Let the festivities begin

It’s raining festive times across the globe this week! With the world around eagerly awaiting Easter, it’s doubly festal for south Indians with the Puthandu (Tamil New Year) and Vishu (Kerala New Year) right around the corner. Whether it is an exquisite south Indian fare or a hearty, sinful bake that you want to place on your table and win your family’s hearts over, we’ve got you sorted for a yummilicious weekend.

You could have the spirit of the auspicious days reflect in your meals with this quick-to-make ada pradhaman payasam, or transport yourself to the land of gods and coconuts with a pachadi, that will also help you beat the extreme heat. For the much Easter ‘egg-cited’ diner in you, treat yourself to this beef wellington and sate that sweet tooth with a luscious baked cheesecake. Have a sumptuous weekend!

Ada pradhaman payasam
Ingredients:
Ada (Rice flakes)— 300 gms
Jaggery — 300 gms
Coconut milk (first press) — 300 ml
Coconut milk (second press) — 500 ml
Ginger, cardamom, cumin (powdered) — 1 tsp each
Ghee — 50 ml
Cashewnuts — 10 gms

Method:
Melt jaggery in water to a thick consistency and pass through a strain.
Saute the ada in ghee and add the jaggery syrup and boil.
To the mixture, add the second press coconut milk and boil to a thick consistency.
Add first press coconut milk to this, with powdered spices.
Garnish with roasted cashews and serve.

Pachadi
Ingredients:
Pineapple —  500 gms
Chilli powder — 5 gms
Jaggery — 2 gms
Sugar — 70 gms
Coconut (grated) — 2 gms
Curd — 250 ml
Mustard seeds — 5 gms
Cumin — 2 gms
Red chillies (whole) — 3
Coconut oil — 15 ml
Curry leaves — handful

Pachadi

Method:
Boil cut pineapple pieces with turmeric, chillies, salt and curry leaves in water.
Make a paste of coconut and mustard seeds and add to the pineapple mixture. Add in curd and sugar.
In a pan, crackle some more mustard seeds, cumin, and curry leaves. Add the tempering to the curd mix. Mix well and serve.
(Recipes by chef Jaya Prasad, Ente Keralam)

Beef wellington
Ingredients:
Tenderloin fillet— 1 kg
Salt and pepper — To taste
Mushrooms — 1 kg
Spinach crepe — 50 gm
Yellow mustard — 2 tbsp
Puff pastry — 250 gms
Egg yolks — 2

Method:
Blitz the mushrooms in a processor into a rough paste and cook it over high heat to remove moisture.
In a pan, add olive oil and sear the seasoned beef in the hot pan for 30 sec on each side.
Remove the beef from the pan and brush all over with mustard.
Lay a sheet of cling film on a work surface and arrange spinach crepe over it. Spread the mushroom paste over the crepe and place the seared beef in the middle.
Roll all the ingredients into a tight barrel and twist the cling film ends and chill for 15 to 20 minutes.
Roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle; remove the cling film and lay the beef in the centre. Wrap the pastry around the beef, tightly securing it by brushing with egg yolks.  
Heat the oven to 200 C and bake the beef for 15 minutes. Rest it for 10 minutes and slice and serve.  
(Recipe by chef Vamsi Krishna, Park Hyatt Chennai)

Baked blueberry cheesecake
Ingredients:
Cream cheese— 300 gms
Sugar — 100 gms
Eggs — 8
Corn flour — 50 gms
Sour cream — 50 gms
Fresh cream — 150 ml
Blueberries — 50 gms
Butter (unsalted) — 50 gms
Chocolate cookie crumbs — 100 gms
Sugar — 75 gms
Liquid glucose— 25 gms
Frozen blueberries — 150 gms

Method:
For the crust
Make the crust with the cookie crumbs and melted butter and spread it in the bottom of a cheesecake mould. Set in the fridge for half hour.

For the cheesecake
Beat the cream cheese, corn flour, sugar and add the eggs one by one. Add in sour cream, cream, orange zest and mix without lumps.
Pour the mixture into the mould and spread few blueberries on top. Bake using double boiling method for 45 min at 175 C.
Make a blueberry compote using the frozen blueberries, sugar, and liquid glucose.
Demould the cheesecake, pour enough compote on top. Cut and serve using vanilla wafers or candied Easter eggs.
(Recipe by chef Deena Dhayalan, The Residency Towers)