Vegan Holi? Urban Platter is here to make it possible!

Enjoy your favourite thandai and chaas, with no compromise on taste or ethics.

Having grown up in North India, my fondest memories of childhood were mostly around Holi. It was the time I saw my cousins, my uncles and aunts, but most importantly - my naani. The energy in the air around Holi is always something that’s so infectious. Something that my dad and uncles used to do is the planning that went into making the playlist for the year. They’d take into account all the songs that were released the previous year and find the best dance numbers. My naani’s house had a big front yard, with large trees and friendly neighbours. 

We’d assemble together the previous night, have dinner and play a long game of cards. Naani would wake us all up early next morning for the puja. After restlessly reciting what we’re asked to, we change into white clothes and dip our hands into colours. The first cheek that got pampered with colour was always naani’s. And she loved it. She’d give us each a kiss on our cheek, and we’d set out to create havoc with colour. 

While naani was extremely “cool” with everything else, wasting water was always something she felt strongly about, and even when us as kids threw tantrums, she’d insist on preserving something so precious. We mumbled under our breath then, but thank you naani. That was such a valuable lesson.

The dancing and the colours would eventually tire us out, and we’d sit out on naani’s porch in the front yard and wait for our much awaited treat - THANDAI! 
 

Naani had such a distinct way of making it, making us ask for more and more. Naani would sit on the grass, and we’d sit around her. She’d bring out the best copper glasses for us on the occasion of Holi. The thandai, made fresh with different kinds of seeds and pepper, was kept in a jug and she’d carefully refill our glasses as we downed them mercilessly. Me and my cousins didn’t get to meet our nana, and while drinking thandai, naani would keep us entertained with heroic stories of him. The elders would sit a little away, with chaas and pakodas in their hands, and discussing grown up things.

Year after year, we kept our tradition on until we grew up and moved to bigger cities, building important careers and chasing dreams. For me, a bigger change happened. I went vegan 2 years ago! My naani is no more, but we do try to keep up her tradition every year. Last year at Holi, I felt like the odd one out saying no to the thandai. I kept wondering - there just had to be a solution, right?
 

BUY IT HERE

I’m not one to cook at all, I tried making thandai at home a few days ago, lo and behold, it was a complete disaster! After a few months of hunting and waiting for this to be available, I’ve finally ended my search with Urban Platter. For kitchen noobs like me, this works the best because it’s a premix. Duhh, no more disasters! All I needed to do was to add this mixture to milk overnight that I usually consume (I tried it with soy), added sugar the next morning and tadaa. I also tried adding a few almonds before grinding this, and it gave such a lush, rich feel to this drink.
 

BUY IT HERE

This year, it falls on me to host Holi for my family and to keep up naani’s pride. I hope to also keep it fully vegan this time! Why not, right? When I have enough and more options for the same, I might as well make the best use of it. For the “grown ups” who can’t go a day without drinking chaas, here’s my best bet to keep them happy. Pudina masala adds the perfect minty touch to chaas!
 

BUY IT HERE

To us, Holi is about getting the family together, and this year we’ve gone the extra mile to keep it cruelty-free as well. It’s so easy, and I’m super excited to see the reactions of my family this time. 

Not spending Holi with your family? Well, you can gift them a combo pack and celebrate in spirit.

Here you go- BUY IT HERE.

Wishing you all a very happy Holi! Have a safe one. And go give your naani a tight hug.

A little about the brand:
Urban Platter was founded in 2015 with a vision to deliver Simply Good Food for people who seek a personal connection with what they eat. Our vision is to become your go-to destination for everyday essentials and gourmet edibles from around the world. We’re passionate about food and we sincerely put a ton of research behind every product available on our platform. Our team curates what’s good from what’s not-so-good and makes choices simple for you. Sit back, relax and whip up delicious delights! Urban Platter is headquartered in Mumbai. Do share your experiences with our community using #UrbanPlatter

Read: Turn Your Kitchen into a Vegan Paradise with Urban Platter
Read More:  Urban Platter: Your Once Stop Destination for Great Vegan food