Easter is here. And while it’s not going to be the same as always owing to the havoc caused by the Coronavirus pandemic, we can still stray and bring some festive cheer in our lives. After all, festivals are also the best way to bring a little happiness in ones life. Not only they give a reason to cook some delicious festive meals, it also is a time for families to sit together and enjoy the feast.
“Easter is associated with various customs but the spirit of the festival is all about indulging in festive feast with your loved ones. It might not be possible to invite relatives and friends this year but you can still cook yourself a nice lunch by making the best use of ingredients you already have at home. Elevate your brunch with an elegant egg-centric meal, mashed potatoes and an indulging dessert and give it a delectable makeover by adding healthy and versatile walnuts. You can even spice up your Easter festivities by whipping up a batch of homemade walnut liqueur,” says celebrity Chef Sabyasachi Gorai.
While, this year one might not be able to have an elaborate meal or make a scrumptious spread, one can still add a little festive cheer with the help of our chefs and their lockdown special Easter recipes.
“The recipes are cooked in English style and they are typically cooked during Easter. I have twisted the sauces with fruit or vegetable based sauce, something that is different than usual barbecue sauce and can be easily made at home. The dishes, appeal and taste compliment the bright and pastel colours the people wear to celebrate the festival of Easter,” says Chef Jasjit Singh Keer,
Executive Chef and Partner – Alfredo’s Malad.
Without much ado, we bring you some lip-smacking dishes from our chefs.
Ingredients:
• Oil - 15 ml
• Oil / butter - 2ml for greasing
• Onion coarsely chopped - 20 grams
• Garlic thinly sliced - 5 grams
• Hot chilli flakes - 15 grams (Can use grinded/crushed dry red chillies)
• Chopped Tomatoes - 100 grams
• Large eggs - 2
• Cheese - 50 grams
• Salt and pepper to taste.
Method:
In a pan add oil and heat until hot. Sauté onions, garlic and chilli flakes and cook until they soften and turn light brown. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer it for about eight to 10 mins. Turn off the heat and pour this sauce into the baking dish which is greased with oil or butter. Crack eggs one by one into the dish. Sprinkle grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Bake it at 200 degree for around 12-15 minutes or until set as desired. After removing it from the oven, let it sit for two to three minutes. Garnish it with chopped onions and tomatoes before serving. This be eaten with any bread.
-- Recipe by Chef Ishijyot Surri, Executive Chef, SJI Hospitality Private Limited
Ingredients:
Eggs – 3
Beetroot – 2
Vinegar – 5 ml
Hummus – 50 gms
Cajun Spice or dried coriander – 2 gms
Salt as per taste
Method:
First boil the eggs and remove the shell. Then make beetroot juice with some water and add vinegar in it. Put the boiled eggs in beetroot juice for an hour, this will give a nice colour and vinegar taste to the eggs. Remove it and cut in two pieces, remove the egg yolk and mash it and add it with Hummus and add some Cajun seasoning or dried coriander. If you don't have hummus you can make any nice aioli with mayonnaise and egg yolk and put it in pipping bag and nicely fill in the purple egg and garnish with fried onions or leek and some micro greens.
--Recipe by Chef Dinesh Shinde, Outlet Chef, Aromas Café
Ingredients:
Old-fashioned oats – 1½ cups
Three fourth cup chopped walnuts
Half cup extra virgin olive oil
Tsp salt -- ¼
Cold water – 2 tbsp
Large eggs – 9
Garlic powder -- ½ tsp
Dried oregano leaves -- 1 tsp
Stone ground mustard -- 1 tbsp
Baby spinach, coarsely chopped – 1 cup
Small red bell pepper, diced – 1
Extra sharp shredded cheddar cheese -- ¾ cup
Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C and generously grease 12-cup muffin pan with oil. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the oats until fine and flour-like. Add the walnuts and pulse until blended with oat flour. Pulse in the olive oil, salt and water until the mixture comes together. Spoon walnut-oat crust mixture evenly (about 1¼ tablespoons each) into each muffin cup and press it into the bottom and part way up the sides. Bake 25 minutes, until crust begins to brown. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, garlic powder, oregano and mustard thoroughly until well combined. Stir in spinach, bell pepper and cheese. Fill each muffin cup evenly with egg-veggie mixture and bake 20 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Cool slightly on a wire rack before removing the egg cups by carefully inserting a sharp knife between the crust and the muffin pan.
--Recipe by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai
Ingredients:
Rich double cream – 120 gms
Chicken Bacon – 100 gms
Prawns – 165 gms
Garlic – 10 gms
Celery – 10 gms
Chilli Flakes – 3 gms
Salt – 2 gms
Pepper – 2 gms
Fresh Oregano/Thyme/Rosemary – 2 gms
Oil – 10 gms
Honey – 20 gms
Spring Onions – 10 gms
Butter – 10 gms
Coriander – 5 gms
Apple Bore – 10 gms (Apple bore can be replaced with Pear or Green Apple)
Microgreens – 5 gms
Lemon – 10 gms
Method:
Take jumbo sized prawns, marinate it with fresh herbs, olive oil, chili flakes and some garlic. Wrap the prawns with chicken bacon and grill it till you get the perfect colour, but also look that prawns should not get over cooked. Take a pan, add some olive oil and garlic chili flakes and sauté it. Add cream and some strawberry fruit filling. We recommend strawberry cream sauce. Place the bacon wrapped prawns on plate and then pour the strawberry cream sauce and garnish with micro greens.
