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Throwing a festive party? 10 tasty Indian recipes

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Homemade Paneer with Coriander Leaves and Dried Chilli Bits

Abraham and Susan Chacko of London run a culinary website www.chackoskitchen.com -- here's some festive preparations from their new e-book Christmas With Susan.

In the following pages, we bring you 10 delicious traditional recipes for Christmas and New Year parties at home!

Homemade Paneer with Coriander Leaves and Dried Chilli Bits

Things You'll Need:

The Process:

Yield:

About 550 grams paneer.

Storage:
Although best when used fresh, you may --

NOTES:

Excerpted from the e-book Christmas With Susan by Abraham and Susan Chacko, with the permission of the authors.

Chilli Prawn Fry

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Chilli Prawn Fry

Things You'll Need:

Golden Touch Mise en Place -- [5 mins]

Golden Touch Steps -- [25 minutes]

Golden Touch Service

Serve with fresh salad leaves, sprinkle a few drops of melted butter if you so wish on the prawns.

TIPS:

If you have cooked prawns do not overcook prawns they become rubbery.

Chole Masala

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Chole Masala

Things You'll Need:

Golden Touch Mis-en Place [7 mins]

Golden Touch Preparation [1 hour 20 minutes]

NOTES:

If using fresh coconut -- use one whole medium size.

Button Mushrooms in Tomato Gravy

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Button Mushrooms in Tomato Gravy

Things You'll Need:

Golden Touch Mis-en Place [15 mins]

Golden Touch Preparation -- [35 minutes]

Karimeen Pollichattu (Roasted Pearl Spot Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves)

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Karimeen Pollichattu (Roasted Pearl Spot Fish Wrapped in Banana Leaves)

Things You'll Need:

Golden Touch Mis-en Place [10 mins]

Preparation [30 mins]

Preparing the banana leaf:

The banana leaf, once cleaned and dried with a kitchen towel is ready to use, however it may tear off easily; thus I recommend you to follow these steps.

Preparing the fish for the final stage:

HEATHY ALTERNATIVE:

NOTES:

Lamb Bhuna

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Lamb Bhuna

Things You'll Need:

To Marinate

For the Gravy

Golden Touch Mise en Place [4 hours 30 mins]

Golden Touch Steps [2 hours 35mins]

NOTES:

Hot and Spicy Tomato Rice

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Hot and Spicy Tomato Rice

Things You'll Need:

For Spice Mixture

Golden Touch Mise en Place -- [20 mins]

Prepare the Spice Mixture

Prepare the ingredients for rice

Golden Touch Steps -- [25 minutes]

Golden Touch Service

Serve hot with scrambled eggs.

NOTES:
If you were to prick the dried red chilli after frying, it must hook on easily, as this is the best consistency before grinding.
Blanching -- Fruit and vegetables are plunged into boiling water, for about 5-7 minutes. Removed and plunged into cold water.
This process helps in:
Retaining food colour, eg of beans, carrots
Helps in peeling skin off easily from tomatoes
Cooking time of Basmati differs, check label.

Rosogulla

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Rosogulla

Things you'll need:

To make chenna/paneer (cheese)

Yield

260grams chenna. Divide into 12 equal portions

Sugar syrup

Golden touch preparation: [Making cheese: 1 hour 30 mins + 40 mins]

Golden touch service

Serve chilled on it's own in the sugar syrup or with misti doi (sweetened yoghurt).

NOTES:

Yogurt vs lime juice/vinegar. This is my variation. All other recipes you'll find adding lime juice or white vinegar to curdle milk. Benefits of using yoghurt: It does not leave the after taste of sourness and produces a greater yield of chenna. Tried and tested method at Chacko's Kitchen.

Whey can be used for kneading flour for chappati, roti, naan instead of water; also can be used to cook lentils.

Caution: the cheese become hard and rubbery if you continue to boil after this stage.

This is an important stage, and I would like you to take it seriously. You need not leave it for long, or press it down under weight, unlike when you make paneer. Rosogulla requires moisture in it. In hotter climates, reduce this time to say 45 minutes.

The softness of rasgulla depends on how well you knead the paneer. The more you knead, the more spongier the rasagulla be.

Do not add too many at the same time; as they need to expand and become spongy.

Commercial rasgulla is dipped in too thick sugar syrup, therefore when you make at home you can adjust the sugar to your requirements.

Luxury Fruit Bread

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Luxury Fruit Bread

Things You'll Need:

For The Yeast Batter

For the Dough

Yield

1 loaf (approx 12 slices when cut)

Golden Touch Mis-en Place [5 mins]

Chop all nuts and dried fruits (except raisins and sultanas) into same size bits.

Golden Touch Process [ 2 hours 30 mins approx]

Frozen Strawberry Yoghurt Ice-cream

Last updated on: December 17, 2012 17:42 IST
Frozen Strawberry Yoghurt Ice-cream

Things You'll Need:

Golden Touch Mise en Place [2 hours]

Golden Touch Steps -- [10 mins + 8 hours freezing]

Golden Touch Service:

NOTES:

Even though cream is what makes ice-cream so soft, it is continuously stirred to get a super soft, lustrous consistency. Same is the precess to be followed here to prevent crystallisation.

Increase sugar if you so like.