MY CULINARY STARS OF OCT AND NOV BY CHEF RAGHU

MY BANQUET KITCHEN TEAM BY CHEF RAGHU

Chef Raghu's article In Center stage Magazine

BUFFET SETUP BY CHEF RAGHU

Dedication

Perfection

Presentation

GRILLED PRAWNS WITH BUTTER GARLIC NOODLES

Ingredients:

Prawns

4 large prawns, peeled and de-veined
1/3 cup olive oil
6-8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
skewers

Noodles

1/2 lb egg noodles
2 tb Chopped garlic
2 tb Chopped parsley
1/4 c Melted butter
2 tb Freshly grated parmesan
Salt and pepper

Method to prepare Grilled prawns :

Place prawns in a large bowl. Combine remaining ingredients and pour onto prawns. Toss to coat, cover, and place in refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Preheat grill for medium heat. Put prawns onto skewers. Try to fit about 5 on each skewer. Place onto grill and cook for 2-3 minutes per side. When prawns no longer looks translucent, remove from heat and serve.

Method to prepare Butter noodles:

In a large bowl boil water and cook noodles strain and keep seperate, heat up the pan melt butter add noodles, parsley,garlic,parmesan cheese,salt and pepper to taste.

If you enjoy prawns scampi, then this is the perfect grilled prawns recipe for you. You can serve this dish as part of a main course or serve them as appetizers at your next cookout.

APPLE HALWA RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients: 2 cups grated apples (about 3-4 apples) 1 cup sugar 1 tbl spn ghee (this is just used for aroma, can be omitted if desired) 2 tbl spn chopped or coarsely powdered almonds 1/2 tea spn cardamom powder Method: 1. Peel the apples and grate them. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed (or non stick) pan. Add the grated apple and fry on a medium flame, till all the water is evaporated and it looks like cooked. 2. Add the sugar. Actually at this step, the apple should be measured and equal volume of sugar should be added. 3. Cook, mixing occasionally, till the mixture thickens and all the sugar is mixed well with apples. Towards the end, you need to mix continuously, otherwise it sticks to bottom of the pan and gets burnt. 4. Add the chopped or coarsely powdered almonds and mix it. 5. When it looks very dry, add cardamom powder, mix .Transfer the contents on a greased (with ghee) plate or cutting board Flatten it with a rolling pin. To avoid sticking to rolling pin, grease it with some ghee. 6. Cut it into squares. Let it cool down a bit and then take out the pieces and press the ends to the board to get even shapes.

APPLE HALWA RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:
2 cups grated apples (about 3-4 apples)
1 cup sugar
1 tbl spn ghee (this is just used for aroma, can be omitted if desired)
2 tbl spn chopped or coarsely powdered almonds
1/2 tea spn cardamom powder

Method:
1. Peel the apples and grate them. Heat ghee in a thick bottomed (or non stick) pan. Add the grated apple and fry on a medium flame, till all the water is evaporated and it looks like cooked.
2. Add the sugar. Actually at this step, the apple should be measured and equal volume of sugar should be added.
3. Cook, mixing occasionally, till the mixture thickens and all the sugar is mixed well with apples. Towards the end, you need to mix continuously, otherwise it sticks to bottom of the pan and gets burnt.
4. Add the chopped or coarsely powdered almonds and mix it.
5. When it looks very dry, add cardamom powder, mix .Transfer the contents on a greased (with ghee) plate or cutting board Flatten it with a rolling pin. To avoid sticking to rolling pin, grease it with some ghee.
6. Cut it into squares. Let it cool down a bit and then take out the pieces and press the ends to the board to get even shapes.

PHIRNI RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:
Milk - 3 cups
Long Grain Rice (preferably Basmati) - 3 tablespoons
Sugar - 3 tablespoons
Cardamom powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Almonds - few, cut into small pieces
Pistachios - few, cut into small pieces
Cashew nuts - few, cut into small pieces
Saffron - few, soaked in few drops of milk (optional)

Method:
1. Wash rice and soak it in half cup of hot water for about 30-45 minutes. Grind rice with little water, make a fine paste and keep aside.

2. Pour milk in heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Allow it to simmer in a low flame. Meanwhile, take few spoons of this hot milk in a bowl, add rice paste and dilute it. Add this to the simmering milk and mix it, stirring continuously. Add sugar and stir well. Cook on low heat until milk is thickened.

3. Then remove from heat, add saffron and sprinkle cardamom powder on top and mix well. Garnish with sliced almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts and serve chilled.

