Food special: Chef Himmat Rautela shares two traditional recipes to warm up your winter

The chef loves to present the familiar soul-satisfying traditional dishes, but with a bit of a healthy twist
Chef Himmat Rautela
Chef Himmat Rautela

If not a culinary professional, chef Himmat Rautela would have surely been into photography or cricket, the two other passions in his life. As a corporate chef of Fast Fiddle Restaurants, Himmat heads popular dining brands like Lord of the Drinks, Tamasha, Dragonfly Experience, Jalwa and Daddy among others, and always tries to curate dishes that have flavourful notes of the local traditional cuisines. A believer in sustainable food chains and molecular gastronomy, the chef loves to present the familiar soul-satisfying traditional dishes, but with a bit of a healthy twist. “Currently, the food industry is showing a positive inclination towards seasonal, organic and local produce with a greater thrust on sustainability. Hence slow-cooked, healthy dishes with a twist are in great demand among the environment-friendly young gastronomes,” the chef tells us. Himmat shares two such easy-to-cook, traditional winter recipes with Indulge, which have his signature healthy twist.

<em>Afghani Chicken</em>
Afghani Chicken

Afghani Chicken

Ingredients: Chicken thigh pieces 240 gm | Ginger garlic paste 50 gm | Cashewnut paste 50 gm | Proceed cheese 20 gm | Fresh cream 50 gm | Hung curd 75 gm | Refined oil 50 ml | Garam masala 5 gm | Salt and white pepper powder to taste.

Method

■ First, clean the chicken thigh pieces and cut them into small pieces (40 gm each).

■Then marinate them with hang curd, cashew nut and cheese paste, ginger garlic paste, garam masala, salt, pepper, refined oil.

■Keep it overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.

■Cook in a clay oven and serve with mint chutney, salad and papad.

<em>Mustard Custard Fish</em>
Mustard Custard Fish

Mustard Custard Fish Tikka

Ingredients: Bekti fish 250 gm | Hung curd 100 gm | Salt | Kasundi 25 gm | Mustard oil 50 ml | Green chilli paste 5 gm | Cumin powder 5 gm | Black salt | Red chilli powder 5 gm | Ginger garlic paste 25 gm | Chat masala

Method

■Wash and pat dry all the bekti fish pieces.

■ In a bowl, put the hung curd, salt, mustard paste, kasundi, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste, jeera powder, garam masala, mustard oil, red chilli powder and make a smooth paste.

■ Now, add the mix/marination to the fish and mix it gently. Cover the marinated fish and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

■ Cook in a clay oven (tandoor); sprinkle some chat masala before serving. Usually served with mint sauce and onion rings (slices).

sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @sharmidas

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