5 ways to say I love you

Need a recipe for love? Here are a few recipes that you can try out at home this Valentine's Day.

Planning an intimate affair at home this V-Day with candlelight, music, flowers and sensuous food? Chef Saransh Goila, food show host on Food Food channel, and Chef Ranveer Brar, Executive Chef at Novotel, share special recipes you can make at home.

First up are these recipes by Chef Ranveer Brar:

Duo of Pickled Watermelon Gazpacho with Warm Shrimp Caponata Tart, Cranberry and Red Pepper Caulis

Ingredients

For pickled water melon

• 500 gms water melon (deseeded and cut into round shape)
• 1 lt apple juice
• 100 ml white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 30 gms sugar
• 5 gms fresh mint (torn)
• 5 gms fresh basil (torn)
• 4 green chilli (slit)

Method

• Take a mixing bowl mix all the ingredients except water melon.
• Marinate the water melon with the brine (salted water) for six hours in to the chiller.

For water melon gazpacho

• 300 gms pickled water melon
• 25 gms cucumber (peeled and deseeded)
• 25 gms tomato (cut into cubes)
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp tabasco sauce
• Two fresh basil

Method

• Put all the ingredients into the blender and make a smooth puree.
• Strain it with the strainer and store in the chiller.

For warm shrimp caponata

• 100 gms shrimps (peeled, wash and slit)
• 100 gms eggplant (cubed)
• 100 gms red onion (cubed)
• 20 gms golden raisins (soaked in water)
• 20 gms pine nut (roasted or fried)
• 20 ml olive oil
• 20 ml red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 50 ml tomato puree
• 5 gms fresh basil (torn)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 10 gm capers
• 10 gm fennel bulb (cubed)
• 20 ml lemon juice
• Oil for frying

Method

• Blanched the shrimps with water, lemon juice and salt.
• Marinate the shrimps with olive oil, seasoning and little lemon juice, keep it aside.
• Deep-fry the eggplant and keep it aside.
• Saute the onion and fennel over medium heat until light brown in colour.
• Add raisins, pine nut, red wine vinegar and sugar, cook it for a while.
• Add tomato puree, capers and seasoning, cook for sometime until little dry.
• Finish with torn fresh basil.  

For tart

• 500 gm flour
• 250 gm butter
• 250 ml water
• 10 gm salt

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and make a dough.
• Make a sheet from the dough with a rolling pin and cut it by the roundel mould.
• Place the sheet on greased tart mould for baking.

For cranberry and red pepper caulis

• 50 ml cranberry (puree or jelly)
• 100 gm red pepper (roasted)
• ¼ tsp star anise (powder)
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 2 tsp butter

Method

• Make red pepper puree with the blender.
• Cook the red pepper purée, cranberry puree and star anise powder in a sauce pan over low heat.
• Adjust the seasoning and finished with hard butter.

Serving directions

• Fill the tart mould with caponata and bake into a preheated oven (170 degree C) for ten minutes.
• De-mould the tart and place into a serving plate; place the shrimps on the tart.
• Pour the water melon gazpacho in a shot glass and assemble on the serving plate.
• Assemble the pickled water melon on the serving plate.            
• Serve with red pepper and cranberry caulis.

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Beetroot and roasted vegetable lasagna with spicy pumpkin fritters, carrot and basil foam

Ingredients

For lasagna sheet

• 50 gm beetroot (roasted and pureed)
• 2 eggs
• 300 gm refined flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Method

• Mix all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and make a dough.
• Make a pasta sheet by the rolling pin or using a pasta sheeter machine.
• Cut the pasta sheet into desire shapes. 
• Blanch the pasta sheet into boiling water.
• Cool it down with iced water.            
• Transfer the above into a tray with some olive oil and keep aside.

For lasagna fillings

• 100 gm eggplant (cubed)
• 100 gm zucchini (cubed)
• 100 gm mushroom (roughly chopped)
• 100 gm bell pepper (cubed)
• 1 tsp garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp onions (finely chopped)
• 100 gm olive oil
• 100 gm tomato sauce
• 1 sprig oregano (fresh)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp ricotta cheese
• 20 gm mozzarella cheese (grated)
• 10 gm parmesan cheese (grated)

Method

• Marinate the eggplant, zucchini, mushroom and bell peppers with olive oil, salt and pepper, place into a baking tray.
• Roast the vegetables in a preheated oven.
• Saute the onion and garlic with olive oil add tomato sauce and cook stir until thick add roasted vegetable, fresh oregano and seasoning.
• Finish with butter and ricotta cheese.

