Special: Top nine weight-conscious, healthy recipes from star chefs of Kolkata

Recipe from Chef Alok Anand, executive chef, JW Marriott, Kolkata

Father Michael Burrata Bruschetta

Ingredients:

Buratta: 800 gms

Heirloom Tomato: 600 gms

Olive Oil: 100 ml

Fresh Basil: 10 gms

Basil Pecan Pesto: 80 ml

Salt: 10 gms

Cracked Pepper: 5 gms

Foccacia: 200 gms

Micro Grains: 20 gms

Method:

Cut tomatoes into wedges and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle fleur de sel (salt) and pepper. Crush basil between palms to release flavour; add to tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup basil and olive oil and mix well. Keep aside in room temperature at least for 30 minutes and up to an hour, stirring occasionally. Place one burrata cheese in centre of each plate. Drizzle some pesto and mix with the tomatoes around and put around the cheese dividing equally. Drizzle with dressing from bowl. Garnish with additional basil leaves and serve with focaccia bread and some micro grains.

Figs Goat Cheese Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

Fresh Figs: 800 gms

Soaked quinoa: 200 gms

Chevre/ Feta: 60 gms

Arugula leaves: 60 gms

Roasted Sweet Potato Dices: 60 gms

Roasted pumpkin seeds: 20 gms

Pomegranate Seeds: 30 gms

Lemon Vinaigrette: 250 ml

Method:

Cook the quinoa: In a small pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Once they start boiling, add the quinoa. Cover and reduce to a low simmer for 20 minutes, until tender.

Prep: Wash and dry all produce. Thinly slice the figs.

Make the vinaigrette: In a large bowl, combine vinegar, 1 lemon juice, and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk in about two tablespoons of olive oil.

Cool the quinoa: Once the quinoa is done, transfer to a large bowl or baking sheet. Place in the freezer for three to five minutes to cool slightly.

 Toss the salad: Toss the cooled quinoa into the vinaigrette along with the figs, pomegranate seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted sweet potato and arugula. Season it with salt and pepper.

Serve: Divide the quinoa salad between plates. Top with the figs, feta cheese, and reserved mint leaves.

Recipe from Chef Madhumita Mohanta, executive chef, The Lalit Great Eastern, Kolkata

Tibetan Thukpa

Ingredients:

Vegetable oil: 1 tbsp 

Chicken stock: 1.5 litres 

Skinless chicken thigh fillet: 300 gms

Rice noodles: 300 gms 

Carrot Jullians: 100 gms 

Half red capsicum, thinly sliced 

Lemon juice: 1 tbsp 

Salt and pepper: To taste        

Chopped coriander: To garnish

Spice paste:

Onion chopped: 50 gms 

Garlic cloves chopped: 2

Chopped ginger: 1 tsp     

Ground cumin: 1 tsp

Ground turmeric: ½ tsp   

Ground Szechwan pepper powder: ¼ tsp       

Asafoetida powder: 1 pinch      

One green chilli, deseeded, chopped 

Chopped tomatoes: 200 gms

Method:

To make the Thukpa you need to make the spice paste first.

To make the spice paste, combine all the ingredients, except the tomatoes, in a blender or food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and process keeping the tomatoes a bit chunky.

To make the Thukpa, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the spice paste and cook, stirring, for six to seven minutes, or until aromatic and the paste starts losing oil from side.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the chicken thigh fillets and simmer gently for 10 minutes or until cooked. Remove the chicken from the stock and shred it by hand when cold.

Now, boil two litres of water in a large saucepan with a pinch of salt. Add rice noodles and cook for two minutes. Drain and wash in cold water. Drain again and set aside.

Add carrots to the stock and simmer for five minutes or until the carrots are just tender. Add the capsicum to the same stock and cook for two to three more minutes. Add the lemon juice and season to taste.

Divide the noodles between bowls and top with chicken. Ladle the stock and vegetables over the noodles and top with coriander. Serve hot.

Arugula and tomato salad

For the salad:

Arugula: 120 gms

Soft goat cheese: 30 gms

Tomato sliced: 80 gms

Pickled red onions: 25 gms

Olive oil: 25 ml

Balsamic vinegar: 20 ml

Dijon mustard: 15 gm

Salt and pepper: To taste

For the onions:

Red onion: One medium red

(Cut into 1/4″ half moons) 
Apple cider vinegar: 120 ml

Sugar: 30 gms

Kosher salt: 15 gms

Mustard seeds: 15 gms

Black peppercorns: One tsp

Water: As required
 

Method:

To make your pickled onions: Boil the water in a small saucepan. Once the water starts boiling, add the onions and allow them to cook for a minute. Drain them using a colander and then add them back to the saucepan.

