Dahi Tamatar Ke Kebab with Khajoor Chutney and Hormukh Phak

Planning the menu for a luncheon can be a Herculean task if you have invited over friends with an extremely diverse meal preference. And among them are ones with a bias for traditional Indian cuisine, and those with a palate for Continental or Oriental dishes.

If this is your scenario, don't lose heart and ditch the idea of rustling up a surprise in favour of calling in from a restaurant. A dash of creativity in menu planning is all it takes to please even a motley gang. Simply fuse different cuisine, and you are good to go. A traditional Indian appetizer, an Oriental main course and an Italian dessert is not a bad idea either, and will keep even a fussy foodie in perfect peace.

So here is some eclectic assortment that's just right for the occasion, and simple enough to be tried at home from chef Inder Dev of Fortune Select Excalibur, Gurgaon


Dahi Tamatar Ke Kebab with Khajoor Chutney 

Ingredients:

Tomatoes red 4 nos
Bread slices 4 nos
Butter milk 1 cup
Yellow chilli powder...a pinch
Lemon rinds 1 tsp


For filling: 

Hung curd 1 cup
Fresh cream 2 tblspns
Finely chopped green chilli 1 tsp
Finely chopped dill leaves ½ tsp
White pepper powder...a pinch
Garam masala powder...a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying


For khajoor chutney: 
Khajoor 200 gms
Black jaggery 40 gms
Ginger 20 gms
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Sesame oil 2 tblspns

Method: 
- Take equal sized red tomatoes, wash and then remove eye by slicing the top.
- Combine all filling ingredients and mix them well.
- Fill tomatoes with the above filling and keep aside.
- Mix butter milk, yellow chilli powder and salt.
- Soak a bread slice in butter milk mixture, wrap filled tomatoes with soaked bread slice and seal from all sides. Repeat the same with remaining tomatoes and bread slices.
- Deep fry wrapped tomatoes in a medium hot oil until golden brown and crisp. Drain.
- Cut into half, sprinkle lemon rinds on top and serve immediately with khajoor chutney.


Khajoor Chutney: 
- Combine all chutney ingredients, mix well, add a cup of water and simmer until it becomes thick.
- Strain and cool.

Hormukh Phak 


Ingredients:

Mushroom 250 gms
Baby corn 75 gms
Carrots 75 gms
Zucchini 75 gms
Broccoli 75 gms
Thai red chili cut into slices 1 tsp
Basil 2-3 nos
Onion finely chopped 1 cup
Coconut milk powder 2 tblspns
Thai red curry paste 2 tblspns
Oil 2 tblspns
Salt to taste
Thai seasoning...a pinch
Tender coconut shell...to serve

Method: 
- Clean and chop mushroom, baby corns, carrots, zucchini and broccoli.
- Heat oil, add Thai red chillies and cook for a moment, then add fresh basil and chopped onion and saute until transparent.
- Add vegetables and cook until tender and water evaporates.
- Add Thai red curry paste and cook for a moment.
- Dissolve coconut milk powder and stir in the preparation.
- Mix well, adjust salt and seasoning.
- Transfer into a tender coconut shell and serve with steamed rice.

Aachari Paneer

1Cup Sliced Onions
1/4 tsp each of - Saunf (Fennel), Kalonji (Onion seeds), yellow mustard Seeds - used in pickles, Cumin seeds (Jeera), Fenugreek seeds(Methi Dana)
A pinch of Asafoetida
1tsp fresh chillies - red / green - chopped / sliced
1.5 cups of diced bell peppers
1 cup diced cottage cheese (Paneer)
1tsp Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup beaten Curd
3Tbsp Freshly chopped coriander
2Tbps Oil
Salt to taste

In a bowl mix fennel, mustard, Fenugreek, onion and cumin seeds along with asafoetida

Heat oil in a pan and add the above mixture, once it crackles add onion and fresh chilly and saute until translucent

Now add the bell peppers and saute for a min or two
Add the paneer along with the dry masalas and mix thoroughly

Cover it with a lid and allow it to cook for 5 - 6 mins on low to medium flame
Once done add in the curd and stir it for 2 - 3 minutes

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve immediately


Note:

If you dont have the yellow mustard seeds - whole or broken , you can use the normal mustard you have
You can omit the curd and this can also be used as a filling for wraps / pies / rolls along with some shredded cheese
To make it more of a gravy consistency, add in more curd along with some water and allow it to cook

AGRA KA PETHA

INGREDIENTS

Ash gourd (petha) 1 kilogram

Sugar 750 grams

Alum powder 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice 1 tablespoons


METHOD

Cut petha into half, remove skin and seeds and cut into pieces of desired size
Prick them with a fork or any other pointed thing
Place petha pieces in a large pan and pour sufficient water so as to just cover the pieces
Add alum powder and boil for about ten to fifteen minutes
Remove from heat, drain and wash thoroughly under running water
Combine sugar with one cup of water and heat till sugar dissolves
Add lemon juice to remove scum, if any. Reduce heat to medium and add boiled petha
Continue cooking till pethas get softened and sugar syrup is of three-thread consistency
Remove from heat, remove pethas and keep the pieces separately so that they do not stick to each other
Serve when cool.

From SKapoor