The end of the year heralds the start of get-togethers and parties that spread good cheer all around and it is hard not to be swept away by this contagious spirit of enthusiasm. But the food at these dos doesn’t necessarily have to mean

the usual chaat, kebabs or snacks-out-of-a-bag, here are some ways in which you can make more than just an impression on your guests.

Prawn cutlets
Ingredients

250 gms of small prawns, shelled and de-veined
2 potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 tbsp of green peas
2 green chillies, minced
2 tsp of ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp of red chilli powder
½ tsp of amchur (dry mango) powder or chaat masala
2 tbsp of coriander leaves, chopped
Breadcrumbs
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method

Blanch the prawns in 2-3 cups of water just until they begin changing colour. Be careful not to boil them completely as they tend to become rubbery when overcooked. Keep this aside and allow them to cool down completely.
In a bowl mix the potatoes, green chilli, ginger-garlic paste, red chilli powder, chaat masala, coriander leaves and the prawns together. Shape these into equal portions and flatten them into discs of half to 1 inch thickness. Coat these in breadcrumbs and let them rest for about five minutes before proceeding.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the cutlets until they’re golden brown on either side. Serve hot with mint chutney or a yoghurt dip.

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Strawberry custard tarts
For this recipe, if you have the option of buying readymade pastry dough it would help save on a lot of time.

Ingredients

For the pastry base
1¼ cups of all-purpose flour (maida)
2 tbsp of powdered sugar
½ cup of cold butter, chopped into small pieces
¾ cup of cold water

For the filling
1 packet of vanilla custard, cooked as per instructions
1 tbsp of Cointreau or any other orange flavoured liqueur
250 gms of fresh strawberries, quartered
3 tbsp of powdered sugar
½ tsp of vanilla essence
1 stick of cinnamon

Method

For the pastry base
Mix the flour and sugar together and slowly add the butter to this. Use your fingertips to combine the butter into the flour, this mixture should now resemble the texture of breadcrumbs. Create a well in the centre of the mixture and slowly pour in the cold water as you combine the dough. Mix well and shape into a log, wrap with cling film and chill for two hours.
Once the pastry is taken out of the fridge, unwrap the cling film and wait for a minute. Use a floured surface to roll out the dough. Don’t use your fingers as the heat generated can cause the butter in the dough to melt and make the dough clingy. Fit the dough into pastry cases, trim out the excess and prick with a fork. Fill with coffee beans or any other kind of pulses and blind bake for 15-20 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius. Remove the beans and allow the pastry shells to cool.

For the filling
Make a syrup by boiling some water in a saucepan on a low flame, add the liqueur, sugar, vanilla essence and cinnamon to this. Allow this to simmer gently until it has thickened. Let this cool down.
Spoon in the custard into the pastry shells and spread evenly. Arrange the strawberry slices on this and finally pour the syrup on each of the cases. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.

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Chicken tikka bruschetta
Ingredients

2 cups of chicken tikka, shredded (you can also use leftover tandoori chicken or any type of kebabs)
8 slices of French bread (or any other crusty bread)
¼ cup of mayonnaise
3 tbsp of mint chutney
2 tbsp of Mozarella cheese, grated
1 tsp of dried herbs
Olive oil
Juice of half a lime
To garnish: Onion rings and mint leaves

Method

Spread the mayonnaise evenly on the bread and arrange the pieces of chicken tikka on this. Drizzle the mint chutney on this and sprinkle the cheese followed by the herbs. Arrange the slices of bread on a baking tray and drizzle some olive oil on this. Bake for about five minutes till the cheese melts. Squeeze some lime juice and garnish with the mint and onions just before serving.

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Ingredients

250 gms button mushrooms, cleaned with the stems chopped
1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and chopped finely
1 green chilli, minced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2-3 spring onions, chopped
½ tsp of Tabasco sauce
½ tsp of soy sauce
4 tbsp of Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

Wash the mushroom caps and allow them to dry. Heat a pan with some oil and add the chopped onions to this. When they begin to sizzle and turn golden in colour, add the garlic and spring onion whites and sauté till they change colour. Now add the green chilli and the chopped mushroom stems to this and sauté until done. Add the red bell pepper, Tabasco sauce and soya sauce, adjust the seasoning and then add the spring onion greens. Lower the flame and sauté for a minute till it just loses the raw flavours. Allow this mixture to cool down till room temperature.
Stuff this mixture into the mushroom caps and sprinkle cheese on top. Place the mushroom caps on a baking tray and drizzle with some oil, grill for about three minutes in a pre-heated oven just until the mushrooms have cooked and the cheese has melted. Serve hot with a dot of salsa on top.

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Zucchini and potato latkes with dill sour cream
Ingredients

For the latkes
2 zucchinis
3 potatoes, peeled
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp of basil leaves, shredded
4 tbsp of maida
2 tsp of cornflour
2 tbsp of curd
½ tsp of nutmeg powder
Water, salt to taste
Oil

For the sour cream
1 cup of sour cream
2 tbsp of dill leaves (suva bhaji), chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Method

For the latkes
Grate the potatoes and zucchini; sprinkle some lime juice on them to avoid discolouring. Keep this aside for about 30-45 minutes so that all the water is drained out. Squeeze out the excess water. Mix the grated vegetables along with all the other ingredients except for the oil. Make a thick batter out of this, the batter shouldn’t be runny or too sticky. Heat a pan and spread some oil on it, ladle out spoonfuls of this batter in the size of pancakes. Drizzle with some more oil and cook on either side until golden brown.

For the sour cream
Whisk all the ingredients together just half an hour before serving. Chill in the fridge and serve with the hot latkes.