Whether you love cooking or not, love for food surpasses all woes. But with limited food delivery options and safety concern, cooking during this COVID-19 phase can be a task.  Here, we coaxed some chefs from Academy of Pastry & Culinary Arts to share some exciting, innovating, and easy to make recipes that you can try during your working from home days.

Therefore, it’s time to try these lip-smacking recipes right now. From Lamb Donne Biryani to Lamb Tagine (Lebanese Curry). these recipes are the real blockbuster. We meant, greatest of all the time!

1st Recipe – By Chef Jagadish Purushothama

Recipe Name – Lamb Donne Biryani

Ingredients –

Jeera Samba Rice	1 kg
Lamb Curry cut	1.5 kg
Onions (sliced)	500 grms
Tomatoes (sliced)	300 grms
Ginger Garlic Paste	200 grms
Curd	150 grms
Mint Leaves	1 bunch
Coriander leaves	1 bunch
Ghee	200 ml
Oil	100 ml
Bay leaf	2 grms
Cloves	2 grms
Mace	2 grms
Cardamom	2 grms
Star anise	2 grms
Turmeric Powder	½  tspn
Chilli Powder	2 Tblsp
Garam Masala powder	1 Tblsp
Salt	to taste

Method of Preparation–

• Soak Jeera samba rice at least 20 minutes prior.
•  Make fine paste of Mint and Coriander half bunch each and remaining halfchopped and reserved.
•  In a heavy bottom pan add Oil and Ghee together, once hot add all the wholespices.
•  Once whole spices release the aroma add sliced onions and cook until it turnsgolden brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw flavour is gone.
• Add some chopped mint and coriander leaves and fresh green chillies.
• Add Lamb curry cut and cook until the meat is sealed.
• Add Turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt & garam Masala powder and cook forabout 15 to 20 minutes.
• Add sliced tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes gets completely mushy.
• Add curd and cook until the oil is released at the corners of the pan.
• Add the reserved Mint & Coriander paste and cook for another 15 minutes.
•  Add lemon juice and Check for seasoning.
• Add water and bring it to boil. Check the lamb if cooked or need some time.
•  Add in the soaked rice and stir well gently.
• Cook until the rice absorbs about 80% of water.
•  Switch off the flame, add ghee and chopped coriander and mint on top and coverit with silver foil and cover it with lid.
• Place the cooking pot on hot grill under medium heat for about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Once done portion it in a serving bowl and serve hot.

2^nd Recipe – By Chef Jagadish Purushothama

Recipe Name – Lamb Tagine (Lebanese Curry)

Lamb (curry cut)	1 kg
Garlic (minced)	1 Tblsp
Mint	half bunch
Coriander leafs	half bunch
Parsley	For garnish
Cinnamon Powder	1 tsp
Roasted Cumin Powder	2 tsp
Paprika Powder	2 Tblsp
Bay Leaf	2 no’s
Tomatoes (sliced)	5 no’s
Tomato Paste	1 Tblsp
Oil	50 ml
Ghee	50 ml
Olives Black and Green	for garnish
Jalapenos	for garnish
salt & sugar	to taste

Ingredients –

Method of Preparation –

1. Heat up the oil in a large frying pan. Add chopped shallots and fry on a low heat until almost translucent, stirring from time to time.
2. Add chopped garlic. Keep on stirring frequently until the onion is translucent and garlic softens completely and releases its beautiful aroma.
3. Add all the ground spices to the fried shallots and garlic mixture and stir them around well. Fry them off gently for a minute or two stirring the whole time as they burn easily.
4. To prevent burning add water and cook until oil releases at the corner of the pan.
5. Add Lamb curry cut and sear the meat and cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until mushy.
7. Add tomato paste to the pan and stir it into the mixture add sweet potato cubes, and salt to the pan.
8. Cover the pan with a lid to cook potato for about 10 minutes.
9. Add chopped Mint and coriander and cook for another 5 minutes.
10. After about 5 minutes of simmering, take the lid off and let the sauce thicken by simmering it slowly, without the lid.
11. Once the sauce thickens, taste it and season with some black pepper Salt and sugar if needed.
12. Portion the stew into Serving bowl top it with generous amount of Olives. Serve over rice or couscous.

