Easy way to make, gulaal at home and play safe Holi

I have grown up playing holi, and the colours, the gulaal fascinated me always! So Much so that I would go and buy almost all the courts on the shelf and carefully arrange heaps of these bright happy colours on my thali and get ready for Holi like a happy girl all. Set to Play with pichkari(Water Gun) and Gulaal.
I remember the next day of school was all. About who. Has maximum coloured skin to show! 
But it was those harmful metallic colours used freely in earlier times

Years passed by and the awareness  about the harmful content of the colours, and I have never seen my kids been introduced to these harmful. Metallic colours, and they always saw Gulaal as primary colour.

Gulaal also saw wrath of times due to harmful base used and synthetic colours not agreeing with the skin bringing in allergies or eversion to play holi with colours.

But I always feel the  essence of Holi is colours. Tried using flowers everytime while playing holi but the charm Of that colour speck on cheeks by your beloved and friends is just a different feeling.

This year I happened to learn this new innovative method of using vegetables to bring in these colours with all the purity and safety and make it just perfect for Our holi. 

Try it and I can bet you will make loads and gift it around to make Your holi most colourful this year. 

Print Recipe

Gulaal

Made with all vegetables and herbs this is a safe gulaal( colour), and is not harmful even on egestion unless u use the synthetic essences for aroma.

Servings

Ingredients

• 1500 grams cornflour
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 500 Grams Spinach
• 250 Grams Beetroots
• Water As required

Servings Ingredients 1500 grams cornflour 2 tbsp turmeric powder 500 Grams Spinach 250 Grams Beetroots Water As required

Instructions

How to make Yellow Colour

1. Take 500 grams of cornflour.

1. Add a little water to the turmeric in a separate bowl and make a thin paste.
2. Now take afew tbsps of cornflour from the 500 grams of it, and strat adding turmeric paste, spoon ful at a time, and rub in to the cornflour.
3. Keep adding the cornflour and turmeric paste alternately, till the whole of the paste is consumed and almost whole of the cornflour is in corporated along.
4. U may add some extra cornflour if it appears too runny. but if u like the colour and doesnot want to go lighter then avoid adding too much cornflour and allow it to dry till it forms flakes.
5. Now break all the flakes of drying cornflour and allow to completely dry further. You may use a grinder if the flakes are hard to crumble.
6. Now Siev it through avery fine sive to get fine smooth gulaal. and add essence or essential oil of ur choice. For turmeric use chandan/ sandalwood essential oil.

Green or burgundy colour

1. Extract the juice of Spinach and beetroot separately in two containers.
2. Now take afew tbsps of cornflour from the 500 grams of it, and strat adding the juice, spoon ful at a time, and rub in to the cornflour.
3. Now follow the same method as above till u get desired colour.

Recipe Notes

I have tried extracting beetroot juice by straining through the ground fresh beetroot, but it gives a very light pastel shade as seen in the pictures.

The juice extracted from a juicer gives a more deep colour.

I have used essential oils for a better feel, but it makes it inedible, yet safe for skin and almost safe if goes in eyes or other body pores.

I have used Lavender essential oil for burgundy, Sandalwood for yellow, and jasmine for green shades. 

I like darker shades so my solution became a bit wet, which took a bit longer to dry.

Also, dry in shade as direct sunlight lighten the colour as these are vegetable dyes.