Let the celebrations begin; it’s Raksha Bandhan after all! This day is all about having fun and spending quality time with your sibling. Remember all those silly pillow fights, making funny faces and secret languages? Well, guess what? On Rakhi, all those things aren’t just fun — they’re the star of the show! So, why not go all out and whip up something really special for your sibling? No need to stress about recipes, we’ve got you covered. So, make this day extra awesome with a delicious spread that shows how much you care.
Chatpata Prawns
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An easy recipe to kickstart the festive spread.
Ingredients:
- Prawns (deveined and cleaned): 300gm
- Lemon juice: ½ of a small cup
- Salt: To taste
- Chilli flakes: To taste
- Black peppercorns: 1 tablespoon
- Butter: 8-10 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Remove any excess water from the prawns and marinate them with lemon juice, salt, and chilli flakes. Place them in the freezer for a minimum of 20 minutes
- Melt butter in a frying pan and heat it up
- Next, toss in the black peppercorns and sauté them well
- Introduce the marinated prawns and cook them on a low flame for 7-8 minutes. Serve piping hot.
Tip:
- If you have a large quantity of prawns, it’s best to cook them in batches for optimal results
Keema Pulao
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A meaty pulao recipe that’s a perfect Raksha Bandhan treat.
Ingredients:
- Long grain Basmati rice: 1 large cup
- Whole garam masala: 1 tablespoon
- Mutton keema: 300gm
- Ginger paste: 2 tablespoons
- Garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
- Cumin powder: 1 tablespoon
- Coriander powder: 1 and ½ tablespoons
- Turmeric powder: 1 tablespoon
- Fried onions: 1 large cup
- Fried cashews: 20 pieces
- Fried raisins: 20 pieces
- Bay leaves: 2 large
- Salt: To taste
- Saffron: 1 tablespoon
- Sunflower oil: 4-5 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Soak the Basmati rice for 10-15 minutes and wash light handedly
- Heat water to cook the rice. Drop a cloth ball with the whole garam masala spices in it, or put the spices in a closed strainer and add in the water
- Add a pinch of salt, mix well and add rice once the water is steaming hot
- Cook rice and then strain excess water, spread on large plates and let it air dry. Remove the garam masala pouch
- Meanwhile, marinate mutton keema with half portion of fried onions, ginger and garlic paste, cumin and coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Preferable to keep it marinated overnight or minimum 30-45 minutes
- Add oil in a pressure cooker and heat well. Add bay leaves and saute. Now add the mutton keema, mix well and cook on high flame under careful supervision for 5 minutes, and on low flame with the cover on for 20 minutes
- Once the keema has been sauteed nicely, add the required amount of water to cook it. Add the lid and cook for 2-3 whistles on low flame. Check if the keema is fully cooked along with checking the seasoning
- Now add rice, remaining fried onions, cashew and raisins in the same pressure cooker and mix gently. Check seasoning. Do not lock the lid, but cover it lightly and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Don’t forget to sprinkle saffron over it before serving hot
Mochar Paturi
Shutterstock (Representational image) and Pooja Mitra
You must have tried Mochar Ghonto or Mochar Bora, but have you tried Mochar Paturi?
Ingredients:
- Mocha or banana blossoms: 1 large cup chopped
- Banana leaves: 8
- Grated coconut: 1 large cup
- Mustard seeds and poppy seeds paste: 7-8 tablespoons
- Finely chopped green chillies: 1 tablespoons
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: To taste
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Slit green chillies: 8
- Mustard oil: 8-10 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Boil banana blossoms with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder for 2-3 whistles and strain excess water
- Mash well removing any remaining water
- Add grated coconut, mustard and poppy seed paste. Add required amount of salt, sugar and turmeric powder
- De-vein and cut the banana leaves in medium sized pieces. Toast lightly
- Make small sized cutlets out of the marinated banana blossoms. Place them at the centre of the banana leaf, place a slit green chilli, sprinkle some mustard oil and add a small dollop of grate coconut
- Fold and wrap gently, tying with a thread
- Add mustard oil in a frying pan and heat well. Place the Paturis and cook for 5 minutes each on both sides. Don’t forget to add a lid and keep the flame low while frying
Tip:
- If you have some prawns at home, marinate them with salt and turmeric powder and saute lightly. Place a prawn on the top of each cutlet, before adding grated coconut, green chilli and mustard oil
Mirchi Salan
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If you don’t want to pair the Keema Pulao with Mutton Kosha or Chicken Chaap, the next best option is Mirchi Salan.
Ingredients:
- Long green chillies: 10-15 pieces
- Grated coconut: 2 tablespoons
- White sesame seeds: 2 tablespoons
- Peanuts: 1 tablespoon
- Ginger paste: 1 teaspoons
- Garlic paste: ½ teaspoon
- Green chilli paste: ½ teaspoon
- Finely sliced onions: 1 medium
- Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
- Black mustard seeds: ½ teaspoon
- Curry leaves: 8-10 leaves
- Ripe tamarind: 6-8 tablespoons
- Salt: To taste
- Sugar: To taste
- Turmeric powder: 1 teaspoon
- Red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Kashmiri red chilli powder: 1 teaspoon
- Garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Sunflower oil: 2-3 tablespoons
Recipe:
- Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds and grated coconut, one by one, in the same pan. Keep the flame low
- Soak the tamarinds in water for an hour and make a pulp after removing seeds
- Add oil in a frying pan and saute the onions until golden
- Now add ginger and garlic paste, a pinch of salt and turmeric powder. Mix well and saute for 2-3 minutes on low flame
- Cool all the ingredients and make a smooth but not runny paste
- Meanwhile, wash the green chillies gently and wipe off any excess water. Slit carefully and deseed
- Coat the green chillies with salt, red chilli powder and turmeric. Add oil in a frying pan and saute them for about 2 minutes. Remove the green chillies from the pan
- Now add some more oil in the same pan and heat well. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds and temper the spices well
- Add the blended spices and mix well
- Add salt, sugar, tamarind paste, chilli powders and garam masala. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the gravy is thicker in consistency. Check seasoning
- Add chillies, cover and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the flame and the Salan is ready
Lemon Possets
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Wrap up the Rakhi luncheon with a restaurant-like dessert made at home.
Ingredients:
- Lemon juice: 6-7 tablespoons
- Lemon zest: ½ teaspoon
- Full fat cream: 500ml
- Castor sugar: 200gm
Recipe:
- Add cream and sugar to a pan and stir until sugar dissolves completely. Boil the mixture for about 2-3 minutes. Keep the flame low
- Turn off the heat, remove the pan from the gas oven. Add lemon juice and lemon zest
- Allow the mixture to sit and cool for 10-15 minutes
- Freeze for minimum 2 hours, preferably overnight
- For serving, you can either scoop a few lemons, add the mixture in them and freeze. Or pour them in bowls of your choice, freeze, and serve