Spicy Chenna/Paneer Akuri on Toast

Ingredients

250g chenna or soft paneer

2tbsp finely chopped onions

2tbsp finely chopped tomato

2tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

1tsp finely chopped green chilli

½tsp turmeric

2tbsp olive oil

2tbsp cream cheese or Amul cheese spread

3tbsp milk

Salt to taste

2 dozen melba toast or crostini bread

Method

• Heat oil in a pan or kadai and lightly saute the onions, tomato and chilli for a few minutes.
  
• Reduce the heat of the pan to a medium flame, crumble in the chenna along with the turmeric and half the coriander.
  
• Mix everything well and saute for a few more minutes until the chenna is cooked through.
  
• Take the pan off the heat and stir in the milk and cream cheese until the mixture comes to a creamy consistency.
  
• Season with salt to taste.
  
• Lightly toast or warm the pieces of bread and place generous scoops of the chenna mixture on top as you would on a crostini. Garnish with the remaining coriander before serving.
  

Chef Auroni Mookerjee, The Salt House, Calcutta

Spicy Edamame Steamed with Sea Salt and Crispy Garlic

Ingredients

200g edamame

10g garlic

2g sea salt

10ml oil

15g red chilli paste

5ml sesame oil

10g oyster sauce

5ml lemon juice

3g fresh red chilli chopped

1 lime wedge

Method

• Cook frozen edamame in boiling water for about 4 minutes till it is tender and then drain.
  
• In a pan, heat oil, add garlic, chilli paste, sesame oil and fresh red chilli.
  
• Add the edamame and toss it until it is coated well.
  
• Squeeze lime juice at the end.
  
• Serve edamame with a sprinkle of sea salt and a lime wedge.
  

Chicken in Hot Basil Sauce

Ingredients

200g boiled and sliced chicken breast

20g chopped garlic

20g chopped ginger

20g chopped onion

20-30 fresh basil leaves

15-20g Thai herbs (kaffir leaves, galangal and lemongrass)

30g chilli garlic sauce

20g Sriracha sauce

10g honey

10ml vinegar

Salt to taste

Method

• Poach the chicken breast with fresh Thai herbs.
  
• Take a non-stick pan, put a dollop of butter and little oil, then put onion, garlic, ginger and saute until it turns brownish in colour.
  
• Put all the sauces along with honey, vinegar and salt.
  
• Add the poached chicken breast and cook with the mixture for around 10-12 minutes on medium heat.
  
• Finish it with some fresh basil.
  

Chef Bishwojyoti Shrestha, Ping’s Cafe Orient, Calcutta

Grilled Veggies, Beet Hummus, Microgreens & Pita Tacos

Ingredients

A dozen medium-sized pita flatbreads

For beet hummus

250g roasted or boiled beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic

1tbsp lime juice

2tbsp tahini

2tbsp olive oil

A pinch or two of toasted cumin powder to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

For grilled vegetables and microgreens

1tbsp sliced and toasted almonds

2tbsp feta or goat cheese

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

1 small yellow zucchini

1 small green zucchini

1 small head of broccoli

2-3tbsp basil pesto

25g assorted microgreens

2-3tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Roughly chop all the vegetables and roast them in an oven or pan on high heat, with some olive oil and seasoning. It’s essential to not crowd the pan/baking tray in order to get some char on the veggies.
  
• Puree all the ingredients for the hummus in a food processor until it turns into a smooth paste. You want the consistency to be similar to hung curd or cream cheese.
  
• In a mixing bowl, toss the roasted veggies with the pesto.
  
• Lightly dress the greens with olive oil in another mixing bowl.
  
• To construct the tacos, lightly warm through each flatbread. Spread a spoonful of the hummus on top of each flatbread like you would sauce a pizza. Then scoop on a spoon of the grilled veggies and a small bunch of the microgreens.
  
• Sprinkle over the almonds and cheese, and serve immediately.
  

Chef Auroni Mookerjee, The Salt House, Calcutta

Brie Tempura With Plum Sauce, Pickled Beetroot, Toasted Almonds and Shichimi Togarashi

Ingredients

400g Brie

100g flour

1 egg

1 beetroot

12-14 orange segments

1tbsp plum sauce

20g toasted almond flakes

Shichimi Togarashi to sprinkle

200ml cold water

50g rock salt

Method

• To make the tempura batter, mix flour, egg and cold water.
  
• Wash the beetroot and wrap it in a silver foil along with rock salt and bake for an hour at 150°C. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool. Peel the skin and cut into small dices.
  
• Cut the Brie into 14-16 small triangles.
  
• Heat oil in a fryer at moderate temperature, dip the brie into the tempura batter, remove the excess batter and fry until light brown.
  
