From the hearty starter to a delicious main dish to a sweet treat to round it up, these recipes will see you through a festive season gathering with very little fuss.
The Starter Khandavi Chaat
Preparation -15 mins. Cooking - 25 mins. Servings - 02 portions.
What You'll Need
Khandvi
Two cup gram flour
Half teaspoon turmeric powder
One teaspoon chopped green chilli
One tablespoon white sesame seed
Half tablespoon mustard seed
Two tablespoon refined oil
One sprig curry leaves
One tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste
Method
Take a mixing bowl. Add gram flour, turmeric powder, green chilli, lemon juice, salt and make a batter out of it. Take a pan and put it on a slow gas range. Add one and half cup of water to the pan and boil it. To this boiling water add the above gram flour mixture and cook well. Pour this mixture on a hard flat surface and spread into a thin sheet. Cut and roll this sheet into small bite size khandvies. Mean while take a pan and put it on gas range and heat it. Pour some refined oil in the pan. Once the oil is heated add curry leaves, sesame seed, mustard seed and salt for the tampering. Pour the tampering on top of khandvies. Serve with the chaat.
Chaat
Two tablespoon sev
Two tablespoon chopped onion
Two tablespoon chopped tomato
One tablespoon chopped coriander
Two tablespoon pomegranate
Two tablespoon roasted peanut
Five small papadis (crispy poories)
Two tablespoon mint chutney
One tablespoon tamarind chutney
Salt to taste
Method
Take a bowl add all the ingredients leaving sev. Add both the chutneys along with seasoning.
Mix the ingredients properly. Serve with khandvi garnishing with sev.
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The Main Pahadi Chicken Curry
Preparation - 10 mins. Cooking - 30-35 mins. Serving - 04 portions.
What You'll Need
Chicken with bone 500 gms (cut into medium size pieces)
Mustard oil ½ cup
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Big cardamom 1
Mace 1
Cinnamon 1 (small piece)
Bayleaf 2
Cardamom 2
Chopped onion 2 cups
Chopped tomato ½ cup
Fresh ginger garlic paste ½ cup
Coriander powder 3 tablespoon
Red chilli powder 1 tablespoon (or according to taste)
Turmeric powder 1 teaspoon
Garam masala 2 tablespoon
Salt according to taste
Chopped fresh coriander handful
Method
Clean and wash the chicken. Keep aside. Take a kadai or any cooking vessel. Put on a slow heat. Pour the oil. Once oil is heated add all the whole masalas ( cumin seeds, big cardamom, mace, cinnamon, bayleaf, cardamom). Sauté well. Once the oil if flavoured with whole masala add the onion and cook till golden colour. Add ginger garlic paste once the onion is sautéed well. Cook well and finally add the chopped tomatoes. Saute well and add all the powder masala one by one and cook well till the mixture leaves the oil. Now add chicken and mix it well with the masala. Cover it well with a lid and let it simmer till the chicken leaves all the water. Keep stirring in between. Once the chicken is almost done add hot water and adjust seasoning and consistency. At last sprinkle the fresh chopped coriander and serve hot with chapati or steamed rice.
The Dessert Eggless Chocolate and Honey Mousse
Preparation - 25 mins. Setting time - 30 mins. Servings - 03 portions.
What You'll Need
100 gm dark unsweetened chocolate
Half cup heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoon honey
Three maraschino cherries
Method
Place chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler on a low heat. Stir chocolate until it melts. Then turn off the heat and let stand. Beat the cream over ice till it forms soft peak. Now add the melted chocolate and honey to the whipped cream and mix well. Let it settle down for at least 15-20 minutes. Take serving bowls and pour the chocolate mixture to it and put in fridge for at least half an hour to settle down. Garnish with the whipped cream and maraschino cherries.