CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
Grills and Roasts are often best suited over weekends, while we wish to unwind from work and take a break from routines, grilling food and enjoying something healthy and tasty is equally interesting especially with a pleasant climate around us. Grilling is not only a wise way of cooking since it uses lesser quantities of oils and fats but also melts down the unwanted and excessive fat present in meats while they cook along the hot griddle or pans.
To me a perfect grill has two aspects to be kept in mind the first one being having a good marination being applied on the ingredients to be cooked by this method of cooking and the second one being the griller or griddle pan etc to be of a good quality and be greased, cleaned and well heated up for the process and activity.
Be it chicken, meat, fish, dairy products or even ingredients like tofu, assorted veggies like eggplant, zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, yam, mushrooms, Babycorn, bell peppers and many more go a long way to choose and create varieties on our weekend plates to sit back and unwind.
Here are a few ideal suggested recipes for a Get- together Grill Party on Sunday!
Bay View Special
[Pan grilled marinated fish with baby veggies]
Ingredients
Salmon/ Bassa/ Ghol/ any boneless chunky fish- 500-750 gms
For the fish marination
Oil / olive oil- 2-3 tbsp.
Garlic-2 tsp chopped
Lime juice- 2 tbsp.
Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
Roasted crushed fennel-1/2 tsp
Roasted crushed cumin-1/2 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
White wine-2 tbsp.
Mustard paste-1 tsp
For the accompanying veggies
Baby potatoes- 10-12 no boiled and cut 1 x 2
Baby carrots- 10-12 no peeled, boiled
Cauliflower/broccoli florets- 1 cup, blanched
Zucchini- green/yellow-1 cup large dices, blanched
To toss the veggies
Oil-2 tsp
Butter-2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Parsley-1 tsp chopped
Lime juice-2 tsp
To serve alongside the fish
Hollandaise sauce/ mustard sauce/ herbed sauce/ cheese sauce/ pepper garlic sauce etc.
Method
- Prepare the choice of fish of your choice and apply the marination on the fish pieces, mix well, keep refrigerated for 15-20 mins, pre-heat the grill / pan/ skillet in the meantime.
- Prepare all the veggies of your choice as desired to go along with the fish and the sauce.
- Grease the pan/ griller a little and place the pieces of marinated fish once it is well heated, allow to sit on one side for a few seconds to a minute, then carefully turn the side and cook on both sides, pour the remaining marination as well over to maintain the juicy texture.
- Once the fish is done, turn off the flame, start with the veggies side by side and toss them in a little oil, butter add some seasonings, lime and parsley and mix well. Cook for 2-3 mins and serve with the cooked fish and sauce of your choice, I simply love serving this fish with a generous splash of lime juice and some fresh herbs.
Raising a Toast to Cheese
[Peppery cottage cheese skewers]
Ingredients
Paneer/ cottage cheese- 400 gms, cut into cubes
Skewers- 10-12 no
Red capsicum-1/2 cup cubes
Onion-1/2 cup cubes
Tomato -1/2 cup cubes
Green capsicum-1/2 cup cubes
For the marination
Oil- 2-3 tbsp.
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime juice- 2-3 tbsp.
Mango pickle masala-1 and a half tsp
Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
Schezuan chutney- 1 tsp
To serve with: pesto mayonnaise dip, cheesy yogurt dip, minted spinach and corn dip, three cheese and roasted pepper sauce.
Method
- Prepare the paneer cubes and cut the other veggies too appropriately.
- In a mixing bowl combine together the ingredients for a nice tangy masaledaar marination and mix it well.
- Apply the marination on the paneer cubes and then on the other veggies as well.
- Chill the mixture for 30 mins, and then assemble them on the skewers alternating colors and getting a good eye appeal to the dish, meantime get the griller heating up as we will be ready for the grilling shortly.
- Once all the skewers are ready place them on the well heated grill pan and allow to settle on one side for a couple of mins and then carefully lift and turnover.
- Arrange a serving platter meantime and place the dips or chutneys of your choice in small dip bowls, also place the onion rings and lemon wedges as well and serve the skewers hot and relish it.
CHICKEN CUTIE PIE
[Grilled tender chicken fillets with robust chili pepper sauce]
Ingredients
Tender boneless chicken fillets- 4-6 no
For the marination of chicken:
Oil- 2-3 tsp
Lime juice- 2-3 tsp
Salt and crushed black pepper to taste
Mustard paste-1/2 tsp
White wine- 2 tbsp.
Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
Red chili sauce- 2 tsp
Soy sauce-1 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Capsico sauce-1 tsp
For the chili pepper sauce
Oil-1 tsp
Butter-1 tsp
Green chilies-1 tsp chopped
Red chili flakes-1/2 tsp
Spring onion-3-4 chopped
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Ginger-1 tsp chopped.
Soya sauce-2-3 tsp
Corn flour and water soltion-2-3 tsp
Water/ stock-1 and a half cup
Schezuan sauce-2- 3 tsp
Celery-2 tsp chopped
Garlic-1 tsp chopped
Ginger-1 tsp chopped
Parsley- 1 tsp chopped
To serve with roast/ herbs/ tossed potatoes
Method
- Prepare the boneless chicken fillet pieces and apply a marination on them as listed above and keep aside for 30 mins in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the ingredients for the sauce, heat oil, butter saute the garlic, ginger, onions for a few minutes, add in the water/stock, sauces and seasonings, add celery, schezuan sauce, chili flakes, salt, pepper and cook it up side by side and adjust the texture of the sauce using water or stock and thicken up using corn starch and water solution.
