Durga Puja Special 2018: Two easy-to-make continental recipes for the holidays 

Renowned chef Shaun Kenworthy shares with Indulge two continental recipes for the Pujas
Crunchy Stuffed Chillies with Guacamole Mayo
Crunchy Stuffed Chillies with Guacamole Mayo

Crunchy stuffed chillies with guacamole mayo

The chillies

For this you’ll need around 20 decent sized chillies about four inches in length. Plunge them into a pot of boiling water and cook for around 30 seconds then drain and set aside to cool. While you’re waiting you can make your filling.

Place in a bowl 200 gm of grated paneer, 50 gm of grated cheddar, 50 gm cream cheese, two chopped jalapenos, a half teaspoon of ground cumin, a tablespoon of chopped coriander and salt and pepper to taste.

To fill, split the chillies down one side and with a teaspoon, gently remove the seeds. Roll a little of the filling in your hand and place it into the centre of your chilli whilst gently palming it to close and place these into the refrigerator to set up a little.

For the batter, I’m going to keep it simple and not even give you a recipe. Just make a simple pakoda batter, dip your chillies into this and roll in breadcrumbs before placing once more into the refrigerator to firm up again before frying.

Guacamole mayo

This sounds complicated but really, it’s not. Spoon half of a ripe avocado into a bowl and mash with a whisk or the back of a fork. Throw in two finely chopped chillies, a tablespoon each of chopped tomato, onion and coriander, the juice of half a lemon and three tablespoons of mayonnaise. Season to taste, fold together and you’re ready to go.

To fry and serve

Heat your fryer or kadai with oil until relatively hot, around 150 degrees centigrade and fry your chillies for around five to six minutes until golden and crunchy.  Serve your chillies with a dollop of your mayo and you’re ready to dip and chomp away.

<em>Charred Chicken Skewers, Chimichurri and Minty Jalapeno Mayo</em>
Charred Chicken Skewers, Chimichurri and Minty Jalapeno Mayo

Charred chicken skewers, chimichurri and minty jalapeno mayo (Serves 4)

The chicken skewers

Cut up roughly 500gm of chicken into thin strips of roughly 20-30 gm each. Marinate them for around 2 to 12 hours with the juice of two lemons, a tablespoon of olive oil, two fresh chillies and a little coriander finely chopped with a little salt and pepper.

The Chimichurri

Into your smallest mixie jug, place half an onion chopped, two green chillies, two cloves of garlic, a small handful each of parsley and coriander, half a teaspoon of dried oregano or four times that much if you can get fresh, four tablespoons each of white wine vinegar and olive oil with salt to taste and blend this to be as smooth or as chunky as you like. 

Minty jalapeno mayo dip

To four tablespoons of hung yoghurt, fold in two chopped jalapenos, a tablespoon of chopped mint, a squeeze of lemon with salt and pepper to taste.

Time to cook

Thread your chicken onto skewers and either grill them on a char grill or pan fry them in a hot pan for around a minute to two on each side until they are tender.

To serve

Spread a layer of the chimichurri on your serving plate, top off with the skewers and place the dip on the side.

<em>Chef Shaun Kenworthy</em>
Chef Shaun Kenworthy

About the author: 

UK-born and bred, Shaun Kenworthy began his career as a Pastry Chef in Yorkshire, Manchester and London. In London, he worked in some of the best gourmet addresses and was part of Conran opening team for The Great Eastern Hotel in London, Alcazar in Paris, Bern’s in Stockholm and Gustavinos in New York. At 25, Shaun was voted amongst the top 10 Pastry Chefs in London.

Arriving in India in 2000 as Executive Chef India Habitat Centre New Delhi and later spent four years as Executive Chef with The Park group of hotels, Shaun is the director of IIHM hotel schools and in his spare time loves to write about food and travel.

Related Stories

No stories found.
Indulgexpress
www.indulgexpress.com