CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF DR KAVIRAJ KHIALANI
Valentine’s Day is considered a holiday in several parts of the world when lovers express their affection with greetings and gifts. It is also called St Valentine’s Day. The holiday has expanded to express affection between relatives and friends. Valentine’s Day, also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. The best way to celebrate Valentine is to remember the love of God. The Bible says, ‘for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son.’ It is a time of giving. Valentine reminds us of the gift of God to mankind and true love of God in our hearts. That we have to also love the way God loves. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Cupid is often portrayed on Valentine’s Day cards as a naked cherub launching arrows of love at unsuspecting lovers. But the Roman God Cupid has His roots in Greek mythology as the Greek god of love, Eros. A pagan fertility ritual was held in February each year and the Pope abolished this festival and proclaimed February 14 as Saint Valentine’s Day, thus establishing this feast day on the Catholic Calendar of Saints. The poet Chaucer in the Middle Ages was the first to link St Valentine with romantic love.
The first Valentine’s Day was in the year 496! Having a particular Valentine’s Day is a very old tradition, thought to have originated from a Roman festival. The Romans had a festival called Lupercalia in the middle of February – officially the start of their springtime. Some popular Valentine’s Day traditions include exchanging gifts such as roses or chocolates, and a romantic night out or dinner. While school and college students often exchange valentine’s cards/ messages and gifts that may contain chocolates and more.
Here are a few yummy and delicious treats to try out and surprise your valentine with your culinary skills!
LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT
Ingredients
Filo pastry sheets- 10-12 no/ ready-made canape cups- 12-15 no
For the filling
Oil- 2 tsp
Butter- 1 tsp
Garlic- 1 tsp chopped
Onion-1 small chopped
Green chilies- 1 tsp chopped
Boiled chicken / paneer – 1 cup
Boiled American corn- 1 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Mixed herbs- ½ tsp
Chili flakes- ½ tsp
Tomato ketchup-2 -3 tsp
Tabasco sauce- ½ tsp
Parsley- 2 tsp chopped
Grated cheese- ¼ cup
Sliced olives – black and green – 2-3 tbsp.
Melted butter-1/2 cup
Egg wash- ½ cup
Method
- Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius if using filo pastry sheets, layer the sheets apply a little butter between the sheets and place them into tart moulds to take the desired shape or use ready to use canape cups.
- To prepare the filling, heat oil and butter in a pan add in the garlic and onion, chilies and saute for a few seconds add in the boiled chopped chicken or grated paneer, corn, salt, pepper, herbs, chili flakes to taste. Add a little tomato ketchup, tabasco sauce and cook for 2-3 mins.
- Add in the olives, parsley and cheese and mix well, turn off the flame and cool slightly. Spoon in the filling into the canape cups/ filo cups and apply a little egg wash/ melted butter and place for baking for 4-5 mins, and serve hot.
ON A ROMANTIC EVENING
Ingredients
Oil-2 tsp
Butter-2 tsp
Garlic- 1 tsp chopped
Onion-1 small chopped
Green chilies- 1 tsp chopped
Salt to taste
Crushed black pepper to taste
Tomato puree-1/2 cup fresh
Tomato ketchup-2-3 tsp.
Schezuan sauce- 2-3 tsp
Kasoori methi- ½ tsp
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder-1 tsp
Red chili powder-1 tsp
Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp
Curd-2-3 tsp
Fresh cream- ½ cup
Cashew paste- 2-3 tsp
Sliced black and green olives- 2-3 tbsp.
Fresh coriander leaves- 2-3 tsp chopped
Boneless chicken cubes/ sliced chicken sausages- 1 cup
For veg options- assorted veggies- blanched/ paneer cubes.
Boiled rice- white or brown- 1 and a half cup
White sauce- 1 and a half cup
Cheese-1/2 cup grated
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the baked dish and keep it all ready to start cooking.