- Heat up the grill meantime and place the chicken fillets on the hot grill, smear some of the marination over and allow the chicken to cook for 2-3 mins on the first side, then carefully turn over and cook on both sides around 8-12 mins.
- Serve the chicken with the prepared sauce as above and serve it hot with some bread rolls/ garlic bread/ steamed brown rice etc.
TOFU OOH LA LA
[ Asian grilled tofu with spinach and peanut butter sauce]
Ingredients
Extra firm Tofu- 400 gms, cut into slices for grill purpose.
For the marination
Oil-2-3 tsp
Lime juice- 2-3 tsp
Soya sauce-2 tsp
Salt and crushed pepper to taste
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Honey-2 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
White vinegar-1 tsp
Other ingredients
Spinach leaves- 2 cups blanched and refreshed
French beans-4-6 no cut and blanched
Carrot sticks-1 cup blanched
Assorted nuts-2-3 tbsp.
Dates- 3-4 no sliced and de-seeded
Pinenuts/ walnuts/ sunflower seeds- etc as desired.
For the spinach and peanut butter sauce
Oil-2 tsp
Butter-1 tsp
Peanut butter-2-3 tbsp.
Lime juice-2 tsp
Red chili sauce-2 tsp
Tomato ketchup-2 tsp
Soy sauce-2 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Roasted crushed peanuts-1/4cup
Parsley-1 tsp chopped
Method
- Start with the tofu marination first and keep refrigerated for 20 mins, heat up the grill as well meantime.
- In a saucepan combine together the ingredients for the peanut butter sauce and add in ¼ cup warm water and mix well.
- As the sauce starts cooking and will be getting a little thicker as well.
- Turn off the flame and keep the sauce warm. Just before serving, toss up all the veggies and nuts in the warm sauce and place it in the serving dish/ plate or bowl.
- Place the marinated tofu on a hot griller or pan and allow it to get the marks on them and turn over, lightly grease the pieces well on both sides and remove within 3-4 mins.
- Place the grilled tofu immediately on the bed of salad and sprinkle a few healthy seeds/ nuts etc and serve immediately.
Tickle to Entice
[Herbed grilled prawn’s aioli]
Ingredients
Prawns- 18-24 no large to medium sized, cleaned.
For the marination
oil-2 tbsp.
lime juice-2 tbsp.
mustard paste-1 tsp
mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
chili flakes-1/2 tsp
white wine-2 tbsp.
chili garlic sauce-1 tsp
white vinegar-1 tsp
schezuan chutney-2 tsp
Aioli – garlic butter sauce to serve with prawns
melted butter-1/2 cup
crushed pepper-1/4 tsp
garlic-2 tsp chopped
lime juice-2 tsp
parsley-2 tsp chopped
pinch of salt
Method
- Prepare the prawns first, apply marination and keep refrigerated for 20 mins, assemble them on skewers and get ready with the grilled in the meantime.
- Once the prawns are on the hot grill and getting cooked brush over some more leftover marination in order to get them going juicy all the way.
- Now heat up the butter in a saucepan add in the garlic, salt pepper and allow to cook for 10-15 seconds, add in the parsley and turn off the flame, add lime juice and dish it out into a chutney bowl, serve along with the cooked grilled prawns.
COWBOYS SUNDAY CHICK-PICK
[Tex- Mex grilled chicken with tossed salad]
Ingredients
Chicken breasts- 500-750 gms, boneless and skinned
For the marination
Olive oil/ oil- 2-3 tbsp.
Pulpy orange segments and juice-1/4 cup
Honey-2 tsp
Mexican spice mix- 2 tsp or use
A choice of the spices as listed
Salt and pepper to taste
Red chili powder-1/ 4 tsp
Cumin powder-1/4 tsp
Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Lime juice-2 tbsp.
Capsico sauce-1 tsp
White vinegar-2 tsp
White wine-2 tbsp.
Mustard paste-1/2 tsp
For the tossed salad
Assorted lettuce leaves-1 cup
Olive oil-2-3 tbsp.
Carrots-1/2 cup grated
Purple cabbage-1/2 cup shredded
Capsicum-1/2 no shredded
Sprouts-1/2 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime juice-2 tbsp.
Honey-2 tsp
Chia seeds-1 and half tsp
Dates-2 tsp chopped
Almonds/ cashews-2 tbsp. sliced
Parsley-2 tsp chopped
Method
- Prepare the chicken breasts and apply the marination on them after making a few slits in the breast to allow the marination to seep inside as well, once done keep in the fridge for 20-30 mins.
- Heat up the grilled meantime and grease it well to ensure it will be giving nice clear grill marks once we start. Place the marinated chicken breasts on the griller and cook for 6- 8 mins and allow the chicken to get tender.
- Using a salad bowl, toss together the ingredients and place them on the serving plate or platter and place the grilled chicken piece on the side and offer some sliced lime/lemon and a sprinkling of a few fresh herbs or micro-greens and serve hot.
Celebrity Master Chef Dr Kaviraj Khialani is a Mumbai-based hotel-restaurant and food consultant. He is specialised in over 33 international cuisines and has quality experience with hotels and airlines as a part of his long journey of over two decades in his chosen field. Chef Kaviraj is a renowned author, academician, food designer, writer and has also been awarded several national awards and global recognitions for his talent & outstanding achievements. Besides having been featured on several food shows on ColorsTV and Star Plus he is a mentor, coach and guide to aspiring to be future chefs and hoteliers of tomorrow