• Assemble the Brie along with the roasted beetroot, orange segment and plum sauce. Sprinkle with almonds and Shichimi.
  

Assorted Non-vegetarian Starter Platter

Onion rings

Ingredients

1 big onion cut into rings

50g corn flour

60g refined flour

20ml beer

½tsp baking powder

Seasoning

Method

• First make the beer batter by mixing corn flour, refined flour, beer, baking powder and seasoning.
  
• Now dip the onion rings in the batter and deep-fry till golden.
  

Asparagus Chicken Cigar

Ingredients

60g boneless chicken

20g asparagus

1 wanton sheet cut into four pieces

10g cheese

1 pinch chilli flakes

Seasoning

2-3 fresh basil leaves

20g chopped onion

1 clove garlic chopped

Method

• Saute the chopped onions and garlic and add chicken cubes, asparagus and the other ingredients except wanton sheet and cheese for 5 minutes.
  
• Take the wanton sheet and place the filling inside it and roll it like a cigar.
  
• Deep-fry until golden brown.
  

Golden Fried Prawns

Ingredients

3 prawns

Salt to taste

1tsp lemon juice

1tsp ginger and garlic juice

½tsp chilli paste

50g corn flour

60g refined flour

½tsp baking powder

20ml beer

Method

• De-vein and clean the prawns and then marinate it with salt, lemon juice, ginger-garlic juice and chilli paste.
  
• Dip it into a smooth batter made with corn flour, refined flour, baking powder and seasoning and fry it on medium heat till golden brown.
  

Potato Stuffed Fish

Ingredients

4 potatoes

10g coriander leaves

1tsp tabasco sauce

2 green chillies chopped

10g cheese

Seasoning

60g bekti

20ml refined oil

Method

• Dice the potato into half and scoop it. Blanch the potatoes in water and fry them for 2 minutes.
  
• Heat oil in a pan and add onion, garlic and green chillies, saute for sometime and add the diced fish.
  
• Once the fish is soft, add seasoning of salt, lemon juice, Tabasco and pepper. Add the cheese and mashed potatoes and keep it aside.
  
• Stuff the scooped and fried potatoes with this filling and top it with grated cheese and bake at 250°C for 2 minutes.
  
• Take it out and serve it with salsa on top.
  

Chef Jayanta Saha, The Grid, Calcutta

Brie Tempura With Plum Sauce, Pickled Beetroot, Toasted Almonds and Shichimi Togarashi Picture: B. Halder

Honey caramel chilli baby potato Picture: B. Halder

Chicken in Hot Basil Sauce Picture: B. Halder

Honey caramel chilli baby potato

Ingredients

300g fried baby potato

30g chopped garlic

30g ginger

4 dry red chillies

20g roasted peanuts

50g Sriracha sauce

40g sweet chilli sauce

10ml vinegar

10g desi mirch powder

20g honey

10ml dark soya

Salt to taste

Method

• Add some salt to water and half-boil the potatoes.
  
• Fry the half-boiled potatoes with corn flour and salt to taste.
  
• Brown the ginger, garlic and add all the sauces and then caramelise the mix.
  
• Add the potatoes and toss with the mixture to coat the potatoes with it.
  
• Garnish with finely chopped parsley or coriander.
  

Chef Bishwojyoti Shrestha, Ping’s Cafe Orient, Calcutta

Spicy Edamame Steamed with Sea Salt and Crispy Garlic Picture: B. Halder

Spicy Chenna/Paneer Akuri on Toast Picture: Rashbehari Das

Assorted Non-vegetarian Starter Platter Picture: Rashbehari Das

Amritsari Bhatti Ki Aloo Picture: Rashbehari Das

Amritsari Bhatti Ki Aloo

Ingredients

300g potatoes (5 medium sized)

100g powdered sugar

10g cheese

2-3g fresh coriander leaves

2 green chillies

2 lime wedges

50g hung curd

1tbsp red chilli powder

1tbsp tandoori spices

100g mashed potatoes

20g cashews

10ml mustard oil

1tbsp ginger-garlic paste

Method

• Peel the potatoes and scoop out from the centre. Blanch the de-skinned potato shaped like barrels in water and then deep-fry.
  
• Stuff the potato holes with spicy Indian-flavoured mashed potato mixed with nuts, cheese and fresh coriander leaves.
  
• Marinate the potato barells with hung curd, red chilli powder, tandoori spices, mustard oil and cook them in tandoor for 10 minutes.
  
• Take it out and serve with raw mango-dhania chutney and sprinkle with spice mix on top.
  

Chef Jayanta Saha, The Grid, Calcutta