Freshly Made

Try your hand at these refreshing recipes and make the most of spring and its flamboyant mood

Almonds and Rose Kulfi 

Ingredients 

• Milk, full cream..    .4 cups
• Sugar..    . ½ cup
• Saffron...     ¼ tsp
• Almond meal.    . ½ cup
• Rose petals, dried..    . ¼ cup

Method

• In a pan, add milk and put it on a low flame. Keep on stirring, do not let the milk burn. The milk will start to thicken.
• Once it becomes half the volume, add the almond meal and sugar and mix them well. Strain the mixture.
• Add the dried rose petals, saffron strands and mix well. Allow the kulfi mixture to cool, pour it into kulfi moulds or small bowls and freeze them.
• Demould the kulfi and serve it garnished with roasted almond flakes.

(Recipe by chef Manish Mehrotra, Almonds Board of California)

Strawberry Tarts

Ingredients

• Parle-G biscuits...    50 gm
• Butter, melted..    .¼ cup
• Greek yoghurt..    .1 cup 
• Strawberries..    .7-8 

Method

• Take Parle-G biscuits in a blender and grind them finely. Or crush them in a zipped top bag with a rolling pin.
• Transfer the powdered biscuits in a bowl, then pour melted butter in it. Mix thoroughly.
• Take the cupcake cups or mini tart pan, grease the cups or tart with butter using a brush.
• Take the biscuit mixture and press into the bottom and sides of the mini tart pan or cupcake cups. Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to help press evenly across the pan and up the sides.
• Place them in the freezer for 1 hour to set firmly.
• Remove the biscuit cups from the freezer and gently remove the tart from the sides.
• Carefully remove it from the pan.
• In a blender, blend Greek yoghurt and strawberries until smooth.
• Fill each biscuit tart with 3-4 spoons of strawberry yoghurt.
• Place them in the freezer for an hour until set.
• Garnish with chopped strawberries

(Recipe by Parle-G) 

Alaska Salmon Tartare with Beetroot and Avocado

Ingredients

• Salmon fillet, skinless, pin-boned and diced...    230 gm
• Raw beetroot, medium, trimmed and scrubbed..    .4
• Coriander stalks, finely chopped..    .1½ tsp
• Onion, finely chopped...    1
• Dijon mustard..    .1 tsp 
• Lemon juice...    1 tbsp
• Extra virgin olive oil.    ..2 ½ tbsp
• Flat-lead parsley, finely- chopped.    ..2 ½ tbsp
• Avocado, ripe but firm...    1
• Sea salt, finely ground
• Black peppercorn, crushed
• Micro cress, for garnish (optional)

Method

• Preheat the oven to 200°C.
• Place the beetroot in a small roasting dish with 125ml of water. Cover and cook in the oven for approximately 1 hour until tender when pierced with a fork. Set aside to cool.
• Peel the beetroot and dice into small, neat cubes. Add to a bowl with half of the coriander stems, half of the mustard and half of the red onion. Stir in half of the lemon juice and 1 1/2 tablespoon of oil, mix well, season to taste and store it covered in the fridge until required.
• To prepare the tartare, mix the salmon in a bowl with the parsley, remaining coriander stalks, red onion, mustard, lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste, mix well and keep covered in the fridge until required.
• Cut the avocado in half, carefully remove the stone and use a large spoon to remove the flesh. Dice into a 0.5cm chunks, place in a small bowl and coat in a little extra lemon juice and a pinch of salt
• To serve, place an 8cm baking ring in the middle of each plate. Divide the diced avocado into the rings, followed by an even layer of beetroot, and then the tartare.
• Pat down gently to compress, then carefully remove the rings. Garnish with micro cress, a drizzle of olive oil and chopped parsley (optional) before serving.

(Recipe by chef Alfred Prasad, curator Sumeru Gourmet Range, Innovative Foods Limited)