Freedom to binge: Tricolour recipes for a 15th August feast
Planning an Independence Day party? You can’t go wrong with these colourful and delicious picks
By
Pooja Mitra
Published 14.08.22, 01:39 PM
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If you’re planning something special to ring in the 75th Independence Day don’t miss out on tricolour foods that can bring some colour-coordinated joy to your table.
From aromatic kebabs to scrumptious mains — here’s an I-Day menu that’s too yummy to resist.
Kickstarting with kebabs
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Carrot and paneer kebabs
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Healthy snacking with the goodness of carrots and paneer — these succulent veggie kebabs can be a go-to weekday snack and a hit at your party!
Ingredients:
Grated carrot: 1 cup
Grated paneer: 1 cup
Chopped onion: 1 cup
Chopped tomatoes: 1 cup
Chopped green chillies: 1 cup
Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
Salt
Sugar
Besan
Vegetable oil
Chaat masala
Method
Mix all the ingredients, including besan and make a kebab-like tight dough
Shallow fry, sprinkle some chaat masala and serve hot
Chicken malai and cheese kebabs
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Melt-in-the-mouth juicy chicken kebabs topped with grated, gooey cheese — hungry already? Note this recipe and zhuzh up your Independence Day feast.
Psst… If you are looking for a delish kebab recipe for a weekend get-together at home, this is the one, trust us!
Ingredients
Boneless chicken (preferably thigh): 500 gm
Boiled onion paste: 3 tablespoons
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 tablespoons
Green chilli paste: 1 tablespoon
Dry ground garam masala: ½ teaspoon
Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
Chaat masala: 1 tablespoon
Hung curd: 2 tablespoon
Grated cheese: ½ cup (small)
Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder: 1 teaspoon
Sugar: 1 teaspoon
Salt
Vegetable oil
Charcoal: 1 (Optional)
Method
Marinate the chicken with onion, ginger-garlic, green chilli pastes, garam masala powder, lime juice, chaat masala, hung curd, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, sugar and salt. Keep aside for 15 minutes.
Shallow fry the kebabs, cover them till they are almost done, in low to medium flame
Add cheese and cook for 2-3minutes (covered)
If there is any residual water, cook for another 3-4 minutes but keep checking so the chicken does not become too chewy.
Spinach, coriander and mint kebabs
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These kebabs boast a distinct minty aroma along with herbaceous notes of spinach and fresh coriander. Just sprinkle some chaat masala and you have the perfect adda appetiser!
Ingredients
Finely chopped spinach: 10-15 leaves
Finely chopped coriander: 8-9 strands
Finely chopped mint leaves: 8-10
Finely chopped green chilli: 3-4
Lime juice: 1 tablespoon
Finely chopped onion: 1 large
Finely chopped tomato: 1 large
Salt
Sugar
Besan
Vegetable oil
Chaat masala
Recipe
Mix all the ingredients except the besan. Make a paste using your hands and mix everything (try crushing the veggies a little).
Dry roast the besan and add enough so you can form kebab balls
Shallow fry and serve it smoking hot. Don’t forget to sprinkle some chaat masala!
Tips
Plate the three kebabs together on a plate to fit the tricolour theme
You can also try red chilli and tomato chutney, hung curd and mayonnaise dip and some coriander and mint chutney to add to the tricolour look too
Dig into the mains
Basanti pulao
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How about some Bengali-style basanti pulao with dollops of ghee, cashews and raisins and of course, saffron, to celebrate this day?
Ingredients
Gobindobhog rice: 500 gm
Milk-soaked cashew: 20-30 pieces
Milk-soaked raisins: 20-30 pieces
Bay leaf: 1 large
Ginger-green chilli paste: 1 tablespoon
Bay leaf: 1 large
Cardamoms: 5-6
Cloves: 4-5
Cinnamon Stick: 1 large
Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon
Full fat milk: 250 gm
Kesar strands: 1 teaspoon
Hot water: 750 gm
Ghee
Salt
Sugar
Recipe
Wash rice and air dry. Coat with ghee and leave for 10-15 minutes
Mix ginger-green chilli paste, turmeric powder and rice in a bowl and leave for 5-7 minutes
Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and set aside
Mix the kesar strands in milk
Add ghee to your cooking vessel and heat well. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and temper
Add the marinated rice and stir well. Cook in low to medium flame till the rice is translucent
Mix the cashews and raisins. Add milk and cook for 5-7 minutes on low to medium flame, covered
Add water, salt and sugar and cook on low to medium flame till the rice is done. Remember, the rice should not be too soggy or sticky
Add ghee and turn off the flame. Serve hot
Posto chicken
This rich and creamy chicken recipe can be cooked in under 30 minutes and goes well with both rice and Indian bread. It’s mild on the spice spectrum and yet quite flavourful, thanks to the posto.
