Food Plating techniques & Tips

Traditional- this style has been associated with a clock face. By placing the main item and sauce and main dish at 6 o’clock, starch at ten o’clock and vegetable at two o’clock, the presentation of the food looks like a smiling face. It’s very quick, easy and accomplished with minimum training. Banquet service and budget restaurants would benefit from this style presentation.

Choose the right size plate. Choose your plate wisely by making sure it's big enough to allow your food to stand out but small enough that your portions don't look too small.

Choose a complementary plate color. The color of your plate is also significant. White plates are popular because they create high contrast and provide a neutral background for your colorful creations.

White plates are popular because they create high contrast and provide a neutral background for your colorful creations. 

As you begin plating your ingredients, picture the face of a clock.

Some other photography of traditional food plating.

   

Non-traditional- Structured and scattered are the terms associated with non-traditional food presentation. This style allows more creativity in presenting food items but requires a strong understanding of taste texture and flavor combination.

Structured- A bed of vegetables, starches or sauce is centered on the plate and arranged with the main item on top or around the center. 

Strict attention must be paid to the compatibility of the food items on the plate.

Scattered- the main item is centered on the plate and all accompaniments are scattered on the plate.

Once again, strict attention must be paid to the compatibility of the food items on the plate.

The plate should exhibit a focal point (a point or area to which the eye is automatically drawn).

Remember, sauces are used to enhance the food. They are not the focus.

Having the proper food presentation and plating tools is essential to high-quality plating. Here are a few items you should be sure to purchase if you do not already own them.

They are not the focus. As one of the most important products in any chef's toolkit, decorating brushes have a variety of applications.

You can use them for both detailed line work and broad strokes as you apply sauces.

Molds are also very important when plating food. by cutting ingredients to a specific shape and size, you'll provide visual appeal and keep your plate tidy. Ring molds also help you develop height and structure when stacking ingredients. 

Plating wedges come pre-cut with flat, round, or pointed edges and are perfect for smearing sauces and other soft ingredients into designs on your plate.

You'll also want to have a variety of deco spoon on hand. Saucier spoons help you drag smears of sauce across your plate, and you can also choose a utensil with a tapered bowl that's perfect for drizzling and pouring.

Additionally, slotted spoons quickly separate solid from as you complete your presentation.

Squeeze bottles are ideal when applying sauce or aiolis to your finished plate. Many of these items come with adjustable, precision control tips that allow you to apply the perfect amount of product.

Kadhai paneer Recipe

Kadhai paneer

Cottage cheese takes the place of a non- vegetarian dish in an india vegetarian menu. This hot kadhai paneer dish is an all time, colourful favourite.

Ingredients

1 ¼ cottage cheese (paneer)

¾ capsicum juliennes

3 tsp coriander seed powder

3 tsp coriander leaves 

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger, chopped

3 green chillies, chopped

½ cup Peanut oil

2 tsp dry fenugreek leaves

4 red chillies powder

2 cup tomato

Salt

Method

Heat 5 table spoon oil in a kadhai (pan), add garlic paste and sauté till light brown. Add half red chilli powder and coriander powder and Sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in green chillies and ginger, sauté for 30 seconds.

Add tomatoes and stir-cook till the fat surfaces. Add dry fenugreek leaves (methi), salt and garam masala. Set aside.

In another pan heat the remaining oil. Add the capsicum and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the remaining half coriander and chilli powder. Stir for 30 seconds. Stir in cooked masala, reduce flame and stir cook till fat surfaces.

Slice the cottage cheese into the square shape and add. Stir gently for 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle chopped coriander.

Remove to a serving bowl and serve hot with parath or naan.  

ITC Maurya Style Dal Bukhara Recipe

Dal Bukhara

Serves – 4

The dish tastes best after being stored in the refrigerator overnight and reheated.

Ingredients 

1 ¼ cups Black lentils whole (Urad Dal)

1 tsp Red chilli powder

5 oz Cream   

4 oz Butter

4 tsp Garlic paste

4 tsp Ginger paste

5 oz Tomato puree

1 piece of Charcoal

Salt

Method

Pick, clean and soak dal for at least 3 hours; best soaked overnight.

Add 6 cup water to the dal and cook over a low flame heat till grain splits and dal is mashed. It is traditionally cooked over charcoal embers for 6 hours or overnight with 8 cups of water.

Stir the lentils vigorously to mash them.

Add tomato puree, ginger and garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder, butter and cook for an hour till daal is thick.

Add cream and cook for another 15 min, stirring continuously till the fat incorporated into the dal.

Heat the piece of charcoal on direct flame.

