Planning to throw a Halloween party but not sure what to serve? Fret not, we have you covered. FPJ gets chefs to share recipes that you can whip up easily in your kitchen and wow your friends with your culinary skills.
You don’t need to be a pro at cooking for these. Along with mains and appetisers, there are cocktails as well to get the party started.
Halloween Smash
Ingredients : 60 ml Whiskey, 20 ml Cinnamon cordial, 8 to 10 leaves Fresh Mint, and 15 ml Lemon juice.
Method: Add all the ingredients in a shaker. Make sure the shaker is filled completely with ice. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain it into a glass filled with ice. Garnish it with orange slices.
(PS: The more the ice the less the dilution and better the flavours in a cocktail)
(Recipe by Vekesh Shetty, in-house mixologist, Cocktails and Dreams, Mumbai)
Death by Chocolate
Ingredients : 1 Mud Cake (available in the market), 10 gm Chocolate Sauce, 30 gm Almond Crumble, 10 gm Strawberry, 10 gm Red Current, 5 gm Grapes, and 20 gm Whipping Cream.
Method: Cut the mud cake in to two. Pipe the bottom of the cake with the whipping cream and keep the top on it. Wrap the cake with the acetate sheet or butter paper, hold it with the tape. Arrange the apple crumble on the plate as shown in the picture. Garnish the plate with the help of cherries, mouse (if you have) and grapes. Warm the chocolate sauce in a microwave. Served with hot chocolate sauce.
(Recipe by Rahul Khare, corporate executive chef, The Finch)
Halloween Eyeball Spaghetti
Ingredients: 475 gm Spaghetti, cooked until al dente, 1 Red pimento (sliced and sautéed), 1 large Onion (sliced and sautéed), 425 gm Tomatoes (canned and chopped, with liquid), 6 cloves Garlic, 3 tbsp extra virgin Olive Oil, 4 tsp dried Basil, Salt to taste, ½ tsp Black pepper, freshly ground, and ½ tsp Red pepper flakes.
For the Eyeballs: 4 Cheese cubes, 8 Black olives, sliced.
Method: In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium flame and add minced fresh garlic. Sautée till the garlic turns light brown. Add tomatoes with juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce the flame to low and let it simmer. Add in basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Let it simmer for one hour. Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning as per taste. (If the sauce starts to dry up, add a little water). Once the sauce is done, add the sautéed veggies. Mix well. Lightly mix the sauce with pasta.
For the eyeballs, cut cheese into round shape and place on the pasta. Place the pasta in the microwave so that the cheese melts a little. Remove from the microwave and place sliced black olives on top of the melted cheese.
(Note: Al dente refers to the desired texture of cooked pasta in Italian cooking. It literally means “to the tooth”. When the pasta is cooked Al dente, there should be a slight resistance in the centre when the pasta is chewed)
(Recipe by Chef Reetu U. Kugaji, Culinary Expert and Chef Consultant)
Dragons Blood
Ingredients: 60 ml Cachaça Rum, 1 Fresh Red dragon fruit, 30 ml Monin blood orange syrup, 15 ml Apple cider vinegar, and 4 pieces of fresh Raspberries.
Method: Add all the ingredients in a blender with add ice as per choice. Blend it for 30 seconds. Serve in a stem glass and garnish with a dragonfruit slice and raspberry.
(PS: Ensure that the dragonfruit is red from the inside for better flavour)
(Recipe by Vekesh Shetty, in-house mixologist, Cocktails and Dreams, Mumbai)
Southeast Pumpkin and Vegetable Stew Recipe
Tiss the season of stews! The heartening, nourishing and easy to make dish is a wholesome meal in itself and a great option for all the vegetarians. Roasted Pumpkin pieces are combined with seasonal veggies and ingredients like peanuts, garlic, ginger, paprika etc. giving the it a spicy, nutty flavor and plenty of texture. The stew will warm your soul with its burst of flavors and the right balance of spice, savory and sweet.
Ingredients: 8 leaves, 3 cups lightly packed lacinato kale, lightly packed, 3 cups Broccoli florets, small, 1/2 cup Cilantro, leaves, 4 cloves Garlic, 2 tsp Ginger, fresh root, 1/2 cup Peanuts, dry roasted unsalted, 1 Red onion, large, 3 Scallions, 2 Sweet potatoes (about 1 3/4 pounds), medium, 300 gm roasted, pumpkin cut into thick dice, 1 Thai chili peppers, small, 1 15-to-16-ounce can Tomatoes, no-salt-added with juices.
