Holi 2019: Seven natural Holi colours kids can make at home

To make natural Holi colours, you need to first choose the base for the colour. It could be besan, maida or corn flour. First experiment with a small quantity of ingredients. Once you are sure of the method, you can start making colours.

As much as we love to play with colours on Holi, the chemical colours contain solvents that can harm your child’s skin and cause rashes or allergy. So, this time, help your kids make natural, chemical-free Holi colours at home. Here’s how you can make yellow, red, pink and green colours, courtesy Dr Madhumita Puri, Founder and Executive Director, Society for Child Development, and brown, purple and grey, courtesy Sakib, Edible Routes.

How to make natural Holi colours

To begin with, you need to choose the base for the colour. It could be besan, maida or corn flour. First experiment with a small quantity of ingredients. Once you are sure of the method, you can start making colours as per requirement.

Yellow

Add turmeric powder to besan, and mix it nicely, rubbing it between both palms, till they are mixed together well. The ratio of turmeric powder to besan is 20:80. After this, sieve it (using a very fine strainer) at least two to three times.

Red

Spread out the turmeric powder and squeeze lime juice on it. The acidic lemon will react with turmeric and turn it red in colour. Spread it out to dry in a well-ventilated room but away from the sun, which can bleach it. Once it is dry, rub it again between the palms of your hands and sieve it a few times.

Pink

Follow the same process as in the case of making red, with only lesser quantity of lemon.

Green

Add mehendi to maida (equal ratio), mix and sieve a few times to get green colour.

Caution: Don’t add food colouring. It is edible but only in small quantities. Food colouring is not natural.

Brown

Boil coffee powder (200gm) in water till it turns brown. Once it cools down, mix the brown coloured water with corn flour (1.5kg) with your hands and leave it to dry for a day. Then, sieve it a few times. You can also add a little rosewater (10ml) for fragrance.

Purple

Grate 4-5 black carrots and grind it in the mixer grinder. Add it to corn flour (250gm) and mix it well with your hands. Add rosewater (10ml) to it for fragrance. Leave it to dry and sieve it.

Grey

This colour can be made using amla (Indian gooseberry). Take out the seeds and grind it in the mixer grinder. Add the juice to corn flour. Allow it to dry and sieve it a few times.

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