Holi 2026 is just around the corner, and the air is already thick with the anticipation of colours, laughter, and, most importantly, food. While gujiyas and thandai remain the undisputed royalty of the festival, no Indian celebration is truly complete without the bold, tangy, and spicy kick of street food. Also read | Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s 5 high protein veg recipes for fitness enthusiasts: South Indian beetroot quinoa pachadi to salad
To help you skip the long queues at the local chaat corner this year, chef Sanjeev Kapoor shared six mouth-watering street food recipes in the February 21 blog on his webiste.
Whether you’re hosting a grand Holi party or a cosy family gathering, these homemade versions of India’s favourite street foods – from ragda pav, vada pav, dahi puri to anda tawa pulao, aloo tikki chaat and pani puri – are designed to bring the vibrant spirit of the streets straight to your dining table. Also read | When is Holi 2026? Find out if it is on March 4 or March 3, know the auspicious time and significance
1. Ragda pav
A hearty comfort dish featuring soft pav buns paired with a spicy white pea curry.
Ingredients
2 cups boiled dried white peas (safed vatana), with cooking liquor reserved
4-6 pavs
2-3 tbsps oil
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
1 large onion, finely chopped
Salt to taste
1½ tsps ginger-garlic paste
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
2-3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into 1 inch pieces
½ tsp roasted cumin powder
2-3 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves + for garnish
Red chilli-garlic chutney as required
Date and tamarind chutney as required
Green chutney as required
Masala peanuts for sprinkling
Chaat masala for sprinkling
Nylon sev for sprinkling
Method
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add green chillies, onion, and salt and mix well. Cook till translucent.
2. Add ginger-garlic paste, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add tomato, mix well and cook till soft and pulpy.
4. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add 1 cup cooking liquor from the cooked white peas and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Add boiled potatoes and lightly mash with the help of a masher.
7. Add the boiled dried white peas and mix well. Add 1½ cups water, mix and cook for 2-3 minutes.
8. Lightly mash the mixture with the help of masher.
9. Add roasted cumin powder, and coriander leaves and mix well. This is ragda.
10. Switch the heat off.
11. Cut pavs into 1 inch pieces.
12. To serve, arrange some pav pieces on a serving plate. Add a portion of the ragda, add red chilli-garlic chutney, date and tamarind chutney, green chutney, sprinkle masala peanuts, coriander leaves, and garnish with sev. Serve immediately.
2. Vada pav
The ‘king of Mumbai street food’ is a must-have for fueling your Holi revelry.
Ingredients
5-6 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled, and mashed
6-8 pavs, horizontally slit
2 tbsps oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split skinless black gram (dhuli urad dal)
¼ tsp asafoetida (hing)
12-15 curry leaves
1½ tbsps coarsely crushed ginger-garlic-green chillies
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2-3 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves
½ lemon
Oil for deep frying
10-12 green chillies, slit
Green chutney as required
Date and tamarind chutney as required
Dry red chilli-garlic chutney as required
Batter
2 cups gram flour (besan)
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
¼ tsp baking soda
Salt to taste
Method
1. To make the stuffing, heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds, split skinless black gram, and sauté till golden brown. Add asafoetida, curry leaves, and crushed ginger-garlic-green chilli and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add turmeric powder, and salt and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the boiled potatoes, and mix till well combined. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add coriander leaves, and squeeze juice of lemon and mix. Switch the heat off and allow the mixture to cool completely.
5. To make the batter, take gram flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add 1½ cups water and mix with the help of your hand till a smooth batter is formed.
6. Heat sufficient oil in another kadai.
7. Divide the stuffing into equal portions and shape each portion into a ball. Slightly flatten it. Dip each portion into the batter and coat it well from all sides. Gently slide this in to the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown. Drain on an absorbent paper. This is a vada.
8. Drizzle some of the batter into the hot oil and deep fry till golden brown and crisp. Drain the fried batter into an absorbent paper.
9. Similarly, slide in the slit green chillies and deep fry for 1-2 minutes. Drain on an absorbent paper and generously sprinkle salt over it and toss well.
10. To make a vada pav, apply some green chutney, date and tamarind chutney, sprinkle dry red chilli-garlic chutney over one side of the slit pav. Place a vada on it, sprinkle some of the fried batter pieces, and place a fried chilli on top. Cover with the remaining side of the pav.
11. Arrange the vada pavs on a serving plate and serve hot.
3. Dahi puri
For those who love a burst of sweetness and tang to balance out the spice.
Ingredients
1½ cups thick yogurt (dahi)
20-24 crisp puris
⅓ cup powdered sugar
Salt to taste
3-4 ice cubes
3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves + for garnish
½ cup boiled moong sprouts
Black salt to taste
½ tsp red chilli powder + for sprinkling
Date and tamarind chutney as required
Green chutney as required
Red chilli-garlic chutney as required
Date and tamarind chutney as required
Roasted cumin powder for sprinkling
Sev for garnish
Masala chana dal for sprinkling
Masala peanuts for sprinkling
Grated carrot for garnish
Grated beetroot for garnish
Method
1. Take yogurt in a large bowl. Add powdered sugar, salt and ice cubes and mix till well combined and the sugar melts.
2. For the stuffing, take potatoes in another bowl. Add coriander leaves, boiled moong sprouts, black salt and red chilli powder and mix till well combined.
3. To make the dahi puris, make a hole in crisp puris and arrange on a serving plate. Stuff each puri with a portion of the stuffing. Drizzle date and tamarind chutney, green chutney, red chilli garlic chutney and prepared yogurt mixture. Drizzle date and tamarind chutney and sprinkle roasted cumin powder. Garnish with sev, coriander leaves, masala chana dal, masala peanuts, grated carrot, and grated beetroot. Serve immediately.
4. Anda tawa pulao
A protein-packed, spicy rice dish that is perfect for a heavy Holi lunch.
2 boiled eggs, roughly chopped
2 boiled eggs, quartered for garnish
3 cups cooked basmati rice
Salt to taste
3 tbsps oil
2 tbsps butter
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp red chilli paste
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp pav bhaji masala
1 medium green capsicum, finely chopped
2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves + for garnish
½ lemon
Method
1. Break in the eggs in a bowl. Add salt and whisk well with a fork.
2. Heat oil and butter in a non-stick wide pan. Add ginger-garlic paste and red chilli paste and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add onion and sauté till translucent. Add tomato, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes or till soft and pulpy.
4. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and pav bhaji masala and sauté for a minute.
5. Add ¼ cup water, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add salt, mix and cook for a minute.
6. Stir in the whisked eggs and mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Add capsicum, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add basmati rice and mix till well combined.
8. Add coriander leaves and sprinkle ¼ cup water and mix well. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon and mix with light hand.
9. Garnish with boiled egg quarters and coriander leaves. Serve hot.
5. Aloo tikki chaat
Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and loaded with toppings.
Stuffing
½ cup Bengal gram (chana dal), soaked for 1-2 hours, boiled and drained
4-5 tbsps oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
Salt to taste
1-2 green chillies, chopped
2 tbsps chopped fresh coriander leaves
Aloo tikki
2 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
Salt to taste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
Chaat
Ready-made chole masala for topping
Sweetened yogurt for drizzling
Date and tamarind chutney for drizzling
Green chutney for drizzling
Roasted cumin powder for sprinkling
Chaat masala powder for sprinkling
Red chilli powder for sprinkling
Sev for garnish
Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Method
1. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a non-stick pan. Add cumin seeds and let them change colour. Add chana dal ,red chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, salt, green chillies and coriander leaves and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.
2. Take potatoes in a bowl, add salt and turmeric powder and mix well.
3. To make the tikkis, take a portion of the potato mixture and make a cavity in the centre. Stuff it with a portion of the chana dal mixture and shape it into a tikki.
4. Heat remaining oil in a non-stick tawa. Place the tikkis on it and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Drain on an absorbent paper.
5. To serve, arrange the tikkis on a serving plate. Lightly break to reveal the stuffing. Add chole, drizzle sweetened yogurt, date and tamarind chutney, green chutney and sprinkle roasted cumin powder, chaat masala, and red chilli powder. Garnish with sev and coriander leaves. Serve immediately.
6. Pani puri
The ultimate interactive snack for any party.
Ingredients
Puris as required
3 medium potatoes, boiled and peeled
Black salt to taste
Two pinches of chaat masala
A pinch roasted cumin powder
¼ cup boondi
1½ cups ragda
1 cup date-tamarind chutney
1 cup moong sprouts, blanched
Pani
1 small bunch fresh mint leaves
1 small bunch fresh coriander leaves
4-5 green chillies
Juice of 1½ lemons
1 tablespoon pani puri masala
1 teaspoon chaat masala
1 teaspoon dried mango powder (amchur)
Black salt to taste
½ tablespoon roasted cumin powder
Ice cubes as requires
Method
1. Mash potatoes in a bowl. Add black salt, two pinches chaat masala and a pinch cumin powder and mix well.
2. To prepare pani, blend together mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chillies alongwith some water into smooth mixture. Transfer in another bowl.
3. Add lemon juice, pani puri masala, chaat masala, dried mango powder, black salt, cumin powder and few ice cubes and mix. Add 2 cups water and mix well.
4. Add boondi to pani and mix.
5. Make a small cavity in each puri, put some ragda, date-tamarind chutney, pani and serve immediately.
6. Make a small cavity in each puri, put some potato mixture, moong sprouts, date-tamarind chutney and pani and serve immediately.
