Republic Day is around the corner and if you have no plans to travel then stay glued to your television watching the Republic Day parade and the flag hoisting ceremony. And no celebration is incomplete without food.
This year, Republic Day is on Sunday and people are looking forward to celebrating some good time with friends and family. So, take out your apron, and get set to prepare these easy dishes.

Compressed Beetroot, Quinoa, Feta and Cucumber Escabeche

Ingredients

Beetroot: 300gms

Quinoa: 20gms

Cucumber: 30gms

Feta cheese: 30gms

Walnuts: a few

Parsley: 20gms

Fresh coriander: 20gms

Jalapenos: a few

Black olive: 20gms

Green olive: a few

Ice burg lettuce: 10gms

Maple syrup: 1 tsp

Olive oil: 1/4 tsp

Black pepper: a bit

Fresh basil: 10gms

Lemon juice: 1 tsp

Chili pepper: 1/4 tsp

Method

Boil quinoa with double the quantity of water. Add salt while boiling. Cool it down and add chopped parsley, chopped coriander, olive, jalapenos and basil too. Add iceburg lettuce. Make vinaigrette with maple syrup, olive oil, a bit of lemon juice and a bit of fresh basil. Dress the quinoa with the maple dressing. Roast the beetroot at 200-degree centigrade for 30 mts. Cut into cubes. Take out shavings of cucumber and dress it with lemon juice, chili peppers, and olive oil. Layer everything one by one and add feta cheese and walnuts and serve.

(Recipe Courtesy: Chef Nishant Chaubey)

Pista Chocolate & Mandarin

Ingredients

Pista kheer

Pista: 100gms

Milk: 1000ml

Sugar: 100gms

Rice broken: 50gms

Cardamom green: 05gms

Chocolate mousse

White chocolate: 220gms

Milk: 60ml

Egg yolk: 40gms

Whipped cream: 165gms

Vanilla pod: 1piece

Mandarin

Mandarin: 1piece

Sugar: 60gms

Water: 200ml

Method

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Make Sabayon with egg yolk and add whipped cream along with vanilla pods to make the mousse. Boil the milk and add cardamom, rice, pista and sugar. Simmer on slow heat and cook well. Make sugar syrup by melting sugar on high heat and add mandarin. Assemble in layers starting with the kheer in the bottom layer, followed by mousse and finally add the candied mandarin on top.

(Recipe Courtesy: Chef Abdul Wahid)

Kozhi Chettinad

Ingredients

Chicken: 500gms

Onions: 2 large sliced thinly

Tomatoes: 2 medium size cubed

Ginger Garlic Paste: 2 tbsps

Curry Leaves: 10-12

Oil: 2 tbsps

Turmeric Powder: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Lemon Juice: 2 tbsps

Coriander Leaves /Cilantro: 3 tbsps, finely chopped

Chettinad Masala

Coriander Seeds: 3 tsps

Dry Red Chillies: 4-5

Fennel Seeds: 2 tsps

Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp

Cinnamon Stick: 5cm stick

Black Stone Flower: 3 pieces

Whole Peppercorns: 2 tsps

Cardamom Pods: 5

Star Anise: 1

Cloves: 4

Fresh Coconut: 1/4 cup

Method

In a bowl add salt, turmeric powder and lemon juice to the chicken and mix well. Let it marinate for 15 to 20 mins. Now to make the Chettinad masala, dry roast all the spices except the coconut in a circular deep cooking pot until they turn golden brown. Once it begins to emit an aroma, add the freshly grated coconut and let it all roast until the coconut also becomes light golden. Move them into a mixer and grind them into a fine smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan, add the onions and cook them until they turn soft. Add in the curry leaves and the ginger garlic paste. Sauté it for a min. Then add the marinated chicken and mix it well.

Add the cubed tomatoes next and cover the pan. Allow it to cook for 10 mins. Switch off the heat and let the steam go all by itself. Transfer the chicken into the same cooking pot used to dry roast all the spices. Add water if needed. Add the ground masala, mix it well and cover the pot and let the dish simmer for 10 mins. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve.

(Recipe Courtesy: Chef Prakash Patil)