TABAK MAAZ RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

Lamb ribs - 1kg
Milk - 1/2cup
Powdered aniseeds - 1tsp
Dry ginger powder - 1tsp
Turmeric - 1tsp
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Powdered cinnamon - 1tsp
Cloves - 2nos
Ghee - 250gm1tbs handi-spoonful ,
Salt - to taste.

Method:

1. Take the entire rib section and cut into rectangular pieces across the ribs. Care should be taken that the muscle covering the ribs is not removed. Each piece of the rib should be about five inches in length and two inches in width, containing about three to four pieces of rib bone in the meat.

2. Take 1/2litre water and 1/2cup milk in a vessel. Add aniseed, ginger, turmeric, asafoetida and cinnAamon powders along with cloves and salt to taste.

3. Stir well and place rib pieces and boil on medium flame till the meat becomes tender, and almost all water gets absorbed. Remove the meat pieces and set aside.
4. Heat ghee and deep fry the meat pieces one by one until it turns crispy on both sides and serve the dish hot.

KHATTE BAINGAN RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

Baingun (seedless brinjal/eggplant)-1/2 kg
Tamarind paste (imli) -Aprox-1tablespoon
Red chilly powder-1 spoon
Fennel seeds powder (saunf)- 2 tablespoons
Dry ginger powder-1/4 T spoon
Asafetida powder–one pinch
Mustard oil-for deep frying-aprox-1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut brinjal length wise, thin and equal slices. Deep fry in mustard oil.
2. Color should be redish brown, not black. Keep aside.
3. Heat two tablespoon of oil in a Kadai, add a pinch of asafetida powder, simmer and let it cool, put red chilly powder and mix well, add one table spoon water.

4. Now put dry ginger powder, fennel seed powder, and salt. Mix well. Now put half cup of water let it boil for two minutes. Add fried eggplant. Put in high flame. add tamarind paste. Let it boil till water absorbs. Serve with rice.

YAKHNI GOSHT RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

1Kg Lamb, washed, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 tsp (4 g) Ginger powder (Sonth)
4 tsp (8 g) Aniseed (saunf) powder
1 tsp (2 g) Garam masala
a pinch Asafoetida (hing)
3 Black cardamom (badi elaichi), crushed
4 - 5 Cloves (laung)
2 - 3 Bay leaves (tej patta)
Salt to taste
2 cups (400 g) 14 oz Yoghurt (dahi), whisked
4 tsp (20 g) Ghee
4 Green cardamom (choti elaichi), crushed
2 cups (500 ml) 16 fl oz Water

Method:

1. Cook the lamb in a handi with water. Add ginger powder, aniseed powder, garam masala, asafoetida, black cardamom, 2 cloves, bay leaves, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes, or till it is almost done.

2. Add yoghurt; keep stirring till it comes to the boil. Lower heat and simmer till the gravy thickens and the lamb becomes tender. Remove from heat.

3. Heat the ghee in a small pan; add the remaining cloves and green cardamom. Saute for a few seconds and then add to the cooked lamb. Serve, accompanied with steaming hot rice.

KASHMIRI RAJMA RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

1 cup kashmiri rajmah, soaked overnight
2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup grated onions
2 tsp garlic
1' piece ginger, cut into strips
1 cup chopped coriander
6 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter salt to taste
chopped coriander for garnish

METHOD:

1. pressure cook rajmah with 1 tbsp oil, salt, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 2 cups of water till it is overdone and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a Kadai; add grated onion and tomato with 1/2 tsp salt and sauté till the mixture leaves the oil.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, and remaining red chilli powder and coriander and sauté for about 7-8 mins.
4. Add this mixture to the boiled rajmah and pressure cook for another 10 minutes and later open the cooker and let it boil till the rajmah turns into semi thick gravy.
5. Finish by adding the butter -essential for the flavor. garnish with chopped coriander. serve hot with Kashmiri pulav.

KASHMIRI RAJMA RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

1 cup kashmiri rajmah, soaked overnight
2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
2 cups chopped tomato
1 cup grated onions
2 tsp garlic
1' piece ginger, cut into strips
1 cup chopped coriander
6 tbsp oil
2 tbsp butter salt to taste
chopped coriander for garnish

METHOD:

1. pressure cook rajmah with 1 tbsp oil, salt, 1 tsp red chilli powder and 2 cups of water till it is overdone and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a Kadai; add grated onion and tomato with 1/2 tsp salt and sauté till the mixture leaves the oil.
3. Add the garlic, ginger, and remaining red chilli powder and coriander and sauté for about 7-8 mins.
4. Add this mixture to the boiled rajmah and pressure cook for another 10 minutes and later open the cooker and let it boil till the rajmah turns into semi thick gravy.
5. Finish by adding the butter -essential for the flavor. garnish with chopped coriander. serve hot with Kashmiri pulav.

