Freedom to binge: Tricolour recipes for a 15th August feast

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

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
• Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes and serve cold