- Grease a baking dish with a little butter, heat oil and butter in a pan and saute the garlic, onions, chilies and cook them for a couple of minutes, add in the tomato puree, sauces and seasonings, spices and cook the mixture for 1-2 mins.
- Simmer the mixture add in curd, cream, cashew paste, kasoori methi, add a little water if needed. Add in the chicken/ sausages/ paneer cubes or assorted blanched veggies of your choice and simmer, cook the mixture for 8-10 mins or until done.
- Add in the cooked rice and mix it all up, spread up a layer of the white sauce into the baking dish and top it with the rice and chicken or veggie mixture and repeat the layering, add sliced olives and cheese in between the layers as well.
- Place the dish for baking for 12-15 mins and serve it hot, enjoy the delicious baked recipe with some garlic bread.
FUSION FEAST ON FIRST DATE
Ingredients
For the Indo-Chini Chicken Chili
Boneless chicken cubes/ paneer cubes/ cauliflower florets- 300 gms
For the marination
Oil-2 tsp
Ginger-garlic- green chili paste-1 tsp mix
Soy sauce- 2 tsp
Schezuan sauce- 2 tsp
Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime juice-2 tsp
Maida-2-3 tbsp.
Cornflour- 2-3 tsp
Egg- 1 no for chicken/ few drops of water for veg.
Oil to deep fry as needed
For the gravy/sauce to go along
Oil-2 tsp
Slit red chilies- 2-3 no
Slit green chilies- 2-3 no
Sliced spring onions- 4-5 no
Ginger- 1 tsp shredded
Garlic- 4-5 cloves sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Water/ stock- 2-3 cups
Soy sauce- 2-3 tsp
Red chili sauce- 2-3 tsp
Green chili sauce-1-2 tsp
Honey-1 tsp
Sugar-1/2 tsp
Assorted capsicums-1 cup- yellow/ red/green.
Corn flour and water solution-2-3 tbsp. to thicken up
Spring onion greens- 2-3 tbsp.
Method
- Prepare the veg/ non-veg option as desired and apply a marination on it and keep aside for 12-15 mins.
- Add in the maida, cornflour and egg / water as needed to slightly prepare the coating mix on the veg/non-veg options and deep fry the pieces in medium hot oil for 3-4 mins and remove, keep aside.
- To prepare the sauce/ gravy, heat oil in a wok/ non-stick pan/ kadai etc and saute the chilies, onions, garlic, ginger for a few seconds. Add in water/ stock and add in sauces, seasonings to taste.
- Bring to a boil, add in the corn flour and water solution, thicken up the sauce a little and then add in the fried veg/ non-veg options and add in the capsicums a little honey and a pinch of sugar and cook for 1 min.
- Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot with steamed white rice, jasmine rice, coconut rice etc.
DIVINITY IN A BOWL
Ingredients
For the pasta
Fusilli pasta / penne pasta/ macaroni- 1 and a half cup boiled.
Olive oil/ oil- 2 tbsp.
Garlic- 2-3 cloves, sliced
Mixed herbs- ½ tsp
Chili flakes- ½ tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Cherry tomatoes- 10-12 no
White vinegar-1-2 tsp
Parsley- 2 tsp chopped
For the sauce
Oil- 2 tsp
Butter-2 tsp
Garlic- 2 tsp chopped
Onion- ½ cup chopped
Tomato puree-1/4 cup tinned
Tomato sauce-2-3 tsp
Water-1/4 cup
Salt and pepper to taste
Kasoori methi- ½ tsp
Mixed herbs- ½ tsp
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
Red chili powder-1/2 tsp
White wine- 2-3 tsp
Fresh cream- 2-3 tbsp.
Grated cheese- ¼ cup
Olives/ parsley/ basil leaves/ micro- greens to garnish.
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the pasta and the sauce and keep it ready.