GUSTABA RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:
Boneless mutton from the leg of lamb - 1 kg
Lamb fat - 250 gm
Milk - 1 ltr
Yoghurt - 1/2 ltr
Khoya - 1/2 kg
Ghee - 2 tbs
Fennel seed - 2 tsp
Kashmiri garam masala - 2 tsp
Pepper (black) - 2 tsp
Ginger powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Cardamoms - 4

Method:

1. Pound boneless meat on a smooth stone with a wooden mallet and add the meat fat while pounding.
2. Make sure the pulp is mixed well to make the round balls.
Add brown cardamom powder, a little salt and 1 tsp ginger powder. 3. After mixing well make round balls about 3 inches diameter.
4. Heat oil in a large vessel add salt, and one liter water.
5 Add sugar, khoya, yogurt, garam masala, and salt to taste.
6. Pour in the milk, add the koftas and simmer
until the liquid evaporates and the koftas are very tender.

RISTA RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

Boneless mutton from the leg of lamb - 1 kg
Meat fat – 250 g
Saffron soaked in a cup of water - 1 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Ginger powder - 1 tsp
Cardamom (brown) - 4 pieces
Fennel powder - 3 tsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 3 pcs
Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Mustard oil - 1 cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1.Pound boneless meat on a smooth stone with a wooden mallet and add the meat fat while pounding.
2. Make sure the pulp is mixed well to make the round balls.
Add brown cardamom powder, a little salt and 1 tsp ginger powder.
3. After mixing well make round balls about 3 inches diameter.
4. Heat oil in a large vessel add salt, asafoetida and a glass of water and red chili powder (kashmiri).
5. Keep on stirring until it leaves the rogan.
6. Add about 1.5 liter water and the rest of the spices and bring to a boil.
7. While the gravy is boiling add meat balls slowly and gently boil for an hour until the liquid evaporates and the koftas are very

NAWABI MURGH DUM BIRIYANI BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken chunks
600 grams Basmati rice
4 medium Sliced onions
20 grams Ginger paste
15 grams Garlic paste
8 grams Red chilli powder

2 inches Cinnamon
10 grams Peppercorns
4 grams Mace
1 bunch Coriander leaves
1 bunch Mint leaves
6 nos. Green chillies
5 nos. Cardamoms (green)
6 nos. Cloves
250 grams Curds
3 tblsp Lemon juice
100 ml Milk
2 grams Saffron
100 ml Oil
50 ml Ghee
As per taste Salt

Method to prepare Nawabi murgh dum biryani

• Pick, wash and soak the rice for 30-40 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions till golden brown. Keep aside.

• Finely chop the coriander and mint leaves. Grind the green chillies to a fine paste.
• Soak the saffron in warm milk. Grind mace, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorn to a fine powder.
• In a bowl, mix together well beaten curds, red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, mint and coriander leaves, lemon juice, powdered spices and fried onions.
• Rub the chicken legs with this marinade and marinate it for 2 hours.
• Boil atleast 5 ltrs of water with a little salt.
• When the water starts boiling add the soaked rice.
• In the meantime, transfer the marinated chicken into a deep bottomed pan which has a tight lid.
• Once the rice starts boiling, drain the water and layer the rice over the marinated chicken in the deep pan.
• Sprinkle the saffron-milk mixture over the rice and chicken. Add the ghee.
• Cover the pan with the lid and cook on a high temperature till it just starts steaming.
• Then cook on a medium flame till the chicken is tender and all the moisture is absorbed.
• Transfer the contents gently into a serving dish. Serve garnished with mint leaves and ginger julliennes.

