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Here's a quick guide to whip up a complete Italian meal

Italian cuisine has tantalisingly found its way into the city. Be it the newly opened restaurants or MNC canteens, live pasta counters have become a must have. Select Italian coups, salads, main courses, and yummy desserts have become quite a rage of late. Take a look at the recipes of some of the most popular delicacies.

Minestrone soup

Ingredients

Cabbage: 100 gms
Tomatoes: 100 gms
Onions: 100 gms
Carrots: 50 gms
Turnip: 30 gms
Leeks: 30 gms
Celery: 10 gms
Parsley: 10 gms
Macaroni pasta: 50 gms
Cheese: 30 gms
Garlic:10 gms
Salt to taste
A pinch of pepper
Oil: 15 ml
Basil leaves: 10 gms
Vegetable stock: 200 ml

Method: Wash and chop vegetables. Blanch and chop tomatoes. Heat oil and sauté chopped onion, carrots and turnips. Add vegetable stock to the sautéed vegetables. Allow it to boil. Add macaroni (Or any other pasta of your choice) and simmer till it is 3/4th done. Add remaining vegetables till "Al Dante" (firm to bite). Add tomatoes and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

Red cabbage salad

Ingredients

Red cabbage, shredded: 4 cups
Red wine vinegar: 4 tbsp
Salt to taste
White pepper powder: 20 gm
Dijon mustard: 2 tbsp
Green olive slices: 1 tbsp

Method: Mix shredded red cabbage, red wine vinegar and salt and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

Then add the remaining ingredients. Toss well and serve garnished with olive slice.

Poached fish with white wine sauce with grilled tomato, mashed potato

Ingredients

Fish fillet: 2 nos

Fish stock: 100 ml
Onion, chopped : 30 gms
Carrots, chopped : 30 gms
Celery, chopped : 15 gms
White wine: 30 ml
Salt to taste
Pepper powder: 10 gms
Nutmeg powder: A pinch
Tomato: 1 no
Potato: 1 no
Parsely, chopped : 1 tsp

Method: Clean fish fillet. Add fish stock, chopped onions, carrots, celery, white wine and salt in pan and simmer. Add fish fillet to it. Allow it cook on simmer. Remove fillet when cooked.

Strain the liquid and allow it to reduce. Adjust seasoning.

Remove the eye and grill tomato. Peel the skin, cut potato into small cubes and boil. Once cooked, strain it and toss it in a pan to remove excess moisture. Immediately crush the tossed potatoes with a fork. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg powder. Pass it through potato sieve to get a smooth texture.

Arrange all the ingredients on a warm plate and serve hot.

Tiramisu

Ingredients

Egg yolk of two eggs
Egg: 1 no
Grain sugar: 90 gms
Gelatin: 10 gms
Mascarpone cheese: 80 gms
Whipped cream: 100 gms
Liquid of 20 gms coffee
Rum: 20 ml
Sugar syrup: 10 ml
Coco powder: 10 gms
Sponge cake base: 1 no

Method: Beat egg yolk and sugar till still froth. Add dissolved gelatin to the whipped mixture and keep it aside. Add mascarpone cheese to the above mixture. Add coffee liquid and fold in whipped cream to the mixture. Line the rim with fatless sponge and sprinkle coffee and rum infusion on the sponge. Put the mixture on top of the sponge and arrange sponge and mixture in alternative layers. Repeat this twice and finally layer will be of mixture. Keep this in the refrigerator and sprinkle with coco powder before serving.

(The writer is Executive Chef at ITC Hotel Kakatiya Sheraton and Towers)

RAMESH GHAI

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