Don't wait for the weekend to binge on these tempting dishes!

All recipes and photographs: Kind courtesy Academy of Pastry and Culinary Arts .

Machboos al dijaj (Lebanese Chicken Pilaf)

Recipe by Chef Jagadish Purushothama

Ingredients

• 1 kg basmati rice
• 1 kg chicken (curry cut)
• 500 gm onions (sliced)
• 300 gm tomatoes (sliced)
• Half bunch parsley
• Half bunch mint leaves
• Half bunch coriander leaves
• 300 ml ghee
• 50 gm almonds
• 50 gm pistachio
• 50 gm cashew nuts
• 100 ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tbsp roasted cumin powder
• 2 tbsp paprika powder

Method

• Heat some ghee in a heavy bottom pan.
• Add whole spices. Once the aroma is released add sliced onions and cook until translucent.
• Add in all the spice mix and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Add chicken and sear the meat well. Reserve for later process.
• Immediately add rice on top and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir all the ingredients together, and add hot water 1:2 ratio. Bring the water to a boil until the rice is cooked about 80%.
• Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and allow the rice to cook 15 minutes at low temperature.
• Once the rice fully cooked, turn the heat off, but don’t uncover the pot. Leave the rice undisturbed for 5 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice.
• When you uncover the pot, fluff with a fork or a flat spatula.
• Grill the reserved chicken and top it on the cooked rice and serve hot.

Note: The dish can be topped with assorted nuts which are fried in ghee.

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Lamb Donne Biryani

Recipe by Chef Jagadish Purushothama

Ingredients

• 1 kg jeera samba rice
• 1.5 kg lamb curry cut
• 500 gm onions sliced
• 300 gm tomatoes sliced
• 200 gm ginger garlic paste
• 150 gm curd
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 1 bunch coriander leaves
• 200 ml ghee
• 100 ml oil
• 2 gm bay leaf
• 2 gm cloves
• 2 gm mace
• 2 gm cardamom
• 2 gm star anise
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp garam masala powder
• Salt as required
• Boiled eggs (optional)

Method

• Soak rice for at least 20 minutes.
• Make fine paste of half bunch of mint and coriander. Chop and reserve the remaining.
• In a heavy bottom pan add oil and ghee. When it heats, add all the whole spices.
• Add sliced onions and cook until it turns golden brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw flavour is gone.
• Add some chopped mint and coriander leaves and fresh green chillies.
• Add lamb curry and cook until the meat is sealed.
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add sliced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are completely mushy.
• Add curd and cook until the oil is released at the corners of the pan.
• Add the reserved mint and coriander paste and cook for another 15 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and check for seasoning.
• Add water and bring it to boil. Check the lamb if cooked or need some time.
• Add in the soaked rice and stir well gently.
• Cook until the rice absorbs about 80% of water.
• Switch off the flame, add ghee and chopped coriander and mint on top and cover it with silver foil.
• Cover it with a lid and place the cooking pot on hot grill under medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Once done, portion it in a serving bowl and serve hot.

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Lamb Tagine (Lebanese Curry)

Recipe by Chef Jagadish Purushothama

Ingredients

• 1 kg lamb (curry cut)
• 1 tbsp garlic (minced)
• Half bunch mint
• Half bunch coriander leaves
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 2 tsp paprika powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 tomatoes (sliced)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 50 ml oil
• 50 ml ghee
• Parsley for garnish
• Olives black and green for garnish
• Jalapenos for garnish
• Salt and sugar to taste

Method

• Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add chopped shallots and fry on a low heat until almost translucent, stirring from time to time.
• Add chopped garlic. Keep on stirring frequently until the onion is translucent and garlic softens completely and releases its beautiful aroma.
• Add all the ground spices to the fried shallots and garlic mixture and stir them around well. Fry them off gently for a minute or two stirring the whole time as they burn easily.
• To prevent burning add water and cook until oil releases at the corner of the pan.
• Add lamb, sear the meat and cook for about 10 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook until mushy.
• Add tomato paste to the pan and stir it into the mixture add sweet potato cubes, and salt to the pan.
• Cover the pan with a lid to cook potato for about 10 minutes.
• Add chopped mint and coriander and cook for another 5 minutes.
• After about 5 minutes of simmering, take the lid off and let the sauce thicken by simmering it slowly, without the lid.
• Once the sauce thickens, taste and season with some black pepper, salt and sugar if needed.
• Portion the stew into a serving bowl. Top it with generous amount of olives. Serve over rice or couscous.

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Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Recipe by Chef Charles Jayakumar

Ingredients

• 250 gm polenta
• 1000 ml water/milk
• 100 ml cream
• 50 gm grated parmesan cheese
• 50 gm butter
• Few sage herb
• 25 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste

Method

• In a medium pot heat oil. Add minced garlic and cook until soft.
• Add 4 cups of water/milk and boil to a high simmer.
• Add roughly chopped sage leaves
• Add butter to the simmering liquid.
• Slowly whisk in the polenta.
• Add 1 more cup of water/milk and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add in cream and grated parmesan cheese and mix well until blended well.
• Turn off the heat and whisk in the olive oil and sea salt. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Season to taste and keep it aside.

For mushroom ragout
Ingredients

• 500 gm button mushroom
• 100 ml cream
• 50 gm grated parmesan cheese
• 50 gm minced garlic
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp parsley finely chopped for garnish
• 60 ml white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 50 ml olive oil
• 50 gm butter

Method

• In a medium pot, heat oil and butter. Add minced garlic and cook until soft.
• Add onions and cook until translucent.
• Add in cut mushrooms and wilt it or cook until soft which is for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with white wine.
• Add in cream and cook for about 2 minutes to a simmer.
• Add grated parmesan cheese and cook until it blends well.
• Check the seasoning after adding salt and pepper.
• Pour the mixture on top of the reserved creamy polenta and serve hot.

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Broccoli and Corn Cutlets

Recipe by Chef Charles Jayakumar

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes
• 250 gm broccoli
• 100 gm sweet corns
• 2 tbsp garlic minced
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 10 gm thyme
• 500 gm bread crumbs
• 250 gm flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for frying

Method

• Boil the potatoes until cooked and mash it using fork and allow it to cool.
• In a pan or cooking vessel, heat some oil. Add minced garlic.
• Add onions and cook until translucent followed by adding minced broccoli and sweet corn.
• Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes add thyme and seasoning.
• Allow the mixture to cool.
• Once the mixture is cooled mix it with mashed potatoes and check seasoning and add seasoning if required.
• Shape the mixture into cutlets and store in the chiller for half an hour.
• Make slurry using flour and water with a pinch of salt and pepper each.
• Dip the cutlets into slurry and coat them well using bread crumbs all around.
• Fry the cutlets into medium hot oil until the surface of the cutlets turns crispy.
• Remove excess oil if any using paper towels. Serve hot.

• RECIPES! RECIPES!

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