Chef Manish Kusumwal, Keys Hotels tells you how to have a cool Holi party.
Photographs and recipes: Chef Manish Kusumwal, Keys Hotels

Mojito Popsicles

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 20 mint leaves, plus more to garnish
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/4 cup rum

Method

• In a small saucepan, heat sugar and water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in mint leaves. Cover and let steep until mint syrup is cool.
• In a bowl combine mint syrup, lime juice and rum. Pour mixture into popsicle moulds, adding mint leaves and a slice of lime into each one (if desired).
• If you're using moulds that require a stick to be added, freeze the pops until partially frozen (about two hours), slide the stick gently into the centre of the pop (it should stand on its own), and return it to the freezer for another three hours or until completely frozen.

Vodka Melon Popsicles

There is nothing more refreshing than big cold chunks of icy watermelon on a hot day.

Give your watermelon a stick and freeze it spiked with vodka!

Ingredients

• 1 watermelon
• A few popsicle sticks
• 60 ml vodka

Method

• Cut 1/4th watermelon. Lay your watermelon on a chopping board cut side down.
• Slice off the ends and then slice into large wedges.
• Using a sharp knife, cut a small slit the size of a popsicle stick into the green skin of the watermelon.
• Slide the pop stick into the wedge.
• Soak the watermelon in Vodka for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Lay on baking paper or stack, separated by baking paper, and freeze.

Kiwi Bomb

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 cups kiwi puree (from about 8 kiwis)
• Few bhang leaves (Make a paste)*

Method

• In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 1/3 cup water to a boil over high, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Transfer to a 4-cup liquid measuring cup or medium bowl and refrigerate until cool, 30 minutes. Stir in puree along with bhang paste.
• If, you're using moulds that require a stick to be added, freeze the pops until partially frozen (about two hours), slide the stick gently into the centre of the pop (it should stand on its own), and return it to the freezer for another three hours or until completely frozen.
• *You may replace bhang with vodka / white rum

Holi Punch

Ingredients

• 9 cup ice separated (You may need up to 12 cups)
• 1 cup grape crush
• 1 cup kiwi crush
• 1 cup vodka
• 1 cup orange crush

Method

• Using a food processor, crush mix 3 cups of ice and orange crush together until slushy. This layer should be extra thick, so if needed, add up to 1 cup more ice and blend. When finished, set aside.
• Repeat the step for the kiwi crush, blending with 3 cups of ice until slushy. Like the last layer, you want this to be extra thick. If needed, add up to 1 more cup of ice and blend. Set aside.
• Add vodka, grape crush, and remaining 3 cups of ice to the blender and mix until slushy. It's not as important for this layer to be thick, but it should be comparable to the others. Add up to 1 more cup of ice if needed. When finished, set aside.
• Prepare drinks by layering the flavours in this order: Orange, khus and grape, and finish with the vodka lemonade on top.
• Serve immediately.
• You can also freeze this glass and serve as the guests arrive.

Note: You can make different flavoured slush in different colours and build your drink as per your choice of colour preference.

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