MURGH BADAMI RECIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

1 Whole medium Chicken
2 no Sliced onions
15-18 nos. Almonds
2 tsp Poppy seeds
1 tbl sp Ginger-garlic paste
2 small sticks Cinnamon
8 nos. Black peppercorns
4 nos. Cloves
4 nos. Cardamoms (green)
2 nos. Bay leaves
1/4 cup Curds
2 tblspns Fresh cream
2 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 tblspns Ghee
Salt

Method:

• Chop the chicken into 8-10 pieces. Blanch and slice the almonds.
• Soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 35 minutes and grind to a fine paste with the cashew nuts.
• Grind the cinnamon, pepper, cloves, cardamoms and bay leaves to a fine powder.
• Marinate the chicken pieces with the ginger-garlic paste and turmeric powder for 35 minutes.
• Heat ghee and fry the sliced onions till they are crisp.
• Add the chicken pieces, salt and garam masala powder.
• Saute till ghee leaves the sides of the pan.
• Add the beaten curds and Saute for 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.
• Add 2 cups water and cook till chicken is nearly done.
• Add the Cashewnut-poppy paste and beaten cream. Simmer till the chicken is tender.
• Top with chopped almonds and serve hot.

KASHMIRI PULAO BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

500gms Long Grain (Basmati) Rice
100gms Onion sliced vertically
5gms Cinnamon (dalchini)
5gms cardamom (Elaichi)
5gms cloves
a pinch of turmeric powder
1gm saffron (kesar)
10 ml Milk
20gms walnut
20gms cashew nut
1litre water
50gms oil
salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak rice.

Heat oil and fry onions till golden brown and remove.

Saute whole spices, turmeric powder, add rice and stir.

Add half-saffron dissolved in little warm milk.

Add hot water and mix well.

Cook a little. Finish with remaining saffron and cook till grains are separated and done.

Garnish Kashmiri pulao with fried onions, walnuts & cashew nuts.

KASHMIRI DUM ALOO RECEIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients
18-20 small-sized potatoes
Oil to deep fry
5-6 dried Kashmiri chillies
2 cups of yogurt
½ tspn of cardamom powder
1 tspn of dry ginger powder
2 tbl spns of fennel powder
40ml mustard oil
pinch of clove powder
pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste
½ tspn of roasted cumin powder
½ tspn of garam masala powder

Method:

1. Peel and prick the potatoes all over with the help of a fork. Keep in salted water for fifteen minutes. Heat oil in a Kadai and fry the potatoes on medium flame till golden brown. Make a paste of dried Kashmiri red chillies.
2. Whisk the yogurt with Kashmiri red chilli paste, cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and fennel powder.
3. Heat mustard oil in a pan. Add clove powder and asafoetida. Add half a cup of water and salt and bring to a boil.
4. Stir in the yogurt mixture and bring it to a boil. Add fried potatoes and cook till the potatoes absorb the gravy and rogan floats on top.
5. Serve hot, garnished with freshly roasted cumin powder and garam masala powder.

HAAQ SAAG RECEIPE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients

Haaq saag – 2 kg
Hot water – 500ml
Mustard oil – 6 tablespoon
Garlic , sliced – 10 g
Kashmiri red chillies ( whole ) – 10
Black cardamom – 1 tablespoon
Black pepper – 4
Pran ( Kashmiri onion paste ) – 3 tablespoon
Salt – to taste

Pran ( Kashmiri onion paste )
To make pran,take roughly 450 g of small red onions ( the smaller the better ) and thinly slice them. Sprinkle salt and let sit for 3- 4 minutes to draw out the water. Squeeze out the extra water with your hands, and then fry the onions in 4 tablespoon oil till they turn a light golden brown. Remove from the pan and place on the sheets of kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Once cool, give the onions a quick blend in a food processor or grind with a pestle to get a thick, dark golden – brown paste.

Method of preparing Haaq saag

1.Clean the collard greens and then pluck the leaves. Shred the leaves but not too small.
2. Blanch the greens in the hot water and strain. Reserve the stock in a bowl.
3. Heat mustard oil in a heavy –bottomed saucepan.
4. Add sliced garlic, whole red chillies, black cardamom and black pepper. Stir continuously, ensuring the mixture doesn’t brown.
5. Add the blanched greens and the stock to the mixture, and season with salt. Cover with a lid.
6. Cook on low heat, stirring continuously for about 30 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice

CHOCOLATE AND NUTS TRUFFLE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients:

• 150 grams semi-sweet chocolate
• 100 grams butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp honey
• Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting
• 100 gms dry fruits and nuts
• A baking tray lined with non-stick parchment paper
  

Preparation:

1. Finely chop the chocolate and place in a clean, dry heatproof bowl and set aside.
2. Fill a saucepan 1/4 full of hot water and bring it to a simmer. Fit the bowl snugly into the rim of the saucepan so that the bowl is suspended over the gently simmering water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water otherwise it will overheat and seize up.
3. Allow the chocolate to gently melt. Once melted, remove the bowl from the saucepan and stir it with a clean, dry spoon until smooth.
4. Stir through the room temperature butter until completely combined. Next add the egg yolk, chopped nuts, fruits and honey and stir until combined.
5. Pour the mixture in round mould.
6. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 1 1/2 hours or until set.