- Firstly start up with the sauce, heat oil and butter in a pan and saute the garlic, onions for a few minutes. Add in the tomato puree, sauce, salt, pepper, herbs, chili flakes, chili flakes, white wine. Simmer for 2-3 mins.
- Add in little water as needed, cook for 2-3 mins more, add in the fresh cream, add in some fresh herbs like parsley and basil leaves.
- Boil the pasta to al dente- just cooked stage and refresh it. Heat oil in a pan and add in the garlic, add in the boiled pasta, add seasonings to taste and herbs, chili flakes, cook for 2 mins and add it into the cooked sauce, toss for 2 mins and serve hot.
- Serve the pasta garnished with olives, cheese, fresh herbs and enjoy this with masala cheesy garlic bread. To add more value added flavors into this recipe, we can add tandoori paneer/ chicken tikka, broccoli, boiled corn, sliced chicken sausages etc.
COLORS OF PARADISE
Ingredients
Oil- 2 tsp
Butter-1 tsp
Garlic- 2 tsp sliced
Lemon grass- 4-5 pieces
Slit red chilies- 2-3 no
Spring onions- 5-6 no sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
For the choice of veggies
Baby carrots- 5-6 no, blanched
Baby corn- 3-5 no, blanched
Assorted bell peppers- ½ cup diced
Mushrooms- 1 cup, cut / sliced
Broccoli- 1 cup, blanched florets
Water chestnuts- ½ cup cut 1 x 2
Soy sauce- 2-3 tsp
Red chili sauce- 2-3 tsp
Water-1/2 cup
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Sugar-1 tsp
Fresh basil leaves- 6- 8 no
Corn flour water solution-2-3 tbsp.
Spring onion greens-2-3 tbsp.
White sesame seeds- 2-3 tsp
Method
- Prepare all the ingredients for the stir fry veggie concept.
- Heat oil in a pan/ wok, add in the lemon grass, garlic, onions and chilies, saute for 1 minute. Add in the assorted veggies as per choice and add seasonings, herbs, chili flakes, sauces and mix well.
- Add a little water or stock and bring to a boil, cook for 2 mins, add corn flour water solution and thicken up it all coming well together, add little honey/sugar and serve hot garnished with sesame seeds and spring onion greens / cherry tomatoes, enjoy it as a side dish.
A HEARTY SURPRISE ON VALENTINES
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Cream and Custard mix
Milk- 500 ml
Sugar to taste
Custard powder- 2-3 tsp, dissolve in ¼ cup cold milk.
Fresh cream-1/2 cup chilled and sweetened
Strawberry crush- 2-3 tsp
Sliced fresh strawberries- 4-5 no
For the hidden layer surprise
Sponge fingers/ dices/ crumbs as desired- 1 cup
Sliced Rasmalai/ Rossogulla- 3-4 no
Custard apple pulp- ½ cup
White chocolate- ½ cup
Assorted nuts- 2-3 tbsp. sliced
Assorted fresh fruits- 1 cup- pomegranate/ kiwi/ pears.
Method
- Firstly, prepare the custard for the dessert, boil milk, add in the sugar to taste and add in the dissolved custard powder solution and bring it to a boil, the custard starts forming up and thicken up. Once we achieve a coating texture over a spoon- sabayon texture, turn off the flame and allow the custard to chill.
- Now add in the chilled sweetened cream, mix well and keep chilled. Choose between sponge fingers/ crumbs/ dices. Using dessert glasses place a layer of the strawberry cream custard mix. Place the sponge elements, a little custard apple pulp.
- Place in the sliced rossogulla / rasmalai mix, white chocolate and a few assorted fruits as well including freshly sliced strawberries, nuts. Repeat a couple of layers, garnish appropriately and chill the dessert until being served for a treat to the eyes and an awesome experience for the palate.
Here’s wishing all our readers a very Happy Valentine’s Day!
Happy Cooking!
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.
He can be contacted at twitter: @kaviraj_chef, Mobile: 91 9820939336.
