A Christmas lunch menu curated by home chefs

Read on for recipes for Appam and stew, Guava Perad, Carrot Cake, Pidi with nadan chicken curry, and Kala kala

Appam and stew; carrot cake

CHENNAI: All we want for Christmas is...food! From plum cake, cookies and meat preparation to wine and fruit punch, the grand Christmas lunch is something many wait for. If you are thinking of an elaborate menu for a sumptuous lunch this year, CE has you covered.

Here are five delicacies by home chefs that you will surely crave.

1. Appam and stew by Sabitha Rita

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Ingredients

• For appam: Rice: 2 cups
• Cooked rice: ½ cup
• Coconut milk: ½ cup
• Active dry yeast: ½ tsp
• Sugar: 1 tsp
• Salt: to taste
• For stew: Coconut milk: 1 cup
• Mixed vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas): 2 cups
• Onion (sliced): 1
• Green chilies (chopped): 2
• Ginger (grated): 1 inch piece
• Garlic (minced): 3-4 cloves
• Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
• Black pepper: ½ tsp

Method

• For Appam: Soak rice for 4-6 hours; grind with cooked rice, coconut milk, and water to make a smooth batter.
• Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water, add to the batter, and let it ferment for 6-8 hours.
• Add salt, mix well, and make thin pancakes in an appam pan.
• For stew: In a pot, sauté onion, green chillies, ginger, and garlic until fragrant.
• Add turmeric, black pepper, and curry leaves; sauté for a minute.
• Add mixed vegetables (can even add mutton or chicken as an alternative) coconut milk, and salt.
• Cook on simmer until vegetables are tender.
• Adjust seasoning, and serve the stew with appam.

2. Guava Perad or Guava cheese by Rachel Nigli

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Ingredients

• Guavas with red flesh: 1 kg
• Sugar: to taste
• Lemon juice
• Butter: 2 tbsp
• Food colour (optional)

Method

• Steam the fruit till tender and then remove the skin.
• Grind or mash the pulp and filter it so the seeds get separated. Keep the pulp aside.
• In a vessel, add the purée and sugar. The weight of the pulp and sugar should be the same or according to desired sweetness.
• Cook on medium heat till the mixture bubbles and then reduce the heat.
• Keep stirring continuously or the pulp will get burnt.
• Add lemon juice and once the pulp starts leaving the vessel, add two tablespoons of butter and food colour (optional).
• Once the mixture forms a soft dough, test if done by dropping a little in a cup of water. If a ball forms, it is ready to be taken off the stove and poured onto a greased plate.
• Wait till cool and cut according to choice.

3. Carrot Cake by Nia Crystal Franklin

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Ingredients

• Grated carrot: 1 cup
• Maida: 1.5 cups, Sunflower oil:1 cup
• Eggs: 3, Butter: 50 g
• Powdered sugar: 1 cup
• Baking powder: 1 tsp
• Vanilla essence: 2 tsp

Method

• Beat the eggs and add vanilla essence to it.
• Add butter, oil and powdered sugar to that bowl and mix well.
• Sieve maida and baking powder thoroughly (3-4 times).
• Add this mix to the bowl little by little and mix it thoroughly (make sure there are no lumps).
• Add grated carrots to the mixture in the bowl.
• Take a baking pan and butter the surface and edges.
• Pour the cake batter into it.
• Bake the cake at 180 degrees Celsius for 40-45 minutes.
• For decoration, use whipping cream powder and add milk to it then beat it thoroughly until it gets thick. Use the cream to decorate.

4. Pidi with nadan chicken curry by Deena Abraham

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Ingredients

• For Pidi: Raw rice powder: 1 kg
• Grated Coconut: 1 ½ cup
• Jeera: 3 g, Garlic: 1 clove
• Salt to taste

For Chicken curry:

• Chicken: 1.5 kg
• Pepper powder: 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
• Coriander powder: 150 g, Chilli powder: 100 g
• Garlic: 1 clove
• Ginger: 10 g
• Garam masala: 25 g
• Chicken masala: 25 g
• Coconut: 1 cup
• Shallots: 30 pieces
• Curry leaves: A few
• Lemon: 1
• Salt to taste

Method

• For Pidi: Fry raw rice powder and grated coconut in a pan until it turns light brown. Grind jeera and garlic. Add these to boiling water along with salt.
• Knead it like chapathi dough and make it into small balls.
• Boil 2 litres of water in a pot and place these balls in boiling water. Do not stir till the whole thing gets boiled. When it is done, stir with a spoon and allow it to cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Pidi is ready.

For chicken curry:

• Clean the chicken and then cut it into small pieces.
• Marinate by adding pepper powder, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chicken masala, curry leaves, turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder, salt, and lemon juice. Allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Fry coconut and a sliced shallots in a pan and until dark brown. Grind this mixture.
• Add this to the marinated chicken and cook the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes till it is well done. Serve this curry mixed with pidi or on the side.

5. Kala kala by Sabitha Rita

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Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: 2 cups
• Semolina (optional for texture): ½ cup
• Coconut milk: ½ cup
• Ghee: ¼ cup
• Powdered sugar: ½ cup
• Salt: a pinch
• Oil: for deep frying

Method

• In a large bowl, combine flour, semolina, ghee, powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt.
• Gradually, add coconut milk to the mixture and knead it into a soft dough.
• Take small portions of the dough and roll them into small cylinders or shape them using a kala kala mould.
• Heat oil in a deep pan for frying.
• Fry the kala kalas in batches until they turn golden brown and crisp.
• Remove them from the oil and place them on paper towels to absorb excess oil.
• Once cooled down, store them in an airtight container.

• Ingredients
  Turkey: weighing 3 kg
  Mixed vegetables (carrot, potato, beetroot and beans): 3 cups

  Butter

  Method

  • Make a slit in the skin of the turkey at the bottom and smear the butter all around.
  • Place it on a platter of carrot, potato, beetroot and beans cut evenly, and bake for close to two hours at 120°C.
  • After an hour, turn the turkey over to bake.
  • Once done, remove and keep aside. The juice and vegetables from the roast are made into a purée. Pour this sauce over the carved roast while eating.

  Inputs by Aleena Manoj, Aparna U and Sonu M Kothari