CREAMY ORANGE CHEESECAKE BY CHEF RAGHU

100 gms cracker crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
200 ml cream cheese
¼ gms butter
½ gms sugar
¼ gms cornflour
2 eggs
100 ml milk
1½ tsp vanilla
1tsp grated orange rind
½ cup orange juice
1 orange (for garnish)

Combine crumbs, sugar, and butter and put a layer in bake pan mould. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake it for 20 mts.

Combine softened cream cheese, butter, sugar and flour, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in milk, vanilla and rind and pour over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Demoulde cake from rim of pan but cool before removing rim of pan.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan, stir in juice and water. Cook until clear and thickened, stirring occasionally. Cool it and spoon over cheesecake chill it for an hour and garnish with slice orange.

RECIPE FOR MARBEL CHEESE CAKE BY CHEF RAGHU

Cream cheese 500 gr
Sugar 150 gr
Whole eggs 2 pcs
Flour 20 gr
Corn flour 15 gr
Lemon juice 1 lemon
Double cream 150 gr
Ganach as much as you like
(Dilute ganache to make marble)

• Beat cream cheese ans sugar for 7 mts add in whole eggs, one at a time.
• Then add in the flour,corn flour and lemon juice, lastly the double cream.
• Divide the mixture into 4 round
• Add in 2 tsp of dilute ganache and make drawing on top of the mixture
  
• Bake at 160 c for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE BY CHEF RAGHU

Ingredients

100gms unsalted butter
150 gms Sugar
100gms walnuts
50gms dark chocolate
50gms cocoa powder
50 gms plain flour
20gms baking powder
10ml vanilla essence
04 eggs

Method

In a bowl put egg, butter and sugars add walnuts, dark chocolate and plain flour, baking powder, coco powder and mix well.
The mixture wud be of thick consistency and not atall like cake batter.

Grease baking trayand pour the mixture and bake in oven at 180 degrees for about 40min.

BLOGS OF CHEF RAGHU

BLOGS OF CHEF RAGHU

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Nawabi murgh dum biryani by chef raghu

Ingredients:

1 kg Chicken chunks
600 grams Basmati rice
4 medium Sliced onions
20 grams Ginger paste
15 grams Garlic paste
8 grams Red chilli powder

2 inches Cinnamon
10 grams Peppercorns
4 grams Mace
1 bunch Coriander leaves
1 bunch Mint leaves
6 nos. Green chillies
5 nos. Cardamoms (green)
6 nos. Cloves
250 grams Curds
3 tblsp Lemon juice
100 ml Milk
2 grams Saffron
100 ml Oil
50 ml Ghee
As per taste Salt

How to make Nawabi murgh dum biryani

• Pick, wash and soak the rice for 30-40 minutes. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onions till golden brown. Keep aside.

• Finely chop the coriander and mint leaves. Grind the green chillies to a fine paste.
• Soak the saffron in warm milk. Grind mace, green cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorn to a fine powder.
• In a bowl, mix together well beaten curds, red chilli powder, salt, ginger-garlic paste, green chilli paste, mint and coriander leaves, lemon juice, powdered spices and fried onions.
• Rub the chicken legs with this marinade and marinate it for 2 hours.
• Boil atleast 5 ltrs of water with a little salt.
• When the water starts boiling add the soaked rice.
• In the meantime, transfer the marinated chicken into a deep bottomed pan which has a tight lid.
• Once the rice starts boiling, drain the water and layer the rice over the marinated chicken in the deep pan.
• Sprinkle the saffron-milk mixture over the rice and chicken. Add the ghee.
• Cover the pan with the lid and cook on a high temperature till it just starts steaming.
• Then cook on a medium flame till the chicken is tender and all the moisture is absorbed.
• Transfer the contents gently into a serving dish. Serve garnished with mint leaves and ginger julliennes.

By G Raghunathan, Executive chef, The solitaire hotel , Bangalore

Photograph by Lariat productions

Top four blogs on cusine

It gives me a great pleasure to announce, that two of my blogs (chefraghugourmet & chefraghuculinary ) stands considered out of the top four blogs on the topic "cusine" in networked blogs

Dessert Display

Buffet display by chef raghu

Few pumpkin carvings made by me for buffet display at the solitaire hotel,bangalore.