MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria came for a cooking masterclass on the first day of Slurrp Great Indian Cookout powered by Weikfield and Glen, and wowed the audience by cooking a lavish 3 course meal under an hour. Chef Pankaj says, “I want people to know that cooking is simple. It is not complicated and time consuming”. The Brand Ambassador of Department of Hospitality Management (DOHM), MIT-WPU, Pune, Chef Pankaj made sure the audience, including the home chefs taking part in the cookout, were convinced that putting together a meal does not require a lot of time, just good planning.
Slurrp's Great Indian Cookout, graced by Chef Pankaj and many more talented chefs was an event par excellence. "What set it apart was the harmonious fusion of MasterChefs and home chefs on a single, inspiring platform—an extraordinary exchange of culinary expertise” says Mr. Bimalendu Tarafdar, Vice President-Marketing, Weikfield Foods. The audience engagement was amazing and Anand Rai, GM Marketing Glen applauded that by saying, "We had the opportunity to engage with a diverse and vibrant community that is truly inspiring. The enthusiasm and energy we encountered were infectious, and it reminded us why we do what we do”.
Chef Pankaj Bhadouria cooked an entire 3 course meal, that included
1. Ghugni Matar Canapés for starter
2. Murg Zafran Pulao for main course
3. Saunfiyan Shahi Tukda for dessert
Let us look at the recipe for all three of these dishes for the next time when you have guests over and have to cook a meal in hurry.
Recipe - MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria
Ghugni Matar Canapés
This is a starter that is easy to make and delicious to eat. As beautiful as it looks, the matar canapes are a perfect amalgamation of innovation and taste. Here is how to make it – Chef Pankaj style!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp hing
- Mint leaves
- 50g processed cheese
- 200g Papdi
- 2 green chillies
- Salt
Method:
- Heat the ghee in a pan.
- Add the cumin seeds and the hing. Allow to splutter.
- Add the chopped onions and sauté for 4-5 minutes till the onions are translucent.
- Add the frozen peas, salt to taste and cook for 3-4 minutes till the moisture begins to dry.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Grind to a coarse paste with the mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chilies and the cheese.
- Fill in a piping bag. Pipe out over papdi. Garnish with sev and pomegranate seeds and serve.
Murg Zafrani Pulao
For the main course, we have the deliciously rich murg zafrani pulao. It is not just quick to make, according to this well-planned recipe by Chef Pankaj, it is a dish that is sure to impress your guests. Here is how you can make it.
Ingredients:
- 2 cup basmati rice
- 2” cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp yellow chilli powder
- 1 star anise
- 2- bay leaves
- 1 tsp caraway seed
- 1 mace blade
- 5-6 green cardamom
- 1 black cardamom
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 cup curd
- 2 green chillies
- 1 g saffron
- 1/2 cup milk
- mint leaves
- 1 kewra water
- 1/4 cup slivered almonds
- salt
- 1 tsp Javitri ilaichi powder
- 750g boneless chicken
- 1 tsp mace cardamom powder
Method:
- Wash and soak the rice.
- In a bowl, mix the yoghurt, ginger garlic paste, yellow chili powder, salt, mace cardamom powder, 2 slit green chilies and mix well.
- Add the boneless chicken and set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the whole spices and allow to splutter.
- Add the marinated chicken and cook for a few minutes.
- Add drained rice, sauté till the rice begins to glisten.
- Add 3 cups water, salt to taste and cook till ¾ done. Now pour over the saffron soaked in warm milk, sprinkle cardamom powder and the kewra water.
- Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and allow to stand for 5 minutes.
Saunfiyan Shahi Tukda
End your meal on a high with this shahi tukda, that is not deep fried at all! This delicious shahi tukda will make sure that your dessert is the star of your show. Here is an easy recipe by Chef Pankaj.
Ingredients:
- 200g Rusk
- 1 Litre Milk
- 2 tbsp khoya
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- Dried Rose petals
- Sliced almonds
- Sliced pistachio
- ¾ cup Sugar
Method:
- Bring the milk to boil in a wide pan.
- Add the fennel seeds, khoya and cook for a few minutes.
- Add the sugar and cook for 2 minutes.
- Now arrange the rusk slices over it and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- To serve, transfer to a serving dish, garnish with rose petals, pistachios and almonds and serve.