Celebrate Republic Day at home with unique, Tricolour recipes

Ingredients
Milk: 1 litre
Sugar: 100 gm
Cardamom Powder: ½ tsp
Corn Flour: 25 gm
Orange Colour: 2 gm
Green Colour: 2 gm
Vinegar: 50 ml

Method:
-Boil milk in heavy bottom pan
-Switch off the flame once boiling
-Add ½ cup of water to bring the temperature of the milk down
-Wait for 10 to 15 minutes and then start adding vinegar till milk curdles
-Strained the milk curdle
-Kneed the paneer nicely with sugar and cardamom powder
-Add corn flour and mix it well
-Add food colour
-Make it in to desire shape

(Courtesy: Chef Kasiviswanathan, Executive Chef and F&B Director, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru)

Ingredients
Milk: 500 ml
Custard powder: 25 gm
Sugar: 100 gm
Whip top cream: 800 gm
Gelatine: 20 gm
Pista Powder: 100 gm
Orange Crush: 100 ml
Vanilla essence: 5 ml

Method
-Soak gelatine with luke warm water and keep it aside
-Make custard with milk, custard powder and sugar
-Mix gelatine with vanilla custard keep it till it gets room temperature
-Add whipped cream in the custard mixture
-Divide into three portion
-In two portions, add one with pista powder, one with orange crush
-Set in three layers with a vanilla sponge
-Keep it in chiller for 8 hours
-Serve

(Courtesy: Chef Kasiviswanathan, Executive Chef and F&B Director, Radisson Blu Atria Bengaluru)

Ingredients
Ragi flour: 1 cup
Semolina: 1 cup
Yoghurt: 1 cup
Finely chopped fresh green chillies: 1 tsp
Finely chopped ginger: 1 tsp
Fruit salt or baking powder: 1/2 tsp
Refined vegetable oil: As required
Salt to taste

Method
-Combine the ragi flour, semolina, yogurt and baking powder, fruit and salt in a large mixing bowl
-Add water and prepare a thick batter
-Allow the batter to rest for 10 to 15 minutes
-After the batter has rested for 15 minutes, check its consistency and stir in some additional water if required
-Add salt, green chillies, ginger, a tablespoon of oil
-Mix well
-Preheat an idli steamer with water
-Pour the batter into the mould cavities
-Steam the idlis for 10 minutes until a fork inserted comes out clean
-Serve with tomato chutney, coconut chutney and mint chutney


(Courtesy: Abhijeet Thakre, Executive Chef, Taj City Centre Gurugram)

Executive Chef of Grand Mercure Bangalore, Gopal Jha adds some French flavour to the desi celebrations, with his delicious tricolour macaroon recipe.

Tri colour macaroons

Ingredients
Almond flour: 1 cup
Powdered sugar: 1.5 cups
Egg whites: 3
Cream of tartar: 1/4 tsp
White sugar: 3 tbsp
Green food color
Orange food color
White food color
Cream cheese filling
Unsalted butter: 2 tbsp
Cream cheese: 100 gm
Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
Heavy cream: 2 tsp

Method
Macaroon shells
-In a bowl mix together almond flour and powdered sugar
-Start beating the egg whites using the wire whisk
-As the egg white starts to foam a little, add cream of tartar
-In a while, the egg whites will develop a shaving cream like consistency
-Start adding sugar
-Fold in the almond flour-sugar mixture into the egg whites in 3 parts
-The batter should not be runny, it should be slightly thick
-Divide batter into 3 parts
-Leave one as it is and add green and orange food coloring to remaining 2 and mix
-Transfer 3 colored batters to 3 different piping bags fitted with 1/2 inch round tip
-Pipe the batter onto the cookie sheets
-Let the macaroons sit at room temperature for 45 minutes Preheat oven to 300 F degrees
-Once the shells have dried completely, bake macaroons (one sheet at a time) at 300 F degrees for 15-17 minutes
-Remove from oven and cool completely

Cream cheese filling
-Beat butter and cream cheese till smooth and creamy
-Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition
-Add vanilla extract
-Mix till combined
-Also add white food color
-Add heavy cream, 1 teaspoon at a time till you get the desired consistency
-The filling should remain thick, so don't add too much liquid
-Fill the macaroons
-Remove the macaroon shells from the parchment paper once cool
-Fill them with prepared cream cheese filling and serve

Ingredients
Minced garlic cloves: 15 gm
Minced fresh ginger: 10 gm
Ground coriander: 2 gm
Ground cumin: 2 gm
Sweet paprika: 2 gm
Ground turmeric: 3 gm
Pinch of ground cloves
Freshly ground pepper
Plain yogurt: 75 gm
Mustard oil for grilling: 15 ml
Skinless center-cut salmon fillets: 4
Cucumber salad for garnishing

Method
-In a bowl add ginger, garlic paste, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cloves, salt and pepper
-Add yogurt, oil and whisk until smooth
-Add the salmon and coat it with the marinade
-Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours
-In a nonstick pan, add mustard oil and the salmon steak scrapping off the excess marinade pan
-Dry for about 5 min on each side at medium heat
-Transfer on a platter
-Serve with cucumber raita

