Raksha Bandhan Thali in under 30 minutes

Watch the full festive thali come together — all under 30 minutes!

Rose Makhana Paneer Curry Thali

Thalis don't need to take hours — this one celebrates tradition, taste and time-efficiency in the same spoonful. 💖

I’ve always believed that food is love — but on festivals, it shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Raksha Bandhan, like so many Indian celebrations, is about joy, laughter, and those quiet, sweet moments with the people we love. And yet, we often spend half the day in the kitchen, sweating over an elaborate thali that leaves us exhausted before the celebrations even begin.

This year, I wanted to change that. I designed a complete festive platter that looks indulgent, tastes divine, and comes together in under 30 minutes — without cutting corners on flavour or warmth. Every dish here is practical yet festive, easy to prep but celebration-worthy.

This platter is for us — the ones who do it all, and now we deserve to sit down and enjoy the feast too.

🌿 Ingredients

1. Paneer Curry

• 1 cup paneer, cubed
• 1 cup makhana, roasted
• 1 tbsp cashews, soaked
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp dried rose petals or 1 tsp rose water
• 2 green chillies
• 1 inch ginger
• 2 cloves
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tsp black pepper (optional)
• 1 cup milk, lukewarm
• 1 cup cream, whisked
• A few saffron strands, soaked
• Salt to taste
• 1.5 tsp ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)

2. Masala Poori

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup maida
• 1 tsp crushed ajwain
• Salt to taste
• Pinch each of turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder
• 1 tsp oil
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1-2 chopped green chillies
• Water, as needed
• Oil for frying

3. Rose-Mint Chhaas

• 400g curd
• 8-10 mint leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped coriander
• 1/2 tsp chaat masala
• 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• Few drops of rose water
• Salt to taste
• Water, to blend

📝 Method

1. Blend cashews, sesame, rose, chillies, ginger, cloves, cardamom, pepper and milk to form a white gravy paste.
2. Heat ghee, add bay leaf and the blended gravy. Cook for 3–4 mins. Add cream, saffron milk, salt and sugar if using.
3. Add paneer and roasted makhana. Simmer till flavors meld.
4. For poori, knead a soft dough from all ingredients. Rest 10 mins, roll and deep fry.
5. Blend all chhaas ingredients until frothy. Chill before serving.

💡 Tips

• Sub rose water if petals aren't handy.
• Dough should be tight so spices don’t leak during frying.
• Chhaas can be made and chilled 1–2 hours in advance.
• Sugar is to balance the taste. You can avoid if you do not prefer it in your gravies

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