Christmas 2017: 5 savoury dishes to enjoy a holiday feast

From creamy pasta to spicy lamb, here are some delicious recipes for your Christmas feast.

With Christmas and New Year around the corner, people all over the world are gripped in the festive fever. From putting up ornaments on Christmas trees to decorating the house with strings of fairy lights — nothing makes dry, cold winter better. And with friends and family together what better way to celebrate Christmas than in some old-fashion way — sipping wine, eating yummy boozy cakes and sumptuous Christmas feast. Of course, there are plenty of options to enjoy your Christmas holiday at a restaurant but nothing beats a long conversation at a big gathering with a home-cooked meal.

So, if you want to enjoy the holiday at your home, here are some delicious recipes to surprise your guests and family.

ALSO READ | Christmas 2017: 5 easy eggnog recipes you can prepare at home

Fettuccine con Ragu di Agnello (Fettucine with Lamb Sauce)

By Chef Om Nayak, The Pasta Bowl Company, Gurugram

Ingredients:
300g – Fettuccine pasta ( done Al dente)
400g – Lamb (coarsely minced)
100g – Cheery tomato (cut into halves)
150g – Tomato puree (made from Italian tomatoes)
1 tbsp – Garlic (smashed)
1 tbsp – Onion (chopped)
1 tbsp – Celery (chopped)
1 tbsp – Carrot (chopped)
1 tbsp – Leek (chopped)
4 leaves – Italian basil
2 pinch – Oregano
60ml – Olive oil
20g – Pecorino or Parmesan (grated)
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Method:
* Heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic, onion, carrot, celery and leeks

* Sauté on medium heat for just about 45 seconds and add cherry tomatoes and saute again

* Now add the minced Lamb and sauté until you see mild liquid towards the edges of the meat

* Add herbs and tomato puree. Keep sautéing, add 3-4 spoons of water from fettuccine if needed

* Add salt and pepper to taste

* Now add the Al Dente cooked Fettuccine to the sauce and toss lightly for 3 times

* Serve on pasta plates and top each with Grated Pecorino Cheese Or Parmesan

Braised leg of lamb with garlic root vegetables and red wine sauce

By Chef Akhilesh Jha, Fresc Co, Gurugram

Ingredients:

For root vegetable puree:
1 – Celeriac (large, diced)
2 – Potato (medium, diced)
2 – Parsnip/ Mooli (medium, diced)
4 clove – Garlic (chopped)
2 – Bay leaves
12 cup – Water
2 tbsp – Salt
8 tbsp – Unsalted butter
1/2 tsp – Nutmeg powder

For lamb:
4 and 1/2 – Pound leg of lamb
3 tbsp – Olive Oil
1 tbsp – Salt
1 and 3/4 tsp – Fresh black pepper powder

For wine sauce:
2 cup – Chicken stock
1 cup – White wine
3 – Onion (sliced)
3 – Carrot (sliced)
1 – Parsnip (sliced)
4 – Anchovy fillets
1 spring – Rosemary
1 spring – Thyme or Sage
1 – Bay leaf
1/2 cup – Olive
2 clove – Garlic

Method:

For the root vegetable puree:
* In a large saucepan, combine the celeriac, potatoes, parsnips, garlic, and bay leaves.

* Pour in the water and add half the salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the vegetables until tender for around 20-25 minutes.

* Drain, discard the bay leaves and transfer the root vegetables and garlic to a food processor.

* Add the butter, remaining salt, and nutmeg; process until very smooth. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Keep warm or reheat before serving.

For the lamb and wine sauce:
* Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.

* Rub the lamb with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season it with 1 tablespoon of the salt and 1 ½ teaspoons of the black pepper.

* In a separate medium-sized saucepan, bring the chicken stock and wine to a boil over medium-high heat.

* Allow it to bubble gently and reduce while you sauté the vegetables, about 10 minutes or so.

* To sauté, in a large dutch oven (heavy bottom pan) over medium-high heat, warm the remaining olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 7-10 minutes.

* Add the carrots, parsnip, anchovies, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, rosemary, sage, and bay leaf.

* Turn off the heat and pour in just enough of the stock-wine mixture to cover the vegetables.

* Now place the lamb, fatty-side up, on top of the vegetables.

* Transfer the pot to the oven and cook uncovered for 25 minutes.

* Then add the remaining stock-wine mixture, cover the pot, and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

* Cook for 1 ½ hours, at a bare simmer, reducing the heat if necessary, then turn the lamb over. Cook for another 1 ½ hours and turn the lamb over again.

* Uncover the pot and stir in the olives. Cook for another hour, turning the lamb after 30 minutes. At this point, the lamb should be soft enough to cut with a serving spoon.

