Christmas is one of Varun Sheth CEO and Co-founder of Ketto.org's favourite times of the year.
He said, "It’s all about spreading smiles and holiday cheer. One of my fondest memories of Christmas dates back to 2018 when we had a ‘Santa Charity Run’ for the children of Saint Catherine of Siena School and Orphanage. At that point in time, we were a growing company with around 50 employees, and so all of us decided to dress up as Santa’s and hit the street to spread joy and happiness."
Sheth and his team purposely took public transport so that they could spread the festive cheers, smiles, and gifts on the way.
"It was like a flash mob of 50 Santa’s on the streets, railway station, and the metro station. The icing on the cake was the smiles and joy we put on the faces of around 80 children in the orphanage. They were ecstatic and thrilled to see the Santas and of course open their goodie bags which had a plethora of gifts like watches, stationery, and snacks. We had also organised a special magic show which certainly transfixed the children," he added.
Christmas Cooking: Treat Your Taste Buds To A Delectable Pudding & Plum Cake
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Christmas is here and it's time to feast on cakes and puddings and every other delectable treat that celebrates the spirit of the festivity. While plum cakes and Christmas puddings are signature to the feast, an Ecuador Chocolate Ganache an Beetroot Tartare can help bring variety on the dinner table.
If you are still pondering over the Christmas feast menu, here's a collection of recipes that could work wonders with guests.
Christmas is here and it's time to feast on cakes and puddings and every other delectable treat that celebrates the spirit of the festivity. While plum cakes and Christmas puddings are signature to t..
Method:
- For the base, mix cookie crumble with butter and egg white with hand
- Set base in a rectangular frame, 1/3 cm thick to make base of the dessert
- For the ganache, heat cream and liquid glucose in a pan and mix to a homogenous mixture
- Add Ecuador chocolate chips and mix till the chocolate melts, ensure make sure that no lumps
are formed
- Remove from heat and cool it to room temperature
- Pour the chocolate mix in the frame with cookie crumble base and refrigerate for 60 minutes
- De-mold the chocolate and serve portioned as per liking
You can also add freshly-cut fruits and chocolate garnish
(Courtesy: Trident Hotels)
Ingredients:
Full cream: 650 gms
Liquid glucose: 110 gms
Callibuet Ecuador chocolate: 420 gms
Cookie crumble: 90 gms
Egg white: 60 ml
Butter unsalted: 30 gms
Method:
- For the base, mix c..
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Ingredients:
Sultanas: 30 gms
Raisins: 40 gms
Prunes: 80 gms
Black currants, apricot, dates, fig and cranberries: 50 gms
Candied orange and ginger peel finely-chopped: 25 gms
Apple peeled and finely chopped: 1
Orange zest: 1 tbsp
Lemon zest: 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Brandy: 4 tbsp
Refined flour: 55 gms
Cinnamon ground: 1 ½ tsp
Veg shortening: 110 gms
Brown sugar: 110 gms
Bread crumbs: 110 gms
Almonds: 25 gms
Large eggs: 2
Method:
- Place dried fruits, candied orange, apple and lemon juice into a large mixing bowl
- Add brandy and mix it all together well
- Cover the bowl with muslin cloth and leave to marinate overnight
- Stir in flour mixed spice and cinnamon together in a large bowl
- Add veg shortening, sugar, lemon, orange zest, breadcrumbs, and nuts
- Stir again to mix all ingredients
- Add the marinated dried fruits and mix
- Spoon the mixture into a greased pudding basin while gently pressing down with back of the spoon
- Cover with a double layer of grease proof paper, then a layer of aluminium foil and tie
securely with string wrapping around the bowl again, then loop over the top and the basin around the bowl again
- Place the pudding in a steamer set over a sauce pan of simmering water and steam the pudding for 7 hours
- The pudding should be a dark brown colour when cooked
- Remove the pudding from steamer, cool completely, remove the paper, prick the pudding with skewer and pour in little brandy
- Cover with fresh grease proof paper and retie with string
- Reheat and serve after couple of days
- Serve pudding with rum sauce
Rum Sauce Ingredients:
Butter: 56 gms
Plain flour: 56 gms
Milk: 1/2 l
Castor sugar: 56 gms
Brandy: 5 tbsp
Method:
- Melt butter in a non-stick sauce pan over medium heat, then add flour and mix well to make a thick paste, cook for one minute
- Slowly add milk and whisk vigorously until a thick sauce is formed
- Add sugar and whisk little more, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes stirring from time to time
- Add the brandy or cognag whisking into smooth sauce, chill for a day
- Warm it and serve with the Christmas pudding
(Courtesy: Chef Kalia Murthy, Chef De Cuisine, Elior India)
Ingredients:
Sultanas: 30 gms
Raisins: 40 gms
Prunes: 80 gms
Black currants, apricot, dates, fig and cranberries: 50 gms
Candied orange and ginger peel finely-chopped: 25 gms
Apple peeled and..
