Festive fusion cuisine

If you think hilsa should be dipped and eaten only with thick mustard sauce or kulfi should be had only with faluda, then think again! Here’s a palate of contemporary fusion cuisine for the global Indian, who likes a bit of tartar sauce on his dum aloo or gulab jamuns dripping in chocolate fondue!

Chef Devraj Halder, Crowne Plaza Delhi

Rasmalai-Mascarpone Cheese Cake (Serves 1 portion)

Ingredients

Rasmalai 2 pieces, Fresh mascarpone cheese, 40 gms , Whipped cream 40 gms, Gelatin, 1 leaf , sponge (as required for base), Nutmeg powder, small pinch, Raisins, (few, soaked in rum)

Method

Soak the gelatin leaf in the syrup of the rasmalai, warm it gently, cool.
Cream the mascarpone to a smooth and thick paste, add raisins, nutmeg, and gelatin syrup. Also add half of the rasmalai cut into chunks. Fold in the whipped cream.

Take an individual mould, line it with a thin layer of sponge at the base. Pour in the rasmalai-mascarpone mixture. Set for 1 hour in the deep-freezer. Take the mould out and top it with the slices of remaining rasmalai. Glaze, de-mould and serve.

Chef Vicky Ratnani, Aurus, Mumbai

Lamb shanks with mashed potato

Ingredients (for the marinade)

Paprika, 1 tsp, Garlic, 3-4 cloves
Rosemary, 1 sprig, Thyme 1 sprig, Oil, 1 tbs, Salt and pepper, to taste

Ingredients (for the mirepoix)
Carrot, 1 I Celery, 1 I Onion, 1 I Leek, 1 I Tomato puree, 250gms I Red wine, 100 ml I Lamb stock, 500ml I Bay leaf, 1 I Peppercorns, 6-7 I Thyme & rosemary, a few sprigs

Ingredients (for couscous)
I Couscous, 100gms I Veg stock, 150ml I Parsley, 50gms I Red pepper, ½ I Lime juice, 1 tbs I EVO 1tbs I Salt, to taste

Method

Marinate the lamb shanks with all the mentioned ingredients.
Wash and clean the mirepoix vegetables.
Roughly cut them.
Heat a heavy bottom sauce pan, add oil, bay leaf, peppercorn, and vegetables sauté till brown.
Add tomato puree, carrot deglazed with red wine, add the lamb stock, bring it to boil.
Seal the lamb shanks golden brown in a separate pan, add to this mix, cover with greaseproof paper and aluminium foil, cook at 180 degrees C for four hours or until the flesh falls off from the bone strain the liquid reduce further.
For the couscous, bring the vegetable stock to a boil.
Pour over the couscous and cover with the plastic film.
Remove the cover after five minutes and loosen the couscous with a fork.
Mix in the lime juice, EVO, chopped red peppers, parsley and mix well.
Serve the lamb shanks on top of the mashed potato and eggplant puree.
Spoon over the sauce on top of it.
Sprinkle with cardamom powder, drizzle over some rose water and garnish with fresh rose petals.

Chef Mayank Tiwari, Smoke House Grill, Delhi

Young Turmeric Bekti with Chenin Blanc

Ingredients

I Baby fennel, 1 bulb I Young turmeric, 1 piece I Bekti, 180 gms I Juice of 1 lemon I Late harvest Chenin Blanc, 45 ml I Kokum, 10 gms I Ajwain, 2 gms I Jalapeno, 10 gms

Method

Infuse the young turmeric in warm oil to extract the colour and flavours.
Make a marination of the flavoured oil, fennel puree and lemon juice and salt.
Marinate the fillet and pan sear in a frying pan.
Seal both the sides and bake at 180 degrees C.
Cook till the core temperature reaches 60 degrees. Reduce the Chenin Blanc and the kokum together with a little ajwain and jalapeno, till it forms a glaze.
Saute some spinach and assorted leaves to form the base. Place the cooked fish on top of this and lightly drizzle some of the reduction.
Garnish with a lemon wedge and a dill sprig.

Note
Other serving options — make a dry okra and garlic sabzi and serve the fish on it with the drizzle.

Chef Pitamber, Sartoria, Delhi

Exotic Mediterranean Veggies Bengali style

Ingredients

Three bell peppers, 100 gms; washed and cut into strips I Fresh mushrooms, 100 gms; washed and cut into quarters I Mustard oil, 30 ml I Potatoes, 150gms; peeled and thinly sliced I Brinjal, 150gms; sliced I Cauliflower buds, 100gms I Broccoli buds, 100gms I Drumsticks, 50gms; cut into strips I French beans, 50gms; cut into 1 inch-long pieces I Green chillies, 4 I Tomatoes, 75 gms, chopped I Balsamic vinegar, few drops I Turmeric powder, 1/2tsp I Chilli powder, 1/2tsp I Garlic 1/2tsp, chopped and peeled I Ginger 1/2tsp, chopped I Onion seeds, 1/2tsp I Roasted poppy seeds (khaskhas), 1/2tsp I Parmesan cheese 1/2tsp I Salt, to taste

Method

Heat mustard oil in a non-stick pan; put the onion seeds in it and let it splatter, then add chopped ginger, garlic and split green chillies.
Stir for three minutes, add sliced and cut vegetables, salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder in it.
Mix well; cover with a lid and cook over slow heat till the vegetables are soft.
Slowly add on the Balsamic vinegar and gently stir.
Add chopped tomatoes, stir well, and add half a cup of water into it and cook for another three minutes.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves over it.
Garnish the vegetable dish with roasted poppy seeds and flecks of Parmesan cheese before serving.

Chef Abhijit Saha, Caperberry Restaurant and Tapas Lounge, Bangalore

Mushroom Salad with Parmesan, White Wine & Tamarind Chutney

Ingredients

Assorted mushrooms – button, shiitake, morel, 400 gms (mix of fresh and dried) I Ginger, chopped 2 tsp I Dry red chilli; chopped, 1 tbsp I Olive oil, 2 tbsp I White wine, 60 ml I Coriander leaves; chopped, 1 tbsp
Spring onion; chopped, 1 tbsp I Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp I Salt to taste

Dressing
Tamarind chutney, 4 tbsp I Ginger, 1 tsp, chopped I Lemon juice, 1 tbsp I Extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp I Salt to taste

Garnish
Parmesan shavings 16 I frisse/ lettuce, 1 bunch I Micro greens, a few

Method

Wash and reconstitute the dried mushrooms by soaking them in hot water for 30 minutes. Trim the fresh mushrooms and cut them into halves.
Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add chopped ginger and red chilli and stir-fry for 10 seconds without browning. Add the fresh mushrooms and sauté for three minutes over medium heat. Add the rest of the mushrooms, white wine.
When the wine evaporates, add spring onion and coriander leaves. Season with salt and remove.
For Tamarind chutney dressing
Whisk together all ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside. Serve mushroom on individual plates drizzled with the tamarind chutney dressing and garnished with lettuce, microgreens and Parmesan shavings.