* Just before serving, mash the garlic and the remaining salt to form a paste. Stir it into the lamb’s pan juices.

* To serve, make a bed of root vegetable purée on each plate. Cut the lamb with a serving spoon and lay some of it over the purée, along with some vegetables and pan juices

Ravioli with Coconut Milk and Lemon grass Sauce

By Openhouse Café, CP, New Delhi

Ingredients:

Ravioli stuffing:
1 tbsp – Olive oil
2 cloves – Garlic (minced)
1 – Onion (chopped)
1 – Aubergine/ Brinjal (chopped)
1/2 – Red bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 – Yellow bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup – Corn (chopped)
6 or 7 – Mushroom (chopped)
Salt to taste

For Sauce:
20g – Butter
20g – Flour
150ml – Coconut milk
1 pinch – Lemongrass
3 or 4 leaves – Parsley
1/2 – Spring onion (chopped)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

For Garnishing:
1/4 tsp – Chilli flakes

Method:

* To make the filling, in a wok add olive oil, minced garlic, chopped onion, chopped aubergines and sauté on medium heat.

* Add chopped red bell peppers, yellow bell peppers, chopped celery, chopped corn and chopped mushroom. Now add salt and Sauté on medium heat.

* Now to make the Ravioli roll out the dough like small chapatis.

* Add a small amount of the mixture in the middle and brush the sides with a little water.

* Cover it with another dough sheet and stick the edges together.

* With a round biscuit cutter, cut off the excess dough on the sides so that the ravioli is a perfect round.

* In a pan boil water with some salt and boil the ravioli till its done. Drain it out and pat them dry and set it aside.

* In another pan add butter, flour and sauté a little. Add the coconut milk slowly and keep stirring to avoid lumps.

* Add lemon grass, some parsley, salt, scallions/ spring onions and a dash of pepper. Stir till thick.

* In a plate first put the sauce, place the ravioli on top and garnish it with some chilli flakes and serve hot.

Grilled Chicken Red Wine Sauce

By Warehouse Cafe, CP, New Delhi

Ingredients:
2 – Chicken breast
1 tbsp – Olive oil
1 tsp – Garlic (chopped)
1/4 cup – Red wine
1/4 cup – Chicken stock
1/2 – Brocolli (diced)
1 – Medium-size carrot (sliced)
2 or 3 – Beans (sliced)
1 – Medium-size potato (sliced)
1 – Medium-size potato (sliced)
2 – Onion (sliced)
1/2 tsp – Black pepper powder
1/2 tsp – Brown sugar
2 tbsp – Butter
Salt to taste

Method:

* Marinate the chicken breast with olive oil, salt, black pepper, half of the garlic and keep it aside for 25-30 minutes.

* Place chicken breast in a grilled pan. Grill turning occasionally until no longer pink.

* Take a saucepan and melt butter until sizzling. Stir in the garlic and cook over medium to high heat until light brown.

* Now add put the chicken stock, red wine and reduce until thickens enough.

* Place the sliced vegetable in a pan. Add some butter and saute the vegetables with some salt and pepper.

* Once sauce is reduced, season with salt, pepper, brown sugar, butter.

* Take a plate a cut the grilled chicken in slices and put the sauce on top. Serve it with butter vegetables.

Chimichanga wraps with spicy lamb shishtouk

By Aniruddha Limaye, executive chef, Courtyard Marriott, Ahmedabad

Ingredients:
350g – Mutton
150g – Bell pepper (juliennes)
100g – Onion (chopped)
80g – Garlic (chopped)
10g – Basil
80g – Parmesan
80g – Mozzarella
150g – Hung curd
50g – Paprika powder
50g – Zatar spice
350g – Refined Flour
75g – Cornflour
3 – Egg
200ml – Olive oil
80ml– Water (chilled)
10g – Jalapeno

Method:

For Chimichanga wrap:
* Take refined flour, cornflour, egg and add chilled water and make a dough.

* Make a thick dough and knead it well. Keep it in the refrigerator to set.

* Now take a pan, add olive oil, chopped onion and garlic and stir it well. Add bell peppers and fry it on medium flame and add basil.

* Finish it with salt and add parmesan and mozzarella.

* Now take out the dough and make a flatbread and cook well.

* Add the above-cooked veggies and roll it over and bake it for 10 mins.

For the Shishtouk:

* Take a bowl make a marination with olive oil, paprika, zatar, hung curd and salt. Stir it well.

* Add diced boneless lamb in it and keep it in the fridge for some time minimum 30 minutes.

* Take it out and cook it in a charcoal oven.

* Serve fresh with Chimichanga roll and sour cream or Salsa topped with jalapeno chilli.