Make small bowl aluminium foil and keep the aluminium foil bowl in the pan and put heated charcoal in the bowl.

Pour one teaspoon ghee on heated charcoal and immediately cover the wok, so that the gravy can absorb the essence of coal.

Only cover the bowl for 30 seconds, then remove the charcoal along with aluminium foil bowl. Delicious dal Bukhara is ready to serve. Serve hot with tandoori roti or naan.

12 Easy Dip Recipes - With some INDIAN TADKA

Potato Dip

Ingredients 

1/2 cup boiled mashed potato
1/2 oz fresh mint
2 tsp garlic powder
1 oz cream
1 tbsp cream cheese
salt 

Method
Put all ingredients in a food processor and make a smooth paste. Garnish with coriander leave and serve chilled.

Spring Onion Dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup curd
1 oz finely chopped spring onion
1 oz cream cheese 
1/2 tsp garlic powder 
salt and pepper 

Method 
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well with the help of whisker. Refrigerate for at least 30 min and serve with chips and nachos. 

Corn Dip

Ingredients 

1/2 cup boiled and crushed corn
1/4 cup of milk
1 oz cream
1 tbsp capsicum chopped
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp chilli flakes 
1/2 tsp oregano 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
butter for sauteing 
salt

Method
Combine the milk and cornflour in a small bowl and mix them well. Heat the butter in a non-stick pan then add capsicum, corn, chilli, Orengo, garlic and corn flour and milk mix. Cook for 2 min, at last, add cream and adjust seasoning and serve.

Bengal Gram Dip

Ingredients 

1/2 cup roasted Bengal gram 
8 curry leaves
2 tsp mustard oil
1 whole red chilli
1/2 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp chopped garlic  
1 oz water
salt 

Method

In a grinder add roasted Bengal gram, salt, garlic, water and make a smooth puree. On the other side take a pan heat oil add mustard seed, red chilli, curry leaves and cook for ten sec. Then add Bengal gram puree and serve.

Garlic & Chili Dip

Ingredients 

12 dry red chilli
15 chopped garlic cloves
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
Salt

Method
Soak red chilli in hot water for half an hour and make a smooth paste. heat oil in a small pan then add chopped garlic, chilli paste and cook for 5 min (add little bit water if needed) then add coriander powder and salt. Remove from gas and add lemon juice. Serve with some Indian bread.

Chickpeas Dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup boiled chickpeas 
1 tsp garlic
2 oz  salted butter
1 tsp lemon juice
salt 
coriander leaves for garnishing

 Method
Put boiled chickpeas and salt in a food processor and same water as needed to produce a smooth puree. In a pan add butter, garlic and after that chickpeas puree. Cook for 5 min and remove from the gas then mix lemon juice. Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve.

 Butter Garlic Dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
2 chopped green chilli

Method

Take a smooth butter add garlic powder, green chilli and mix together. Serve with seafood or bread toasts. 

Coriander & Chili Dip 

Ingredients
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
3 green chillies
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
2 garlic cloves
salt
ice for blending

Method
Add all ingredients in a blender jar and blend into a smooth puree. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Chenopodium and Yogurt Dip

Ingredients 

1/2 cup yoghurt
1 oz blanched and chopped chenopodium leaves
1 cloves garlic
few drops of Tabasco sauce
salt

Method
Mix all ingredients in a bowl with the help of whisker and serve chilled.

Red Pesto Dip

Ingredients

1/2 sun-dried tomatoes (Preserved in oil)
3 1/2 oz parmesan cheese
5 garlic cloves
3 oz pine nuts
salt and pepper


Method

Put the tomatoes, garlic cloves, pine nuts, and cheese into a food processor and process the mixture to a rough paste, scraping the sides down frequently. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Cheese Dip

Ingredients

100 ml bechamel sauce
1 1/2  oz mozzarella dip
1 oz cream
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper

Method
In a pan add bechamel sauce cook for one min then add cheese and again cook for 2 min. Finally add cream, oregano and adjust seasoning.

Curd & Coconut Dip

Ingredients

1/2 cup curd
3 tbsp coconut paste
2 tsp mustard oil
1/2 mustard seeds
1 whole red chilli
1 tsp ginger paste
salt

Method
Heat oil in a pan and splutter same mustard then add red chilli, curry leaves, ginger and coconut paste. Cook for few min finally adds curd. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Five Star Hotel Style Dal Makhani Recipe

Five Star Hotel Style 
Dal Makhani Recipe

Here is the recipe of the five-star restaurant style Dal Makhani. I worked hard on dal makhani recipe and tried so many times finally I got the delicious one. Believe me, it’s very rich and creamy in texture. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

240 gm black gram, whole (urad dal)

80 gm kidney beans (rajma)

100 ml milk

200 ml tomato puree

160 gm butter

80 ml Cream

1 tsp red chili

1 tsp garam masala

2 – 3 pinch nutmeg powder

½ tbsp ginger paste

½ tbsp garlic paste

1 tsp fenugreek leaves

1 small piece of charcoal

1 tsp clarified butter

Salt

Masala Potli -

1 big cardamom

2 bay leaves

1-inch cinnamon stick

1-star anise

Method

Pick and clean the black gram and kidney beans. Add salt and rub the mixture with both hands and then rinse with water. Soak the mixture in water overnight.