(Courtesy: Amit Kumar Dash, Executive Chef, Sheraton Hyderabad Gachibowli)

Ingredients
Long grain rice: 2 cups
Bay leaves: 2-3
Bruised cardamoms: 2-3
Cloves: 2-3
Ghee: 1 tsp
Mint leaves: 1/2 cup
Star anise: 1
Small piece of cinnamon: 1-2
Water as required
Salt to taste
Mutton- 600 gm
Onion: 2
Tomato: 2
Ghee: 250 gm
Cloves: 2
Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon sticks: 2
Cloves: 4-5
Shahi Jeera: 1 tsp
Roasted ground peppercorns: 12-14

For meat marinade:
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 2 tbsp
Coriander powder: 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Curd: 1 cup
Ginger paste: 1 tsp
Garlic paste: 1 tsp
Green chili (slit and deseeded): 2
Milk: 1/4 cup
Saffron strands (add it to the milk): 5-6
Pudina (mint): 1/2 cup
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

For layering
Browned onions
Fried garlic
Saffron soaked in milk
Chopped coriander
Ghee: 1/2 cup

Garnish
Freshly sliced tomatoes
Caramelized onions and garlic

Method
-In a bowl all the marinade ingredients and make a smooth paste
-Apply this paste all over the meat
-Cling wrap the meat and let sit in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight
-Prepare the long grain rice
-Pre-soak the basmati rice in water for 10-15 minutes
-Cook the rice with all the condiments as well the saffron strands soaked in water
-Once part cooked strain in a colander
-Keep aside giving a gentle stir ensuring it is only par boiled
-In a heavy bottom wok, add ghee and oil and heat
-Add the onions and fry till brown
-Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, and continue to fry with onions
-Add chopped tomato and fry till mashed
-Reduce heat completely and add milk
-Add the spice powders and stir well ensuring the milk is not curdled
-Add the marinated meat to this masala
-Give a good stir to ensure the masala is well incorporated
-Add the biryani masala
-Cover and let it simmer
-Ensure the meat is not completely cooked
-It should be cooked medium rare
-Once done half, remove from flame and keep aside
-Take a broad mouthed vessel with heavy base to prepare biryani
-Add a layer of ghee rice, followed by onion, coriander, ghee, and saffron milk
-Top it with the cooked meat
-Repeat the process till all rice and meat is well placed

-Cover the vessel with a heavy lid or place a heavy object over the lid

-Let it cook for 20-25 minutes over medium heat
-Once done remove from heat
-Do not open the lid for at least 10 minutes
-Break off the seal
-Gradually fold the rice ensuring you don't break the long grain
-Garnish and serve with raita

(Courtesy: Westin Mumbai Garden City)

Ingredients
For the pasta dough
Refined flour: 200 gm
Egg yolk: 3
Whole egg: 1
Olive oil

For tomato sauce
Tomato ripe skinless: 300 gm
Onion: 30 gm
Garlic: 15 gm
Basil: 5 gm
Olive oil: 10 ml
Oregano: 5 gm

For vegetables
Onions: 100 gm
Peppers: 100 gm
Zucchini yellow: 150 gm
Zucchini green: 150 gm
Brinjal: 150 gm
Spinach: 200 gm

For Béchamel recipe
Butter: 2 tbsp
Flour: 2 tbsp
Heated milk: 1 and 1/4 cups
Salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
Saffron: A pinch

Method
Pasta dough
- Mix all the ingredients and make firm dough
- Let it sit for a while
- After 20 minutes, roll the dough and make lasagna sheets
- Blanch lasagna sheets in the boiling water
- Add salt
- Cool the sheets and keep it aside

Tomato sauce
- Chopped onion and garlic
- Sauté in a pan with olive oil
- Add riped tomatoes roughly chopped
- Add basil, oregano, salt –pepper and cook for 30 minutes

Vegetables
- Cut all vegetables in strips (julience)
- Sauté in a pan with olive oil and add salt-pepper
- Cook vegetables on a high flame or roast whole vegetables on charcoal
- Cool and keep it a side

Béchamel recipe
- Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan
- Stir in the flour and cook
- Continue stirring constantly, until the paste cooks and bubbles a bit, but don't let it brown
- Add hot milk
- Continuing to stir as the sauce thickens
- Bring it to a boil
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Lower the heat, and cook, stirring for 2 to 3 minutes more
- Remove from the heat
-To cool this sauce for later use, cover it with melted butter to avoid forming skin on the sauce
- Add saffron in béchamel to make saffron- béchamel

Final
- Spread a thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking dish
- Make a layer of cooked lasagna sheets
- Spread an even layer of saffron-Bechamel sauce
- Spread cooked vegetables
- Make a layer of cooked lasagna sheets
- Spread an even layer of spinach mixture
- Spread an even layer of béchamel sauce
- Repeat those layers two times
- Top it with a final layer of lasagne sheet
- Spread more béchamel sauce with some tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese
- Serve

(Courtesy: Neelabh Sahay, Executive Chef, Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences)