BORSCHT from CHEF JAMAL SHAH of THE BANGALURU BRASSERIE at HYATT CENTRIC, BANGALORE
Ingredients
Peeled beetroot (300 gm)
Butter (50gm)
Small onion (1 pc)
Carrot (1 pc)
Celery (1 stick)
Small leek cut into small dices (1 pc)
Bay leaf (1/2)
Duck stock (1.51 kgs)
Medium potatoes (cut in small pcs) (2pcs)
Small cabbage (shredded) (1/2)
Cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (4 pcs)
Cider vinegar (2 tbsp)
Sugar (1tbsp)
Ground black pepper (1/2 tbsp)
Method
Cut ¾ of the peeled beetroot into small dice and set the rest aside. Melt the butter in a large pan, and then soften the onion over a gentle heat for 5 minutes. Add carrot, leek, celery, diced beetroot, and bay leaf. Stir well to coat with butter. Cook for another 10 minutes and add a little stock if the vegetable begins to look dry. Meanwhile, grate the
remaining beetroot. Pour in the rest of the stock and the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes, then add cabbage, garlic and grated beetroot. Cook until all the vegetables are tender (approx. 10 minutes). Add vinegar, sugar, pepper and a pinch of salt and taste. Add a little more of any of these if necessary. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, a sprig of dill, and some bread croutons.
PLUM CAKE from CHEF SANOOP DHASMANA of HYATT PLACE GURGAON
Ingredients
Butter (900gm)
Brown sugar (1000gm)
Baking Powder (40 gm)
Eggs (2 dozen)
Soaked Fruits (3000 gm)
Spice Mix (100gm)
Flour (700gm)
Coco powder (100gm)
Oil (100ml)
Prep
Soak the nuts. Cut the figs, dates and cashew nuts into small pieces, and soak them along with the raisins and
tutti- fruity in the rum, red wine and beer (this is normally done 20-25 days in advance so that the dry fruits absorb all the spirits).
Method
Add 900gms of butter and 1000gm brown sugar in a container. Beat until the butter and sugar turn creamy. Now add the eggs gradually to the mixture while continuing the mix and put the following dry items
Flour
Spice mix
Soaked fruits
Baking powder
Coco powder
Add oil. Mix and Bake it for 50 minutes on 180° C. Take out the cake from the mould and leave aside to cool it down. You can add decorative pieces to your cake before the icing dries. The rich plum cake is now ready to be served
CHRISTMAS STOLLEN BREAD from CHEF GABRIEL RAJAN of THE DINING ROOM at PARK HYATT CHENNAI
Ingredients
For starter
Flour (1kg)
Milk (1L)
Yeast (25gm)
For dough
Flour (3.3kg)
Salt (30gm)
Gluten (45gm)
Milk (500ml)
Improver (60gm)
Butter (1.75 kgs)
Castor sugar (500gm)
Mixed spice powder (40gm)
For fruit mixing
Raisins
Candied orange peel
Blanched almonds
Rum
Clarified butter glaze castor sugar icing sugar
Method
Prepare the starter dough by combining 1/3 rd. quantity of sifted flour, instant yeast and lukewarm milk. Mix, cover and let it rise until it doubles in volume. In a mixing bowl, add the starter dough and gently knead on slow speed. Add the sifted dry ingredients, sugar, salt, marzipan, soft butter, spice mix and lemon zest. Mix on slow speed for 8-10 mins until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is smooth. (If the mixing is done by hand, there should be a smooth dough which might take 20-30 minutes to knead). Combine the rum, juice, zest of two oranges, cranberries, raisins, almonds and candied peels for the soaked fruits mix and add this to the mixture. Cover the dough for half-hour until it rises
and proofs in volume. Knock back on a floured surface, divide the dough and roll flat into a rectangle. Then roll
the dough to form a crescent shape. Cover the stollen proof until it doubles in volume for about an hour at least. Bake at 200°C for 18-20 minutes. After baking, when the bread is warm, brush it with hot melted butter and sifted icing sugar. The dish is ready to be served cold or warm.
CHRISTMAS PUDDING from CHEF SIDDHESH NACHANKAR of AMARSAR at ALILA FORT BISHANGARH
Ingredients
Dried currants (150 gm)
Raisins (120 gm)
Golden raisins/sultanas (120 gm)
Candied orange peel (2 tbsp finely chopped)
Candied lemon peel (2 tbsp finely chopped)
Walnuts or almonds (2 tbsp finely chopped)
Brandy (1/2 cup)
Fresh white breadcrumbs (150 gm)
All-purpose flour (70 gm)
Baking powder (1/2 teaspoon)
Salt (1/2 teaspoon)
Ground cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
Dark brown sugar (165 gm)
Eggs (2 lightly beaten)
One small apple (peeled, cored, and grated)
Molasses (1 tbsp black treacle)
Zest of one lemon
Zest of one small orange
Method
Place the raisins, sultanas, currants, almonds, and candied citrus peel in a bowl. Pour the brandy over and stir to combine the mixture. Cover and let sit overnight to allow the brandy to fully penetrate the fruit. The next day, place the breadcrumbs, flour, brown sugar, and spices in a bowl and stir to combine. In another bowl, add the soaked dried fruit mixture, grated apple, molasses, lemon and orange zest, and egg. Stir to combine. Add the dry mixture to the fruit mixture and stir to thoroughly combine it. It will be thick and sticky. Generously butter your pudding mold (2 liter/3.5 pints mold) and scoop the batter into the mold, pressing down and smoothing the top. Bring a large pot of water to a very low simmer. Place a folded cloth or trivet on the bottom of the pot to prevent the pudding mold from coming in direct contact with the pot to prevent scorching. Lower the pudding mold down into the water on top of the folded cloth. The water level should come up to the halfway point of the pudding mold. Cover the pot with the lid. Steam the pudding over very low heat. Check periodically to ensure the water level is still at the halfway point and add more water as needed. The longer the pudding steams, the darker in color it will become. When the pudding is done steaming, carefully lift out the pudding mold and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then invert the pudding on a plate. Let it sit until the pudding slides out onto the plate. Let the pudding cool completely. When you're ready to serve the pudding, you will need to reheat it either by re-steaming it for 30-60 minutes or until heated through or you can also microwave it in a microwave safe container to keep the moisture in. The Christmas pudding is ready to serve