Add sugar, salt, mustard seeds, black peppercorns, and apple cider vinegar to the saucepan, and then add enough cold water to just cover the onions. Bring the mixture to a boil, allow it to boil for one minute, and then turn off the heat. Allow the onions and brine to cool to room temperature and then pour everything into a glass jar. If the onions are refrigerated it will stay for a few weeks.

To make lemon vinaigrette: Add 60 ml fruit vinegar, 10 ml white wine vinegar, 10 ml of lemon juice, a pinch of crushed pepper and salt and one gram of finely chopped oregano.

For the salad: First the dressing has to be made by whisking together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Toss the arugula in the dressing to evenly coat it and place a pile on each plate. Top each salad with halves of tomatoes and goat cheese crumble and a small pile of pickled onions. Drizzle lemon vinaigrette from top. Serve immediately.

Recipes from Chef Sharad Dewan, The Park, Kolkata

Flat Tummy water

Ingredients:

Filtered water: Six cups

Grated / Julienne ginger: 50 gms

Cucumber, washed and sliced (Medium size): one

One sliced lemon

Mint leaves: 50 gms

Method: Let the mixture infuse overnight; drink it all, the next day

Super Grain salad / Quinoa salad

Ingredients:

Boiled quinoa: 100gms

Green peas: 25 gms

Lentil / Bengal gram sprout: 25 gms

Carrot dice: 25 gms

Cucumber dice: 25 gms

Tomato dice: 25 gms

One lemon

Salt and pepper to taste (Preferably one pinch)

Mix all the ingredients and have it for breakfast

The salad makes you feel full thus reducing the craving for food for a longer period of time. Drink the infused water at regular intervals throughout the day to increase metabolic rate, which helps in reducing weight.
 

Recipes from Chef Vikash Prasad, executive chef, The Westin Kolkata, Rajarhat

Sweet Potato Salad

Marinated with maple vinaigrette dressing, served with soaked raisin, dried apricot and candid walnut

Ingredients:

Sweet potato: 400 gms 

Candied walnut: 40 gms 

Raisins: 20 gms 

Dried apricots: 40 gms

  Honey: 140 gms

Candied walnut:

 Water : 250 ml

Sugar: 250 gms   

Oil: 500 ml    

Walnuts:  240 gms  

  Maltose: 152 gms

Method:

Candied walnut

Water, sugar, cayenne cook to dissolve. Add walnuts and simmer for 20 minutes until it turns into a thick syrup with a large bubble. Heat oil to 160 degrees, drain walnuts, deep fry until they turn dark brown. Place on sheets and season.

Presentation:  Steam the sweet potato for 20 minutes until softened. Mix the honey and sweet potato and place on plate. Garnish with the sweet walnut, dried apricots and raisin

Smoked Salmon

Scottish salmon served with pear and mustard puree, green apple compote, fresh rocket salad

Ingredients:

Smoked salmon: 1 Kg     

Capers: 50 gms

Dijon mustard: 100 gms               

Pears: Five each

Granny smith apple  (Slice the apple and take out the seeds): Six each

Method:

Make a puree with pears, mustard and capers in a blender and keep aside. Place the sliced apple on a platter. Put smoked salmon slices and garnish with some caper. Place the puree on side on a ceramic bowl.

Rice Kheer with Walnut and Plum

A combination of basmati rice kheer with flavour of fresh plum and crunch of walnut, garnished with candid orange

Ingredients:

Milk: 250 ml

Green cardamom powder: 5 gms

Sugar: 75 gms 

Walnuts chopped: 50 gms 

Red plums cut 1 cm diced: 100 gms

Garnish :

Walnuts toasted: 80 gms

Red plums cut 1 cm diced: 80 gms

Method:

Bring milk to the boil. Add sugar and cardamom followed with the rice. Bring to boil again until rice is cooked. Add the plums and mix well. Fold in chopped walnuts and mix well. Spoon the rice into bowls and chill for one hour. To serve garnish with some plums and walnuts.