--Recipe by Chef Dinesh Shinde, Outlet Chef, Aromas Café
Ingredients:
Two medium eggs
One tablespoon milk
One teaspoon honey
Two thick slices white bread – 100 gm
Walnut halves, chopped & extra to serve – 50 gm
One tablespoon oil
Knob of butter – 10 gm
To serve: Fresh strawberries, blueberries or seasonal fruits
Cooks tip: For a savoury option, remove the honey and replace it with a pinch of dried mixed herbs and serve with grilled bacon (or salami, sausage, chicken, ham), mushrooms and tomatoes.
Method:
Mix together the eggs, milk and honey in a shallow dish, add the bread slices and soak on both sides until most of the egg mixture has been absorbed. Sprinkle the walnuts over one side of each slice and press in. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and fry the bread gently, walnut crusted side down first, for two minutes each side or until golden. Halve each slice and serve drizzled with honey (optional), extra walnuts and fresh berries or seasonal fruits of your choice.
--Recipe by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai
Ingredients:
Lamb chopped – 3 pcs
Beetroot – 2 pcs
Sugar – 20 gm
Oil – as per dish
Salt – as per taste (coarse sea salt tastes better)
Garlic – 7 gm
Red wine – 10 ml
Rosemary – ½ tbsp
Medium size Potatoes – 4 pcs
Cream – 10 ml
Butter – 15 gm
Onion – 2
Cayenne Pepper Powder - Pinch
Celery – 2 stems
Carrot – 2
Olive oil – 2 tbsp
Method:
Take the lamb chops, clean them well and marinate it with two tablespoon of butter, pinch of cayenne pepper powder, rosemary, two tablespoon of chopped garlic, salt and pepper. Marinate for minimum up to 15 minutes or leave overnight in the fridge if possible. On a medium flame, add 2 table spoon of olive oil in a pan. Put the lamb chops when the oil is warm. Sear both the sides well till the colour changes chops change to light brown. Set the lamb chops aside. In the same pan add oil, garlic, onion, celery and sauté it well. Then add beetroot puree to the mix and simmer it for 6 minutes and add the chops in the jus and cook it well for about 15-20 minutes.
For mashed potatoes: Peel and boil the potatoes. Once boiled, strain and mash the potatoes. Take a pan, add butter, the mashed potatoes and cream. Mix them well, add salt and pepper as per taste.
Ingredients:
• Maida – 200 grams
• Sugar – 100 grams
• Butter – 200 grams
• Vanilla essence – 5 ml (Can be replaced with elaichi/saffron whatever is available at home)
• Drinking Soda – 250 ml / Regular Eno – 1 sachet (Replacement to baking soda/baking powder)
• Dry Raisins & Nuts – 50 grams (If you don’t have dried Raisins you can roast the normal ones, nuts can be any nuts available at home – cashew nuts, almonds, pistas or walnuts)
Please Note – Nuts is optional, only use if available
Method:
Sieve the maida to ensure there are no lumps. Keep it aside. Meanwhile, cream the butter and sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add eggs one by one and whisk it along with butter and sugar. Add vanilla essence and mix it well. Add raisins and nuts. Then add the drinking soda (or baking power/soda, whatever is available) and mix it gently. Divide the maida in two parts and part by part fold it into the soda/eno, butter, eggs and sugar mixture. Line the baking tray with parchment and pour the cake batter into it. Bake the cake at 200 degrees into a preheated oven. Bake it for 12 mins or until set (check by poking a knife into the cake, if the batter doesn’t stick to the knife, then it is cooked). Cool it. And cut it into desired pieces or slices. This cake can be consumed as it is or can be served with coffee or tea.
-- Recipe by Chef Ishijyot Surri, Executive Chef, SJI Hospitality Private Limited
Joff Lee
Ingredients:
Walnut halves, roughly chopped – 100 gm
Butter, softened – 125 gm
Caster sugar – 125 gm
Lemons – 2
Medium eggs – 3
All purpose flour – 150 gm
Baking powder -- ½ tsp
Granulated sugar -- 2 tbsp
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and base line a 1 kg loaf tin. Place 50 gm walnuts in a food processor and blitz to a coarse powder, chop a further 25 gm. Whisk the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the zest of two lemons and then whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the flour, baking powder and prepared walnuts to give a smooth batter. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Just before the cake comes out of the oven, mix the juice of 1 lemon with granulated sugar. Chop the remaining 25g walnuts and stir into the syrup. Prick the cake with a skewer several times and drizzle over the lemon syrup. Allow to cool a little in the tin before removing then allow to cool completely.
Cooks tip*
Try using a mixture of lemon and lime juice. This cake will keep for 2-3 days when wrapped in foil.
--Recipe by Chef Sabyasachi Gorai
