In our ongoing series on festive recipes to make at home, Chef Vivek Kalia, the Executive Chef at Westin Kolkata Rajarhat walks you through a fragrant twist on hummus, with an earthy, dukka-spice. Serve it with an assortment of fresh crudites on the side, and your party is good to go!
HUMMUS DUKKA
Ingredients
1 can / 425 grams chickpeas drained and rinsed (about ¾ cup dried chickpeas)
1 clove garlic finely diced or crushed
3 tablespoons tahini paste/sesame seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 tablespoons water and more as needed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¾ teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon red chili powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons dukkah (blended walnuts, almonds (hazelnuts are more commonly used, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, salt, freshly ground black pepper)
Instructions
1. If using dry chickpeas, soak them in water overnight and then boil in salted water for about 45 minutes – 1 hour till soft. Alternately, you can also pressure cook the chickpeas.
2. Add chickpeas, garlic, tahini paste, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cumin seeds, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of water and process for a few seconds.
3. Scrape down the sides, and add more water as necessary until the hummus is smooth and creamy. Add water a tablespoon at a time till the desired consistency is reached. Taste, and adjust seasonings if required.
4. Pour in a dish, and drizzle over the remaining olive oil along with dukkah. Serve with carrots or toasted pita bread.
PITA BREAD
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup for dusting
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp yeast
1 cup warm water
Instructions
1. Combine all-purpose flour, wheat flour, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix.
2. Add the yeast to warm water and stir to dissolve completely. Pour this in the mixing bowl along with olive oil and then combine everything into a sticky mass.
3. Transfer to your worktop dust with additional flour and knead for 8-10 mins until you get a soft and tacky dough. (Refer the detailed instructions from the above paragraphs).
4. Lightly oil the same mixing bowl. Transfer the dough into it, coat it with olive oil from all sides to refrain it from drying and then allow it for first proofing -2 hours.
5. After 2 hours lightly deflate the gas and divide the dough into 10 equal parts. Tuck the sides in of it and give it a round shape. Press in the center and cover with a tea towel. Repeat the process until you shape all of them into roundels.
6. Take the first dough that you shaped and roll it thinly and evenly to 6 inches in diameter. Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and cover with a tea towel.
7. Once you have rolled out all the roundels allow it for second proofing - 30 mins.
8. Preheat the oven to 230 degree Celsius with the baking stone inside. Right before baking flip the rolled out dough on to the stone and bake for 4-5 mins until it is nicely puffed up.
9. To make it on a stovetop make sure that the skillet is hot. Flip the rolled out dough and place it on the hot skillet. After about 20 sec flip the dough and you will observe that the dough puffs up like a balloon in minute's time. Flip it over again and cook on both sides.
10. Wrap it in a tea towel as soon as it comes out of the oven or skillet to keep it soft.
11. Pita bread tastes best when still warm.
ROSETTE DE LECHE
Ingredients
Milk 3000gm
Water 1625gm
Sugar 125gm
Water 125gm
Final mixing
Grain sugar 100gm
Cardamom powder 10gm
For garnish
Cold glaze 200gm
Dehydrated rose petals 500gm
Gold leaves sheet 3
Method
1. Boil the milk in a kadai.
2. Reduce the flame, continue cooking and scraping at the bottom of the kadai to avoid the milk to burn.
3. Continue cooking the milk until it is reduced to 1/4th of the total quantity of milk or till u get a thick mass.
4. Once mawa is ready, add sugar and water. Continue cooking.
5. During this process water will start evaporating and the milk solids will start turning brown.