3^rd Recipe – By Chef Jagadish Purushothama

Recipe Name – Machboos al dijaj (Lebanese Chicken Pilaf)

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice	1 kg
Chicken (curry cut)	1 kg
Onions (sliced)	500 grms
Tomatoes (sliced)	300 grms
Parsley	half bunch
Mint Leaves	half bunch
Coriander leaves	half bunch
Ghee	300 ml
Almonds	50 grms
Pistachio	50 grms
Cashew nuts	50 grms
Olive oil	100 ml
Cinnamon Powder	2 Tblsp
Roasted Cumin powder	2 Tblsp
Paprika powder	2 Tblsp

Method of Preparation –

• Use a heavy bottom pan for the Process.
• Add Ghee about 2 to 3 Tblsp, once hot add whole spices, once the aroma is released add sliced onions and cook until translucent.
• Add in all the Spice mix and cook for about 2 minutes.
• Add chicken and sear the meat well. And reserve for later process.
• Immediately add the rice on top, season with salt and pepper.
• Stir all the ingredients together, and then add hot water at a 1:2 ratio. Bring the water to a boil until the rice is cooked about 80%, then reduces the heat to low, cover the pot and allows the rice 15 minutes to cook at the lowest temperature.
• Once the rice fully cooked, turn the heat off, but don’t uncover the pot. You’ll want to leave the rice undisturbed for 5 minutes to allow the steam to finish cooking the rice. Then you can uncover the pot and fluff with a fork or a flat spatula.
• Grill the reserved Chicken and top it on the cooked rice and serve hot.

Note:  The dish can be topped with assorted Nuts which are fried in Ghee.

4^th Recipe – By Chef Charles Jayakumar

Recipe Name–Creamy Polenta with Mushroom Ragout

Ingredients –

Polenta	250 grms
Water / Milk	1000 ml
Cream	100 ml
Grated Parmesan cheese	50 grms
Butter	50 grms
Sage herb	few leaves
extra-virgin Olive oil	25 ml
Salt	to taste

Method of cooking Creamy Polenta:

1. In a medium pot add few table spoon of oil once hot add minced garlic and cook until soft; add 4 cups of water/milk and boil to a high simmer.
2. Add in Sage leaf which is roughly chopped.
3. Add butter to the simmering liquid.
4. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Add 1 more cup of water/milk and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add in Cream and grated Parmesan cheese and mix well until blended well.
6. Turn off the heat and whisk in the olive oil and sea salt. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Season to taste and keep it aside.

Mushroom Ragout:

Button Mushroom	500 grms
Cream	100 ml
Grated Parmesan Cheese	50 grms
Minced Garlic	50 grms
Onion (finely chopped)	1 no
Parsley finely chopped	for garnish
White Wine	60 ml
Salt & Pepper	to taste
Olive Oil	50 ml
Butter	50 grms

Method of Preparation –

• In a medium pot add few table spoon of oil and soft butter once hot add minced garlic and cook until soft;
• Add in finely chopped Onions and cook them until translucent.
• Add in cut mushrooms and wilt it or cook until soft which is for about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Deglaze the Pan with White Wine.
• Add in Cream and cook for about 2 minutes to a simmer.
• Add grated Parmesan cheese and cook until blended well along the mixture.
• Check the seasoning by adding Salt & Pepper.
• Pour the Mixture on top of the reserved Creamy Polenta and serve hot.

5^th Recipe – By Chef Charles Jayakumar

Recipe Name – Broccoli and Corn Cutlets

Ingredients –

Potatoes	2 no’s
Broccoli	250 grms
Sweet Corns	100 grms
Garlic (minced)	2 Tblsp
Onions (fine chopped)	1 no
Olive oil	2 Tblsp
Thyme	10 grms
Bread Crumbs	500 grms
Flour	250 grms
Salt & Pepper	to taste
Oil	for frying

Method of Preparation:

• Boil the potatoes until cooked and mash it using fork and allow it to cool.
• In a Pan or cooking vessel add 2 table spoons of oil and heat. Once hot add minced garlic and sweat.
• Add onions and cook until translucent followed by adding minced broccoli and sweet corn.
• Cook the mixture for about 2 minutes add thyme and seasoning.
• Allow the mixture to cool.
• Once the mixture is cooled mix it with mashed potatoes and check seasoning and add seasoning if required.
• Shape the mixture into cutlets and store in the chiller for half an hour.
• Make slurry using flour and water with a pinch of salt and pepper each.
• Dip the cutlets into slurry and coat them well using bread crumbs all around.
• Fry the cutlets into medium hot oil until the surface of the Cutlets turns Crispy.
• Remove excess oil if any using paper towels. Serve Hot.