Delicious festive treats

Christmas is less than a week away. This beautiful festival many memories centred around food. We decided to ask our food experts to tantalise your tastebuds with a a range of Almond-based recipes. So Patna-based chef Manish Mehrotra, has come up with these delicious creations. Manish’s eatery in Delhi has been picked as one of Asia’s 50 Best Indian Restaurants.

Manish has penned down three recipes from his secret book to make your Xmas meal more delicious with almonds as the main ingredient. So go ahead and experiment with these recipes in your kitchen. You will not be disappointed.

ALMOND CHICKEN FLATBREAD
The roasted almond flakes you garnish over the prepared golden flat bread, gives the true richness for the dish. Cook until the slices get golden and cut into desirable portions just for you :)

Ingredients
Flaked Almonds ½ Cup
Roasted Chicken 1 Cup
Red chilli Sauce 2 Tbsp
Dice Red Bell Peppers ¼ Cup
Thin Pizza Base (6 inch) 1 No.
Chopped Coriander leaves 2 Tsp
Salt To Taste
Crushed black Pepper ½ Tsp
Olive Oil 1 Tbsp
Grated Cheddar Cheese ¼ Cup

Method
Roast the flaked almonds in an oven for 180°C for 4-5 minutes.
Cut the roasted chicken into bite size dices.
Mix the roasted chicken along with red chilli sauce, diced bell peppers, chopped coriander leaves, salt, black pepper and olive oil.
Add the roasted almond flakes to the mixture and mix gently.
On a thin pizza base spread the mixture generously. Top it with grated cheddar cheese.
Bake the flatbread for 10-15 minutes in an oven at 180°C or until the sides are golden.
Top the pizza with roasted almond flakes. Cut the flatbread into 6-8 pieces.

ALMOND HALWA TART

ALMOND HALWA TART
This tasty addition of Almond to Halwa is just mouth-watering. Almond Halwa Tart allows itself to be a special attraction in your list of dishes for Christmas. With desi ghee and a scoop of vanilla ice-cream make this tart perfect

Ingredients
Unsalted butter 100 gm
Castor sugar 60 gm
Khoya 120 gms
Almonds 300 gms
Desi ghee 90 gm
Mascarpone cheese 50 gm

Method
Cream unsalted butter and sugar together in the machine bowl of planetary mixer with paddle attachment, until thick and creamy. Alternatively, you can use a wooden spoon and a bowl to cream butter and sugar.
Add the flour and mix well. This pastry is for the tart base, refrigerate in the fridge for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
Grind the almonds to a slightly coarse powder.
Heat desi ghee in a heavy bottom pan, add the almond powder and cook on slow heat.
Cook till slightly brown, add the sugar and cook further 5-10 mins.
Add the khoya and cook for 10-15 minutes. The almonds and khoya should bind together.
Roll out the pastry in to a 9 inch round and line a 8 inch tart shell with the rolled pastry.
Bake at 180 degree Celsius for about 15-20 mins till the pastry is fully cooked and golden in colour.
Mix the almond halwa with mascarpone cheese and fill the tart with this mixture evenly.
Garnish with slice toasted almonds and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (optional).

LAMB and ALMOND KORMA
This is the perfect main-course to make it for Christmas. This rich flavoured almond and lamb with some fried onions and the right ingredients to go with this curry.
Ingredients
Lamb Shoulder Cuts 1 Kg
Chopped onion 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste 3 tbsp
Plain yoghurt 2 cup
Blanched almonds, skin removed 1 cup
Cinnamon 1 stick
Black cardamom 2 no.
Green cardamom 3 no.
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee 4 tbsp
Water 3 cups

Method
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan, fry the onions in the ghee till they are golden. Remove onions from the oil.
Add the lamb pieces to the ghee and fry it till they are golden in colour; add the ginger garlic paste and stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
Make a smooth paste of yoghurt and ½ cup of blanched almonds. Add this paste to the lamb and keep on stirring it till oil separates out. Add the fried onions to the lamb.
Reduce the heat, and add water. Cover the pan and let the lamb simmer for an hour or till tender.
Cut the remaining blanched almonds into small pieces and add it to the korma.