream cheese filling.
Tricolor Cheesecake
Made with a base of crunchy crumbly crushed biscuits, mixed with butter, layered and baked to golden along with a luscious cream cheese mix on top, this tricolour cheesecake is a quintessential Independence Day sweet to prepare.
Ingredients
800g cream cheese
500g icing sugar
8 nos egg yolk
15g corn flour
15g refined flour
200g fresh cream
Few drops of vanilla essence
150g biscuit crumbs
75g butter
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 130 C. Grease and line the base of a cake tin.
Place the biscuits in a plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin to fine crumbs.
Melt the butter and add the biscuit crumbs, stir to combine. Place in the base of the cake tin and spread in an even layer, then flatten it.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until it turns golden. Remove and leave to cool while you prepare the filling.
In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth then add the sour cream, vanilla essence and flour. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla essence beating well between each addition.
Pour the cream cheese mix on the biscuit base then bake in the oven for 45 mins to 130 C. The cheesecake should be just set with a slight wobble and should still be cream on top with just a slight golden hint around the edges.
Once the cheesecake is cooked, turn off the oven and prop open the door and leave the cheesecake to cool in the oven- this prevents the top from cracking.
Once the oven is cool you can remove the cheesecake and set to cool completely before serving.