Food Trails with Tushita: Your ultimate culinary journey!

Rakhi is a festival of love and togetherness. It is incomplete without delicious homemade treats. Here are Rakhi Special Recipes curated by Chef Swapnadeep Mukherjee, Executive Chef at The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, to add authentic flavors to your festive table.

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1. Bhutte Ki Tikki – Crispy Corn Delight

Ingredients:

• Baby corn – 300 gm
• Potato pahari – 95 gm
• Ginger (chopped) – 15 gm
• Green chilli – 10 gm
• Olive oil – 5 ml
• Salt – to taste
• Coriander leaves – 20 gm
• Yellow chili powder – 5 gm
• Black cumin – 5 gm

Method:

• Mix finely chopped blanched baby corn with boiled potato.
• Add all ingredients and salt to taste. Make a medium soft dough.
• Divide into eight to ten equal portions.
• Wet hands with water and flatten each portion into a disk.
• Shallow fry in olive oil. Serve hot with sauce or mint chutney.

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2. Khatte Meethe Aloo – Sweet and Tangy Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Potatoes (boiled) – 200 gm
• Desi ghee – 50 gm
• Cumin seeds – 2 gm
• Turmeric – pinch
• Fresh anardana – 10 gm
• Sendha salt – 2 gm
• Green chilli – 1 no.
• Ginger – 2 gm
• Fresh coriander (chopped) – 5 gm
• Lemon juice – dash

Method:

• Heat ghee in a pan and crackle cumin seeds.
• Add potatoes and stir fry for two to three minutes.
• Add remaining ingredients except anardana and lemon.
• Stir fry for two more minutes.
• Finish with fresh anardana and lemon juice. Serve hot.

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3. Paneer Aloo Pakora – Festive Crunch

Ingredients:

• Potato (mashed) – 2 pcs
• Paneer – 1 pc
• Besan – 50 gm
• Ajwain – ¼ tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Garam masala – ¼ tsp
• Fresh coriander – for garnish
• Cheese – 1 tbsp

Method:

• Mix mashed potato, masala and cheese. Keep aside.
• In another bowl, mix besan, ajwain and water to make batter.
• Cut paneer slice in half like bread slices.
• Stuff mashed potato mixture between two paneer slices.
• Dip into batter and fry. Serve with mint chutney.

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4. Sattu Cashew Barfi – Nutty Sweet Treat

Ingredients:

• Chana Sattu – 250 gm
• Ghee – 200 gm
• Coarse sugar (bhura chini) – 175 gm (or to taste)
• Cashew nuts (finely chopped) – 15–20 pcs
• Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Method:

• Heat ghee in a wok and roast sattu on low flame.
• Stir continuously till aromatic. Turn off flame and cool.
• Add sugar, cardamom powder and cashews. Mix well.
• Spread mixture evenly on a tray and cut into barfi pieces.
• Serve and enjoy this festive dessert.

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5. Tandoori Paneer Tikka Chaat – Smoky & Spicy

Ingredients (for paneer tikka):

• Paneer – 500 gm (cut into 1 ½ inch pieces)
• Ginger root (minced) – 1 tbsp
• Garlic (minced) – 1 tbsp
• Plain yogurt – ½ cup
• Chili powder – 1 tbsp
• Haldi powder – 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice – 2 tbsp
• Garam masala – 1 tsp
• Olive oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt – to taste

Ingredients (for chaat):

• Tamarind chutney – 2 tbsp
• Roasted cumin powder – 1 tbsp
• Black salt – ½ tsp
• Red chili powder – ½ tsp
• Red onion (finely chopped) – 1 cup
• Lemon juice – 1 tsp
• Cilantro leaves – for garnish

Method:

• Heat mustard oil and mix with chili powder, haldi, and spices. Cool and add yogurt, salt, and lemon juice to make marinade.
• Coat paneer pieces in marinade. Rest for 5–10 minutes.
• Brush grill pan with olive oil and cook paneer on medium flame (5 minutes each side).
• Mix paneer tikka with tamarind chutney, cumin powder, black salt, red chili powder, onion, and lemon juice.
• Garnish with cilantro and serve.