Add 5 cup of water to the dal with spices potli (make a bundle of spices and tie with the cheesecloth with the help of string) and cook over a low flame till grain splits. Remove spices potli, add milk and cook till the milk is absorbed completely.

It is traditionally cooked over charcoal embers for 6 hours or overnight with 9 cups of water.

Add the tomato puree, ginger and garlic paste, salt and chili powder, butter and cook for an hour till dal is thick.

And last add cream, crushed kasuri methi, nutmeg powder and garam masala stir it very well, and then switch off the flame.

Heat a small piece of charcoal on flame till it becomes hot with the help of tongs.

Keep the hot charcoal in a small bowl. Pour 1 teaspoon clarified butter on the charcoal. Immediately keep this bowl on top of the dal makhani. Cover for 2 minutes.

Garnish with cream and serve with naan. 

Kashmiri Cuisine

  Kashmiri Cuisine: Through the Ages

Traditional Kashmiri cooking is called ‘wazwan’ and comprise mostly non-vegetarian dishes. Wazwan is cooked in special nickel-plated copper vessels over simmering fire of wood preferably from old fruit trees. Between fifteen or thirty preparation of meat are cooked overnight under the supervision of master chef (Vaste Waza). It is rich and aromatic with a wonderful unique flavour. Most Kashmiri including the Brahmins (Kashmir pandit) is meat eaters.

The Kashmiri cuisine is mainly divided between two main communities i.e. Kashmiri pandit and Kashmiri Muslims. Kashmiri pundits are non-vegetarian and they prefer got meat, especially young goat but they do not use onion and garlic in their traditional dishes.

An unavoidable ingredient of Kashmiri cuisine in curd and asafoetida .kashmiri use curd in almost all dishes. Curd helps to reduce the spiciness and impart tartness and also give smooth creamy consistency.

Kashmiri has developed its own specialities in cooking. Locally grown varieties of rice are sweetly fragrant and very light. All the dishes are built around the main course of rice and use saffron colouring and seasoning agent as an ingredient in many of the dishes especially sweets and pulao (a rice preparations). 

The delicious saag is made from the thick-leafed green leafy vegetable called Haak that grows throughout the year. Lotus steam is also an important product for boat-dwelling people and makes a very good substitute for meat.

Mushroom called gucchi are harvested and consumed fresh in summer. They are expensive, therefore used only for specific religion occasion and wedding feasts. Cornbread is an alternative for rice.

Kashmiris use two types of tea that are noon chai, or sheer chai and kahwah. This noon chai where noon means salt in the Kashmiri language. It is made of tea leafs, salt, milk and bicarbonate of soda. The tea gets its unique pink colour from the distinct style of its preparation and of course due to the use of soda. 

While the Kashmiri Muslim call it namkeen chai or noon chai, and the Kashmiri pundits generally call it the ‘sheer chai’. It is usually consumed in Kashmiri households along with breads during breakfast. ‘kahwa tea’ is green tea and it’s exceptional because it has flavour in it like saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nectar. They serve it with lunch or supper on uncommon events.

A special masala cake is made from spice – blends, onion and locally grown chillies that can be stored for a long period of times and used in flavouring curries. Sauces are made from dairy be stored for a long period of times and used in flavouring curries. Sauces are made from dairy-rich products.

Specialities of Kashmiri Cuisine

Yakhni Shorba: a rich, thin mutton based stock flavoured and enriched with ginger, garlic, garam masala etc.

Dhaniwal Korma: meat here is cooked gently in a yoghurt sauce flecked and flavoured with lots of fresh green coriander.

Gosh Taba: large, silky meatballs cooked with curd sauce.

Rogan Josh: meat cubes cooked with whole garm masala, asafoetida, dried ginger, fennel and lots of red chillies.

Rajma Gogji: this is red kidney beans cooked with turnips.

Khurbani Ka Meetha: it is a popular dessert in Kashmir in which dried apricot – socked water are simmered in sugar syrup and mildly flavoured with kewra and saffron.