Gourmet goodbye, heady hello

What does an ideal New Year celebration looks like? In this biting cold weather in the North, it has to be good food, cosy setting and great companionship. If you take care of the setting and companionship part, we help you out with some innovative recipes which can transform your dining experience to some Michelin-starred restaurant outing. Here’s to a gourmet end and a heady beginning …

 Ditch the regular baigan-ka-bharta for this Polenta-crusted eggplant in Napolitano sauce. Well, it looks exotic, tastes divine and totally adds to the festive vibe.

Polenta-crusted eggplant in Napolitano sauce

Ingredients

For polenta-crusted eggplant

• 2 medium eggplants
• 1 cup polenta
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• Cheddar and parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

For Napolitano sauce

• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance acidity)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Fresh basil leaves
• Fresh onion slice
• Fresh tomato slice

Instructions

• Slice the eggplants into thick rounds. Sprinkle the slices with salt and let them sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess moisture, dry with a paper towel.
• In a bowl, mix the flour, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.
• In second bowl, whisk the eggs.
• In third bowl, place the polenta and breadcrumbs, mix them together.
• Dip each eggplant slice first into the flour mixture, ensuring it's lightly coated.
• Then dip it into the egg wash, pressing it into the polenta-breadcrumb mixture.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until golden and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.

Napolitano sauce

• In a saucepan, heat olive oil. Add chopped onion and garlic, and sauté until softened
• Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Stir until thickened and flavorful.

Assemble the dish

• In a plate, spread Napolitano sauce, Arrange the fried polenta-crusted eggplant slices over the sauce and place slice onion, tomato and cheese and repeat and make like pyramid.
• Spoon more Napolitano sauce over the eggplant slices.
• Place the dish in the oven till the cheese melts.

Recipe from JW Marriott Chandigarh’s Executive Sous Chef – Kamal Kant Singh

Nothing fishy about it

If fish means that oil dripping besan-coated fried variety to you, then it’s time to think differently. How about moving away from the tried-and-tested basa and malli fish and try out some river fish, trout for instance?

Pan grilled trout with passion fruit beurre blanc  

Ingredients

• 4 boneless trout fillet
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup white wine
• vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 shallot
• finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 sticks cold butter
• cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 Tablespoons passion fruit puree
• salt & pepper

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.
• Pat fish dry. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add oil. Add fish; cook without moving, occasionally pressing fish gently with a spatula to keep all of surface in contact with pan, until fish is golden brown and releases easily from pan, 4 - 5 minutes.
• Turn fish, transfer to oven, and roast until just opaque in the centre, 2 minutes.
• While the Trout is cooking, in a small saucepan, cook wine, vinegar, lemon juice and chopped shallot until reduced to 3-4 tablespoons.
• Add cream and reduce to low heat. Whisk in butter two pieces at a time, removing from heat when half the butter has been added. (Note: it is important to keep the butter pieces very cold until used.) Whisk in Passion Fruit Purée and season with a little salt and white pepper. Serve with fish.
  • Kishan Hari, Executive Chef at Cottage - Sector 7 and Virgin Courtyard - Sector 7

Sweet something

No, we are not saying Happy New Year without indulging ourselves with a spoonful of that sinful soufflé. Making a move from gajar ka halwa or hot gulba jamun, how about some light-as-air, golden cheese soufflé…

TWICE BAKED CHEESE SOUFFLE

Ingredients -

• 75 gm butter, softened
• 50 gm flour
• 500 ml milk
• 6 eggs separated
• 150 gm mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 135 gm aged parmesan, grated
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• ½ lemon juice

Salad

• 1 red apple, cored & cut into thin slices
• 6 tbsp of walnut
• 150 gm rocket leaves
• 2 tsp of walnut oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Celery stick cut into thin slices

Method

• Mix 50 gm butter & flour into a paste. Chill to firm for about 30 minutes.
• Heat milk to boiling point, then simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Strain the milk into a large pan. Place the pan back on the heat and gradually whisk in the butter paste, adding in small pieces until you have a thick sauce.
• Season, then leave to cool for 3-4 minutes. Check seasoning, leave to cool. Bring to room temperature before continuing.
• Brush the insides of a soufflé dish with the remaining 25 gm butter, using upward brush strokes. Coat the base and sides evenly with some parmesan and freshly ground black pepper. Chill to set.
• Heat oven to 170 C. Coat a large, grease free bowl with the lemon juice. Whisk the egg whites in the bowl, then whisk a third of them into the cheese mixture, to loosen.
• Spoon half the mixture into prepared dish. Gently level the top. Bake for 30 minutes. The soufflé should be evenly risen and slightly wobbly. Serve immediately – the centre will be soft, but will thickhen slightly when served.
• To serve, arrange the apple on 4 plates with the walnuts, rocket & celery scattered over. Remove the souffle’s from the oven and place straight onto the plate. Drizzle with walnut oil & straight away.   Kishan Hari, Executive Chef at Cottage - Sector 7 and Virgin Courtyard - Sector 7

Raise a toast

Crafted with care and festive flair by Pallav Soin, Chief Revenue Officer, Modi Illva, these recipes will add just the right sparkle to your New Year’s celebrations. Let’s raise a toast to good times, great company, and delicious drinks!

Winter Orchard Delight

A festive infusion that’s as beautiful as it is flavourful

Ingredients: 1/2 Green Apple, sliced | 1/2 Red Apple, sliced | 1/2 Lemon, sliced | 2 Cinnamon Sticks | 60 ml Artic Vodka

How to mix it:

• In a large jar, combine the green apple slices, red apple slices, lemon slices, and cinnamon sticks
• Pour in Artic Vodka, close the jar, and give it a gentle shake
• Refrigerate the mixture for at least 24 hours (or up to 3 days) to let the flavours infuse perfectly. Serve chilled and enjoy this flavourful twist!

Goodness in a bowl

Let’s start healthy. Here is a soup that celebrates millet, which remained the flavour of 2024 throughout.

Millet soup

Ingredients

Jowar millet flour: 5 teaspoons

Butter: 4 teaspoons

Water: 500 ml

Salt: to taste

Black pepper (crushed): as per taste

Assorted vegetables: Quantity as desired (beans, carrots, peas, pumpkin)

Brown fried onion for garnish

Ghee: for drizzle on top

Method

1. Prepare the vegetables: Finely chop your choice of vegetables such as beans,carrots, peas, or pumpkin.

2. Roast the flour: In a saucepan, lightly roast the jowar millet flour and butter overlow heat until the flour releases a nutty aroma.

3. Combine ingredients: Once the flour is aromatic, add water, salt, and crushedblack pepper to the saucepan.

4. Add vegetables: Stir in the chopped vegetables and allow the mixture to simmerfor a few minutes until it reaches a semi-thick consistency and the vegetables are tender.

5. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with ghee. Garnish with brown friedonions on top.

Millet Chef Vikas Chawla

Ambassador of Millets - Nutrihub (Indian Institute of Millet Research, Hyderabad)