New Delhi, Nov. 12 -- Unlike other festivals, Diwali is when one prefers to stay at home, lighting up each corner of the house and whipping up a special meal for friends and family. Even our big Bollywood stars believe in staying home and celebrating this festival, savouring their favourite food. While buzz is that at the Bachchan household, Diwali is going to be big as it's Big B's grand-daughter Aaradhya's first Diwali, the big Kapoor family - Rishi, Randhir, their kids Ranbir, Riddhima, Kareena, Karishma and the rest - visit each other and a lavish non-vegetarian spread is laid out on Diwali.
While this year, Ranbir is off to Mauritius with actor Katrina Kaif for a Diwali function there, it's Kareena's first Diwali post her wedding to actor Saif Ali Khan. So, as Bollywood gets busy celebrating their festival of lights, we bring to you the recipes of some of their most-loved dishes that you can make at home today. Dine like the stars and impress your guests!
Amitabh Bachchan : Sev Paapdi Chaat
Kolkata's Chinese food and Lucknow's chaats are two of Big B's biggest weaknesses. While Chinese food in Kolkata's Tangra area is his favourite, the superstar is often known to visit the Chhappan Bhog shop in Lucknow to savour his favourite chaats. In fact, some of his favourite chaats were part of his 70th birthday bash menu too. Here's one of Big B's favourite sev paapdi chaat created by chef Jitender of Colours 'N' Spice, The Village Restaurant Complex
Ingredients: 7 pieces paapdis, 50gm curd, 15gm mint chutney, 20gm sweet chutney, 10gm onion, 1gm red chilli powder, 2 potatoes, Salt to taste, 20gm sev bhujia, a bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
Method: Line paapdis on a plate and add the potato and onion. Pour the beaten curd on the paapdis. Drizzle sweet chutney and mint chutney on top. Now sprinkle salt and chilly powder and chat masala. Top it with aloo bhujia or sev and finely chopped coriander leaves. Sev paapdi chaat is ready to eat.
Shah Rukh Khan: Lamb Raan
Shah Rukh lives on tandoori chicken, so much so that once King Khan himself admitted in an interview to a London-based magazine that sometimes his cooks get so bored of cooking the same thing that they quit! Apart from chicken, this hard core meat eater loves to gorge on lamb raan that reminds him of his dad, who used to make it for him as a kid. Chef Nawal Prakash of Under One Roof Hotel Consultants tosses up SRK's favourite lamb raan.
Ingredients: 1 leg of lamb, 5gm pepper, 5gm shahi jeera, 60ml mustard oil, 100gm onion (sliced), 10gm mint leaves. For first marinade: 50gm ginger-garlic paste, 5gm salt, 5ml lemon juice, 2gm turmeric and 10gm red chilli powder. For second marinade: 3 gm black cardamom powder, 2gm clove powder, 200gm yoghurt (hung), 2tsp balsamic vinegar
Method: Clean the lamb leg trim the extra fat. Season it with the first marinade. Leave it for an hour, and marinate again in the second marinade. Leave for three hours in the refrigerator. Fry shahi jeera along with sliced onions. Put the lamb in a pot and pour in hot oiland the fried onions over it. Partially immerse the lamb leg in meat stock and cook on slow flame. When the meat is 80% cooked cook on high flame to dry up the moisture. Allow it cool. Place the meat in a tandoor for a 10-12 minutes or preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.
Ranbir Kapoor: Mutton Paya
The rockstar's favourite food isn't barfi but the authentic Peshawari mutton paya cooked at his grandma, the late Raj Kapoor's wife Krishna Kapoor's house. Made by a khansama, who's been with them since the last 50 years, Ranbir once said in an interview that he literally grew up on that paya, and even now the very smell takes him back to his childhood. Chef Tapan Rozario of Zo whips up RK's favourite mutton paya.
Ingredients: 4 mutton legs cleaned, 1 tbsp coriander (whole), 1 tbsp jeera (cumin seeds), 1 onion (chopped), 1 tsp pepper, 2 green chilies, 5-6 cloves garlic (chopped), 10 black peppers, 2 tbsp oil, salt to taste
Method: Wash the mutton legs and pat dry. Now, mix the onions, garlic, black pepper, coriander, zeera, salt, chillies and oil in a bowl and smear all over the the mutton legs. Leave it for about half-an-hour and then cook it in a pressure cooker until you get about five to six whistles. Wait till it cools down and add a little bit of salt. Cook it again till you get two-three whistles. Crush the black pepper and sprinkle it over the curry. Boil for two minutes and serve.
Katrina Kaif : Rice Kheer
If you thought sugar was a strict no-no for our Bollywood divas in order to maintain their svelte curves, you have to hear it from Katrina, whose favourite food is rice in sugary milk with a hint of cardamom. Once, in an interview Katrina confessed that she's so fond of this simple rice kheer that she can have it at any time of the day. Chef Manoj Upadhyay of Raas whips up Kat's favourite rice kheer.
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked rice (chawal), 2 cups milk, 1/3 cup condensed milk, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom (elaichi) powder, 1 tsp ghee
Method: Mix together the rice, milk and condensed milk in a broad non-stick pan and simmer on a flame, stirring continuously, for about 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and ghee and mix well till the sugar has dissolved. Serve hot.
Kareena Kapoor: Veg Pizza
No, she doesn't survive only on air and water. Now, how she manages to maintain her size zero figure inspite of her love for food is of course a secret. She turned vegetarian in 2006 and loves to gorge on Italian food with pizzas topping the list. Chef Uttam of Pizzeria Rossa creates Bebo's favourite veg extravaganza pizza.
Ingredients: 1 pizza base, 1 spoon cheese spread, 1 spoon pizza spread sauce, 1.5 tbsp oil, 1 onion, 1 capsicum, 1/2 tsp oregano or ajwain, tomato sauce (For base application), salt to taste, 1.5 tsp red chilli powder, 1/2 tsp pepper powder.
Method: Preheat Microwave at 180 degree temperature. Take a readymade Pizza Base and apply on the base the mixture of pizza spread sauce and Cheese spread. Chop veggies into small pieces and add salt, oregano, pepper as per your taste, spread the mixture on base. Place the Ready Pizza base and bake the same in heated microwave for 15-20 mins. Relish hot pizza.
Priyanka Chopra: Chicken Burger
Perhaps the biggest foodie among all Bollywood actors, Pee Cee is a true blue Punjabi absolutely in love with her butter chicken and all things junk. From French fries to pasta and cheese-laden chicken burger, Piggy Chop loves going chomp chomp! Here's how you can make Priyanka's favourite cheese chicken burger, chef Jubin Katar of Cafe Cruise.
Ingredients: 250 gm boneless Chicken, 1 onion, finely chopped, 2 green chilies, 1 egg, 1/2 cup Bread crumbs, Salt to taste, 1/2 cup Mayonnaise, 6 slIces cheese, 1 tbsp Parsley, Crushed black pepper to taste, 3tbsp mustard paste, Burger buns as required
Method: Sprinkle salt and black pepper on chicken. Grind the chicken and green chillies in a chopper. Now put this mixture in a dish, and add egg, parsley and bread crumbs. Knead it well. Make medium-sized balls and then flatten them in to take the shape of burger kebabs according to the size of the buns. Apply oil on baking tray and put these kebabs on the tray and bake them till they are done. Now take them out from oven and place a cheese slice on each kebab and bake them again till the cheese melts over the kebabs. Lightly toast the burger buns and apply mayonnaise and mustard paste on each side. Place chicken kebab on the bottom half of the bun. Top it with salad leaves. Place the top half of bun and enjoy it with lots of fries.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.