Ingredients
Chicken: 1 kg
Poppy seed paste: ½ of a small cup
Hung curd: 4-5 tablespoons
Black pepper powder: 1 tablespoon
Green chilli: 2-3
Boiled onion paste: 5 tablespoons
Ginger-garlic paste: 2 and ½ tablespoons
Coriander powder: 1 tablespoon
Cumin powder: ½ tablespoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder: ½ teaspoon
Kasuri methi: 1 tablespoon
Bay leaf: 1 large
Whole garam masala: 1 teaspoon
Whole dry red chilli: 1
Mustard oil
Salt
Sugar
Ghee
Recipe
Marinate the chicken with onion paste, ginger-garlic paste, coriander and cumin powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, black pepper powder, hung curd, salt and three tablespoons of mustard oil
Heat oil in a frying pan and add bay leaf and whole garam masala. Temper well and add the dry red chilli, sauteing it for 30 seconds
Add the poppy seed paste and cook for 6-7 minutes on low to medium flame, until the spices leave the oil
Add the marinated chicken and slow cook for 15-20 minutes — on high flame and uncovered for five minutes and on medium flame, covered, for 15 minutes
Add the green chillies and a pinch of sugar
Cook till the chicken is ready and check the seasoning
Add hand crushed kasuri methi and cook for 5-10 seconds, turn off the flame and keep it covered for 5 minutes, sprinkle some ghee and serve hot
Kumro Patay Mourola Maach
Pooja Mitra
A quick and tasty fish recipe that can feature almost any kind of fish, and is smothered by a rich paste of narkel and shorshe. The mini, spicy parcels are flavour bombs that make it a go-to recipe for days when you are craving maach, but not the jhol.
Ingredients
Mourola fish: 300 gm
A coconut yellow mustard-poppy seed
paste-green chilli-salt: 10-12 tablespoons
Green chilli: 7-8, slit
Lime juice: 1 teaspoon
Mustard oil
Salt
Large pumpkin leaves/banana leaves: 8-10
Strings/toothpicks
Recipe
Marinate the fish with the spice paste. Add the lime juice, salt and mustard oil and mix well
If you are using banana leaves, dry roast them for 30 seconds on each side first. Take the leaf of your choice, and put a dollop of fish at the centre. Place one green chilli, drizzle some mustard oil and neatly fold from all sides.
Tie with a string or seal with toothpicks
Steam for 10-15 minutes and serve piping hot
For the sweet tooth
Tri-colour mousse with orange, coconut, ‘khoya kheer’ and kiwi
Representational Image
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This 30-minute mousse is ideal to batch cook and store for midnight binging too. The tanginess of oranges and kiwi and the richness of coconut and khoya kheer are the perfect blend for any dessert.
Ingredients
Oranges: 2 medium
Kiwi: 2
Grated coconut: 1 small cup
Khoya kheer: 1 large cup
Grated white chocolate: 1 small cup
Saffron strands: 1/2 teaspoon
Butter: 2 tablespoon
Sugar: 4-5 tablespoons
Full fat whipped cream: 6 tablespoon
Salt
Recipe
Scoop out the orange pulps and deseed. Blend with a smooth paste with a teaspoon of sugar, two tablespoons of cream, a small pinch of salt and saffron strands
In a frying pan, add butter and melt. Add the grated coconut and cook for 5-6 minutes and then add the khoya kheer. Mix well and cook for another five minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool
Mix saffron strands in milk. Add the white chocolate to the coconut and khoya kheer mix. Add two tablespoons of cream. Lightly fold and make a smooth mix
Peel the kiwis and grate the green part. Add 1 teaspoon sugar and two tablespoons of cream to make a rough paste with a spoon
In a glass of your choice start the layering by replicating the tricolour — orange for saffron, coconut, khoya kheer and white chocolate for white and kiwi for green