Mathura Food Trail

: Holi Special Food To Eat In And Around The City

Holi in Mathura

For most of the nation. Holi lasts a day – starting with Holika Dahan on the evening before the main celebration, and ending with a celebration of colours, water guns, and balloon fight that lasts till the afternoon. 

Mathura Holi, on the other hand, is a week-long celebration centred on different religious aspects and involving historic, unique traditions. Here’s what to expect from Mathura Holi: 

• Lathmar Holi: Lord Krishna was known to woo and tease his partner, Radha and her friends. However, on one such occasion, he was chased away by them with sticks (lathis). The event is playfully and dramatically reenacted every year, with men from Nandgaon "invading" Barsana, only to be playfully “beaten” by women with sticks. For tourists, this can be exciting but also dangerous, and it’s best to observe from the sidelines, rather than partake if you’re visiting for the first time. 

• Phoolon Wali Holi: The Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan is one of the most popular holy places for devotees of Lord Krishna. Every year, the temple partakes in the Holi celebration, but not with colours. Rather, priests shower devotees with fresh flower petals. Thousands of petals are used, resulting in a fragrant, spiritual experience. 

• Widow’s Holi: A modern-day adaptation of Holi, this festival marks a significant change in ancient traditions. Hindu widows, at one point, were barred from celebrating Holi. Many also stayed away from families. However, since 2013, widows have been participating in Holi celebrations in Vrindavan. 

These are just the most popular types, but Holi in Mathura tends to last a week, if not longer, and many other local variations exist. The festival is also considered a celebration of Radha-Krishna’s love. And as the celebrations begin, so does the Holi special food. 

Holi Special Food In Mathura 

The best way to enjoy Holi special food in Mathura is to roam the streets and explore both the famous joints and the tempting street carts. A hint? If it’s crowded, it’s worth a bite. Let’s take a look at the must-try street food, sweets, and drinks: 

Bedai/Kachori with Aloo Sabzi

It’s almost a food sin to visit Mathura and not try the iconic bedai with aloo sabzi. Bedai is actually a type of kachori – a deep-fried, puffed savoury pastry with a flaky exterior and a lentil-stuffed filling. Aloo sabzi is a tangy, spicy potato curry. The kachori is crumbled into pieces, dipped in the curry and maybe topped with condiments (like chutneys or chopped onions). This one’s the perfect start to the day. Another version of this iconic breakfast, which is more popular during Holi, is bedai with jalebi. Jalebi is a crispy, deep-fried spiral soaked in sugar syrup. It is served alongside kachori for a sweet–spicy contrast.

Best place: OMA Pehalwan Kachori Wala or Radhika Misthan Bhandar

Lassi & Thandai

Your breakfast is incomplete without lassi, a famous, thick yoghurt drink. It can be flavoured or plain, but it’s the ultimate companion to fried food. However, for Holi, you can spice things up and enjoy a thandai instead. Thandai, a spiced milk drink topped with malai (cream), is essential for cooling down. And it’s historically associated with the festival of colours. Though almond-flavoured thandai is the most common, you can find various versions sold on the streets. You may even find bhang thandai (thandai flavoured with legal cannabis) during the festivities, especially around temples like Dwarkadhish. However, please consume at your discretion and comfort. 

Best place: Kesariya Lassi

Mathura Sweets For Holi

Mathura Peda, Malpua & Rabri: It’s not all savoury treats and sweet drinks. You also have iconic sweets, like the peda, a dense, creamy fudge made from milk solids (khoya). Another famous dish is malpua and rabri — two desserts, served together for elevated taste, texture, and experience. Malpuas are sweet, fried pancakes dipped in a sugar syrup. Rabri is thickened milk, characterised by layers of clotted cream (malai). 

Gujiya: Gujiya isn’t local to Mathura, but it is a symbolic Holi sweet and thus sweet shops and homes across the nation serve, buy, or make this sweet, fried dumpling. 

Makhan Mishri: A traditional Indian sweet dish, makhan mishri is considered a sacred offering for Lord Krishna. While more popular during Janmashtami, you can also enjoy the dessert during Holi.  It is a simple, creamy, and mildly sweet mixture of freshly churned, unspiced white butter (makhan) and crystal sugar (mishri). 

Best Place: Shyam Yadav Mithai Wala, Brij Rasoi, Shankar Mithai Wala

Apart from these chaats (especially aloo chaat), aloo puri at Jagdish Mithai Wala, and Govinda Restaurant (ISKCON Temple, Vrindavan) for a sattvik meal are also worth trying. The best food is found in the narrow lanes of the Holi Gate area in Mathura and near Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan. However, travellers should go early to avoid crowds, be prepared for narrow, busy lanes, and take care of hygiene, especially if consuming street food for the first time.

In The Mood For A Colourful Celebration

These Holi special foods and experiences are not just a checkmark item on a travel guide. Rather, they’re a way to bring people together. In Mathura, Holi isn’t just celebrated with colours. It’s tasted in every bite of kachori, every sip of thandai, and every spoonful of rabri. You may come hungry for experiences, but leave with both your heart and stomach full.