THANDAI
This frothy milk shake is delicately perfumed and exotically flavoured.

Serves 15-20

½ cup dry rose petals
1 cup melon seeds (magaz)
6-8 green cardamoms (eliachi)
2 tbsp peppercorns (kali mirch)
½ cup poppy seeds (khus khus)
½ cup almonds (badam)
2 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
1 cup milk

1. Put all the ingredients except milk in a grinder and grind to a powder.
2. To make 1 serving, put 1 cup milk in a mixer. Add 1 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp of the prepared thandai powder and 3-4 ice cubes. Give 4-5 churns till frothy. Pour in glasses and serve.

BHANG KE PAKORE
Onion and potato pakoras have a happy ingredient in the batter - bhang - which is used during the festival of Holi.

Serves 8-10
2 cups gram flour (besan)
2 tbsp semolina (sooji)
1 tsp garlic paste
10 gm bhang seed powder
2 potatoes
2 onions
15-20 spinach leaves - dipped whole in cold water
¼ tsp baking soda (mitha soda)
1 tsp carom seeds (ajwain)
1 tsp pomegranate seed powder (anardana)
salt to taste, ½ tsp red chilli powder
oil for frying

1. Peel and slice potatoes and onions. Sprinkle ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp red chilli powder and keep aside for 15-20 minutes. Pat dry spinach leaves.
2. Sieve gram flour, semolina, baking soda and salt together. Add garlic, bhang seed powder, carom seeds red chilli powder, salt and pomegranate seed powder. Add water and make a thick batter. Keep batter aside for 10 minutes. Dip vegetables in it. Deep fry on medium heat till nice golden brown.
Note
Courtesy: Nita Mehta's Cookbook for Festivals of India - Vegetarian