Condiments- 1/2 cup Almond butter, smooth
Baking & spices- 1/2 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground, 1/2 tsp Sea salt, fine
Oils & vinegars-1 1/2 tbsp Olive oil, extra-virgin
Liquids - 3 cups Water
Method: Pour the oil into a soup pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic; cook until the onion has lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, pumpkins and the tomatoes and their juices, the ginger (using more if you want the dish to be spicier) and the 3 cups of water. Let it slowly come to a boil, then reduce the heat so the water is barely bubbling; cover and cook until the sweet potatoes are nearly tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add the broccoli and chili pepper (or peppers, if you want the dish to be spicier). Stir in the almond butter a little at a time until it melts into the broth. Cover and cook until the broccoli loses a little firmness, a few minutes. Stir in the kale and cook, uncovered, until it is wilted and all of the vegetables are just tender but not mushy, 5 minutes. Add a little more water if needed for a moist but not soupy consistency. Stir in the cilantro, salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve in bowls over rice. If desired, garnish each serving with peanuts and/or scallions.
Thai Curry ravioli
Ingredients:
Pasta Dough -360 gm Semolina flour, 360 gm Plain flour,5 gm Salt, 4 pc Eggs, 47.25 ml Olive oil
Stuffing- 60 gm Butter, 400 gm Pumpkin, 240 gm Cream, 0.5 pc Bay Leaf, 15 gm Sage, 18 gm Sage, 5 gm Thyme, 3 pc Eggs, 5 gm Salt, 5 gm Black pepper, 30 gm Gorgonzola, 50 gm onion, 10 gm thyme, 30 gm cream, 20 gm butter, 50 gm Thai Red curry , 100 ml Coconut milk
Method- Start with making pasta dough by mixing flours with eggs,salt and olive oil. Kneading the dough properly is important for the pasta and dough and then it should be kept in fridge. In another tray peel the skins of pumpkin and cut into small cubes, spread it in the tray and add oil, salt, pepper, thyme and garlic and roast it till it gets soft. Take it out mash it and keep aside. In a separate pan, heat some olive oil and add bayleaf,chop onion. Saute it and add pumpkin mixture. Season it and keep it on rest so that it gets cold. Take out the pasta dough and start rolling for ravioli sheet, stuff the pumpkin mixture and shape as per desire. Blanch it and keep aside. Cook red curry with coconut milk in traditional thai style and add blanched ravioli. Serve hot.
(Recipe by Manoj Kumar Pandey, Partner Chef, The Piano Man)
Cocktail recipe
Ingredients: Pink Pepper Gin - 50ml, Watermelon Syrup - 25ml, Sparkling Wine - 25ml, Sepoy Indian Tonic Water - 50ml, Garnish - Edible Flower
Method: Fill the glass with ice cubes. Add gin to it. Add syrup and mix it well. Top with sparkling wine and then tonic water. Garnish with edible flower
(Recipe by Jitender Semwal, head bartender, Andaz Delhi)
Black widow burger with smoked bacon and cheese
Ingredients: 180 gm fresh ground beef mince, 1 tablespoon butter, salt and freshly ground black pepper, charcoal burger bun, 4 crisp slices bacon, 3 slice yellow cheddar, 8 slices tomatoes ,2 gm rosemerry , 15 gm eine glazed onion mustard mayo, chipotle mayo for dip, lettuce lolo rosso.
Method: Form the ground meat into 2 equal-size patties. You want your patties to be about 90 gm each . Sprinkle the outside of the patties with salt and pepper. Melt your butter in a cast-iron skillet. You are going to be on medium-high heat so expect some smoke and splatter. Don't forget to turn your fan on. Once the pan is hot, add the patties. Cook for 4 minutes. Flip the patties and cook for 5 to 6 more minutes for medium-rare. Cook longer for your desired temperature. Do not move around or smash down the burgers. At this point, add your wine glazed onion crispy bacon and cheese to allow it to melt. Toast the charcoal burger bun and spread butter on surface then spread mustard mayo on both sides,then place lettuce sequent and place 4slice of tomatoes place your cheesy tenderloin patty then apply for same method in second stage close burger bun heyyyyy your black widow burger is ready. Serve with fries and chipotle mayo!
(Recipe by Gunjit Singh Chawla, corporate chef - Independence Brewing Co IBC )
