Come Valentine's Day, and everyone is busy planning the perfect date. Picking out a special restaurant, choosing the best table in the house, putting on the killer dress and then mostly waiting in queues until the tables open. And before you know it, half the evening is lost. It's recipe for disaster. So why spoil your big day on time-consuming V-Day drill when you can set up the perfect date at the comfort of your own home.
Also Read: Valentine's Day 2017: Spice up your sex life by including these five foods into your diet
Since Valentine's Day 2017 falls on a weekday, on Tuesday to be specific, finding time to prepare a lavish spread could be a problem. Which is why, International Business Times, India has put together a few easy to make recipes to win over the special someone.
Check it out:
Starters
Marrakesh roll
Instead of the clichéd starters, Chef Ashish Rai, head culinary, Barbeque Nation suggests you try Marrakesh roll. The recipe is a quick-fix starter for the perfect date night.
Ingredients:
Beetroot: 250 grams
Potato: 250 grams
Garlic chopped: 2 tbsp
Onion Chopped: 1/4 cup
Coriander chopped: 5 springs
Aromatic seasoning: 1 tsp
Salt: to taste
Cumin powder: 1 tsp
Chat Masala: 1/2 tsp
Paprika powder: 1/2 tsp
Green chilli chopped: 1 tbsp
Semolina: 100
Oil for frying
How to make it
- Wash and put the beetroot in a medium sauce pan and add water and par boil the beetroot. Peel the skin and grate it to fine shavings then toss it on a nonstick pan on medium flame to remove the raw flavour and reduce moisture.
- Boil potatoes, peel the skin and mash it to fine consistency.
- In a large mixing bowl place, mix the beetroot, mashed potato and remaining ingredients except semolina. Mix well and scoop small balls. Roll it in cylindrical shape set aside on a dried tray.
- Fry the rolls till they are crisp. Take it out of the oil and serve with tomato sauce or tamarind chutney.
Chicken Nuggets
Start off the romantic evening with a plate full of delicious Chicken Nuggets. The recipe is quick and simple and will take you not more than half hour to cook. In the recipe recommended by Food Network, all you will need is half a cup of maida (all-purpose flour), 1 spoon of garlic, salt and black pepper, two boneless skinless chicken breasts chopped into small pieces, breadcrumbs, egg for dipping the chicken and vegetable oil.
How to make it
- Mix flour, garlic, salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a bowl. Coat the chicken pieces with flour. Simultaneously, season the breadcrumbs with salt and pepper. In a third bowl, whisk eggs and one spoon water.
- Dip the pieces in egg and wrap it in breadcrumbs. Be generous with the breadcrumbs. Heat oil in a pan. Add the chicken pieces into the pan once the oil is hot. Fry till the pieces are brown on both sides.
- Once done, transfer the nuggets into a plate, salt it and serve.
Main Course
West Coast Fish Curry
How about a West Coast Fish Curry to reel in that special someone. Chef Rai, shares the recipe:
Ingredients
For the masala:
Coconut (fresh and scrapped): ½ cup
Onion (sliced): 1 medium
Tomato (chopped): 1 medium
Coriander (few springs)
Garlic: 8 pods
Ginger: 1/2 inch
Tamarind: small ball
Coriander seeds: 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Dry red Kashmiri chilies: 5 pieces
Dry red Badgi chilies: 5 pieces
Pepper corns
Grind to a fine paste using 1 cup of water (if the masala is too thick add little more water)
For The curry:
Fish: 750 grams (Mackerel steaks) wash, drain and apply little salt and keep aside.
Coconut oil
Onion: sliced
Green Chili: Slit
Tomato: sliced
Water: 2 cups
How to make it
In a deep pan heat oil and fry the onion till light brown, add the masala paste and cook till the raw flavor is gone. Add green chili, chopped tomato, water and bring it to a boil. Once the curry starts boiling add fish and salt to taste. Cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.
Chicken Escalope in Pepper Sauce
Chef Balram Jaiswal, sous chef at Hotel The Ashok, New Delhi, recommends a lip smacking plate of Chicken Escalope in Pepper Sauce for the special day. He shares the recipe:
Ingredients
Chicken Breast: 1
Chicken Mince: 50 grams
Garlic: 2 flakes
Oil: 10 ml
Black Pepper corn: 10 pieces
Salt: to taste
White Pepper: 4 pieces
Button Mushrooms: 30 grams
Roux: 20 grams
Brown Stock: 150 ml.
Tomato Concussed: 20 ml
White wine: 10 ml
Parsley: 02 grams
How to make it
• Prepare the brown sauce- take the brown stock in the pan and add roux to it and cook well and keep it aside.
• Beat the chicken breast with a steak hammer and put a layer of chicken mince on one side of breast. Grill the chicken escalope.
• Heat the oil and add chopped garlic, Sliced Mushrooms, tomato concasse and the brown sauce.
• Now, add the grilled chicken escalope to the sauce and cook till the chicken is soft. Add salt and pepper as required.
• Finish with addition of White wine and crushed black pepper to the sauce.
• Serve hot and garnish with parsley.
Israeli sauted chicken, orange and cardamom sauce
A quick to fix recipe by Chef Bilal from Tamarin restaurant, Calangute. Israeli sauted chicken, orange and cardamom sauce is ideally served with Mudjadarra rice, cucumber and pomegranate salad.
Ingredients
1 small chicken boned - up to you if you use breast or thighs
2 tbsp olive oil
Zest & juice or 1 large orange
12 cardamom pods - lightly crushed
2 garlic cloves – chopped
How to make it
• Heat oil in a large saute or frying pan. Saute the chicken until cooked to your liking
• Add garlic & cardamoms & lightly cook
• Add the zest & orange juice
• Season to taste
• Reduce slightly & serve
For Mujadarra Rice
- 1/2 cup basmati rice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 tbsp black lentils (cooked)
- 6 cardamom pods
- 1 shallot
How to make it
• Saute shallot & cardamom in oil until soft
• Add basmati rice & coat rice till the colour is opaque
• Add water & simmer until cooked
• Season to taste
• Add cooked lentils, mix well and serve.
Desserts
Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Valentine's Day is incomplete without some finger licking desserts. The fastest and easier way to please your special someone is a bowl full of chocolate desserts. Chef Rai shares a quick Chocolate Raspberry cake recipe. All you'll need is:
Ingredients
Dark Chocolate: 300 grams
Unsalted butter: 12 tbsp
Salt: ¼ tsp
Eggs: 6
Sugar: 1½ cup
Coco powder: 1 tbsp
Fresh raspberry: 200 grams
Whipped cream to serve
How to make it
- Place the chocolate, butter and salt in a large microwave safe bowl and melt the chocolate for about two minutes. Stir and heat for another two minutes till the chocolate and butter are melted
- Beat the egg and sugar till thick and fold in the melted chocolate in the egg mixture.
- Pour the batter in a 9inch prepared nonstick baking pan, place the pan in moderate hot oven and bake for 1 hour on 180 degree or till the inserted tooth pick in the center comes out clean.
- Removed the baked cake from the oven and allow it to rest on a wired rack for at least 8 to 10 hours. Dust coco powder and garnish with fresh raspberry on top and serve with whipped cream.
You can add chopped dry raspberry in the cake to enhance the taste. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and 1 hour & 20 minutes to bake.