For tomato sauce

• 500 gm peeled tomato (mashed)
• 1 tbsp garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp onion (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp carrot (finely chopped)
• 20 ml olive oil
• 50 ml white wine
• 5 gm fresh basil (julienne)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Saute the onion, garlic and carrot with olive oil.
• Add white wine and cook, until wine is reduced add peeled tomato and cook it for some time.
• When tomato is reduced season it and finish with fresh basil.

For white sauce

• 300 ml fresh cream
• 50 gm parmesan cheese (grated)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Heat the cream in a sauce pan add grated parmesan and stir, adjust seasoning.
• When it reaches sauce-like consistency remove from the fire. 

For pumpkin fritters

• 2 pumpkin (thin wedges)
• 60 gm refined flour
• 20 gm corn flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• 150 ml milk
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

Method

• Make a batter with flour, corn flour, baking powder, milk, cayenne pepper and seasoning.
• Deep-fry the pumpkin with batter until golden brown in colour. 

For carrot foam

• 500 ml carrot juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 gm lecithin

Method

• Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl by the whisker.
• Strain the carrot juice by the strainer.
• Make froth by the using of hand blender.
• Remove the foam by the spoon.

For basil foam

• 300 ml basil puree
• 200 ml water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
• 2 gm lecithin

Method

• Mix all ingredients by the whisker.
• Strain it by the strainer.
• Make froth by the using of hand blender.
• Remove the foam from the top.

Serving directions

• In a greased (5x5 inch) baking dish spread tomato sauce on bottom, layer with lasagna sheet, lasagna fillings and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layering for three to four times.
• Topped with white sauce and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  
• In a preheated oven (180 degree C) bake the lasagna for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Place the pumpkin fritters on top of the lasagna.
• Garnish with carrot and basil foam.
• Serve immediately. 

Red Velvet Dessert

Ingredients

• Sponge
• 225 gms unsalted butter unsalted
• 350 gm castor sugar
• 3 whole eggs
• 350 gm flour refined
• 40 gm cocoa powder
• 10 gm baking powder
• 5 gm red food colour
• 250 gm butter milk
• 5 gm vinegar
• Few drops vanilla extract

Method

• Cream butter and sugar till fluffy.
• Add the whole eggs slowly followed by the dry ingredients.
• Bake at 170 C.

For frosting

• 110 gms cream cheese
• 100 ml fresh cream
• 100 gms white chocolate (melted)
• 50 gms strawberry compote

Method

• Whip the cream cheese until fluffy, add the fresh cream.
• Add the melted chocolate.
• Plate with strawberry compote.

Recipes from Chef Saransh Goila:

Pistachio Gajrela

Ingredients

• 1 lt full cream milk
• 1 kg carrot  grated
• 150 gm sugar
• 3 tbsp desi ghee
• 2 tsp cardamom powder
• 100 gm sliced almonds, cashews and raisins

For pistachio sauce

• 2/3 cup chilled heavy cream
• 1/2 cup unsalted pistachios, finely ground plus for garnish
• 1 tbsp sugar

Method

• In a deep non-stick pan melt the desi ghee and stir fry the grated carrot for seven to eight minutes, until the colour changes and deepens.
• Simmer the milk till the time it's reduced to half.
• In little ghee or butter roast the dry fruits and keep them aside.
• Add milk to the cooked carrots and reduce till the time it's totally absorbed.
• Now add sugar, cardamom powder and roasted dry fruits to it and cook for five to six minutes or unless ghee leaves the sides. The gajrela is ready.
• Combine cream, pistachios and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat.
• Strain into a bowl through a fine sieve. Chill for one hour so that the sauce thickens and is ready.
• Now place the gajrela with a heart shaped mould and make streaks of pistachio sauce.

Butterscotch Whiskey Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 500 gm butterscotch ice cream
• 150 gm good quality dark chocolate
• 100ml milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 4 tbsp cream
• 45 ml whiskey

Method

• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
• Heat the milk and sugar in a very small saucepan over low heat to a low simmer, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add the milk in parts to the melted chocolate, stirring all the time until you have a smooth emulsion.
• Stir in the cream.
• Allow it to cool completely.
• Stir in the whiskey.
• Warm it before serving and drizzle desired quantity on butterscotch ice cream.