Lifestyle Desk – The celebration of Independence Day is not limited to just the atmosphere colored in patriotism, but the kitchen of the house also gets decorated in tricolor colors. On the occasion of 15th August, people especially prepare tricolor colored sweets, snacks, drinks and desserts. Nowadays, even in schools, children are asked to prepare tri-coloured dishes and send them in their tiffin. Although, it is common to use artificial food colors available in the market to give saffron, white and green color to the dishes, but many people are now giving preference to natural colors instead. Because it is harmful from health point of view also. But you can prepare a beautiful and attractive tricolor dish at home with the help of fruits, vegetables, spices and dairy products. Let us know how.
Get saffron color from carrots and saffron
Carrot is an excellent option for the first stripe of the tricolor i.e. saffron color. Carrot paste can be prepared by boiling or lightly cooking it. It can be mixed in the filling of halwa, kheer, idli, dhokla or sandwich to give natural saffron color. If you want to enhance the fragrance and taste along with color in the sweets, then saffron can be used. A pinch of turmeric also helps in giving a beautiful yellow-saffron color to many dishes.
Milk, curd and coconut for white color
There is no need for any artificial color for the middle white stripe of the tricolor. White color can be easily achieved with ingredients like milk, curd, cheese and coconut. Coconut barfi, curd layer, paneer tikka or milk based sweets can be used for this part. While making Tricolor Fruit Yogurt for kids, adding thick curd and coconut in the middle layer can be an easy and tasty option.
Spinach, coriander and mint will give green color
Spinach, coriander and mint are among the most useful options to naturalize the green stripe of the tricolor. Spinach can be blanched and made into a paste, while coriander-mint chutney gives both green color and spicy taste to the snacks. Spinach can be used in dhokla, cheela, paratha or idli for a green layer. A drink prepared with mint and coriander can become a refreshing option for the Independence Day party.
Make easy tricolor dish like this
Tricolor sandwich, idli, dhokla, fruit yogurt, vermicelli or chaat can be easily prepared at home. For example, a tricolor look can be given to the sandwich by adding carrot spread, white layer of paneer or cheese and green spinach-coriander chutney. Similarly, an attractive dessert can be prepared by adding saffron layer of mango or carrot, white layer of curd and green layer of kiwi-mint in fruit yogurt.
Decoration is also important along with taste.
To make the tricolor dish beautiful, keep the layers of all three colors clean and uniform. By using transparent glass or plate the colors appear more clearly. Also, while using natural colors, keep the quantity of ingredients such that the original taste of the dish is not affected. On this Independence Day, tricolor dishes prepared with natural ingredients available in the kitchen instead of artificial colors from the market will not only enhance the beauty of the table but can also make the celebration a little more healthy and special.