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Ingredients:
Beetroot: 200 gms
Salt: To taste
Black pepper powder: 2 gms
Hung curd: 30 gms
Red onion: 40 gms
Capers: 10 gms
Valencia Orange: 1
Rucola lettuce: 10 gms
Red Radish: 10 gms
Figs: 60 gms
Balsamic vinegar: 30 ml
Breakfast sugar: 10 gms
Method:
- For the tartare, select medium size beetroot, clean and place them covered in water to boil till cooked to 80%
- Remove from hot water and allow them to cool
- Peel the outer hard skin and cut them into dices, size of a green pea. Keep aside in a bowl
- Add salt, pepper powder, hung curd, chopped red onions, chopped capers and mix softly
- In a pan, add balsamic vinegar and breakfast sugar and warm it up
- Add cut figs and stew till soft
- Be careful to avoid high flames as vinegar may caramelize
- In a serving plate, arrange the beetroot mix using a cutter as shown in picture
- Place dressed salad of Rucola leaves, red radish, Valencia orange segments and stewed figs
- Best served cold as an appetizer
(Courtesy: Trident Hotels)
Ingredients:
Beetroot: 200 gms
Salt: To taste
Black pepper powder: 2 gms
Hung curd: 30 gms
Red onion: 40 gms
Capers: 10 gms
Valencia Orange: 1
Rucola lettuce: 10 gms
Red Radish: 10 gms
Fi..
Method:
- For the mushroom, wash, peel and cut them into quarters
- Quick boil the mushrooms for 3 minutes and refresh in cold water
- Water not to be thrown; you can use the mushroom water as stock
- In a pan, heat olive oil and add bay leaf
- Now add chopped onions and cook it till translucent
- Add risotto rice and cook till firm
- Keep adding stock gradually till the rice is cooked
- Adjust seasoning
- Finish the risotto with butter and grated parmesan cheese
- Risotto should be consistency of soft scrambled eggs
- Plate the risotto and place the mushrooms on it
- Drizzle it with truffle oil
(Courtesy: Trident Hotels)
Ingredients:
Button mushroom: 100 gms
Portobello mushroom: 30 gms
Shimeji mushroom: 20 gms
Cep mushroom: 15 gms
Red onion: 40 gms
Olive oil: 20 ml
Truffle oil: 2 ml
Bay leaf: 1 leaf
Risott..
Method:
- Soak sultana, almonds and mixed peel in rum
- Mix all the other ingredients to a clear dough
- Fold through the fruit and nut mix
- Rest dough for one hour
- Scale and let it rest for further 30 minutes
- Roll dough then prove
- Bake at 200°C
Method:
- Soak the apple, sultana, raisins, cherries, cannied pineapple, prunes, orange zest and lemon zest with the stout, brandy and rum
- Leave it for 6 months
- Mix ginger, cinnamon, all spice, brown sugar, almonds, bread crumbs, flour and baking powder all together
- Add butter and eggs to it and mix till the consistency is right
- Add the fruit mix and whisk it properly
- Avoid mixing too much
- Bake it at 185 °C
Crowdfunding a great tool for entrepreneurs to create buzz around their startups: Varun Sheth, Ketto
