Regional Holi foods from different parts of India that no one talks about

When it comes to Holi delicacies, we mostly talk about Gujiya, Malpua, Dahi Vada, Nimki, and Ladooo as the classic dishes. But, did you know that the Holi feast goes beyond all these dishes too? Yes, you read it right. There are many more dishes associated with Holi that no one talks about. Scroll down to find out about them.

While this is prepared mostly during Gudi Padwa, many Maharashtrian families also make chana dal–jaggery stuffed flatbread around Holi gatherings, called as Puranachi Poli.

This is prepared during Kumaoni Holi, which is more musical and community-oriented and refers to a deep-fried sweet made from soaked rice flour and jaggery. It is slightly chewy and rustic.

This rice dish has its own connection with Punjabi homes and refers to a fragrant saffron-yellow rice cooked with sugar, dry fruits and sometimes fennel, served hot or cold both.

In Assam’s spring festival (Dol Jatra), people enjoy bora saul (sticky rice) with jaggery, curd and coconut, and it is also celebrated on the occasion of Holi. This dish shows how Holi merges with regional harvest traditions and marks its presence in the most aromatic manner. (Image: Instagram/assamesecuisine)

It is a tangy and fermented delicacy made with urad dal vadas soaked in fermented mustard-flavored water (kanji). It is light on the gut and aids digestive health.

This Holi special dish is made with khoya and cardamom, traditionally wrapped in maalu (a kind of fragrant leaf), giving it a unique aroma and shape. (Image: Instagram/pawanbisht1)

It is a deep-fried dish served with aloo curry and is made with a batter of rice and lentils.

This Odia dish is made from fermented rice and jaggery, sometimes enriched with coconut and cardamom. It is slow-cooked or baked over a low flame, giving it a slightly charred, caramelized exterior and a soft, sweet interior and is a must-have Holi dish.

It is a traditional deep-fried pastry made with wheat flour and shaped into intricate designs, and it is an integral part of the Holi festivity.

This dish is native to Bihar and Jharkhand and refers to a deep-fried rice flour and jaggery sweet, often made during Holi and Diwali.

Also known as Boorelu, it refers to deep-fried dumplings made by stuffing a soft jaggery–chana dal filling inside a rice-urad batter coating. It is crisp outside and melts in the mouth inside. (Image: Instagram/_skinnyfoodie)