Valentine's Day special: These mouth-watering recipes will win you all the love!

The month of February ushers in the season of love and friendship. The Valentine Week begins with Rose Day on the 7th and lasts till the 14th - and this is the time when you can feel the love in the atmosphere around. So, we thought of compiling a list of some mouth-watering Valentine's special recipes which will help you confess your feelings and enjoy a hearty meal as well. 

Recipe: Valentine love maple marinate baked salmon

Prep time-20 min Serves-04

Ingredients

Maple syrup ¼ cup

Soy sauce 02 tbsp

Garlic clove mince 01

Garlic salt ¼ tsp

Ground black pepper 1/8 tsp

Salmon fillet 01 pound

Method

In a small bowl, mix maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, garlic salt and pepper. Place salmon in a shallow baking tray and coat with marinade and refrigerate for 30 min. Preheat oven to 200* C.

Place baking dish in preheated oven and bake salmon uncovered for 20 min. Remove genteelly and place it on a serving dish, with a lemon wedge, parsley and pickled beetroot hearts.

By Chef Vikram Shokeen

Jr. Sous Chef

AT The Ashok, New Delhi

Recipe 2: Tray Roast Leg Of Lamb

Tray roast leg of lamb in hung curd Chick pea marination, with roast veggies

The flavours in this recipe are Moroccan based.

Ingredient

Leg of lamb – 01

Coriander seeds -02 tsp

Peeled and chopped garlic- 03

Coriander – 01 bunch

Mint – 01 large bunch

Chick peas (boiled and drain)- 400 gm

Salt- 01 tsp

Ground pepper – 01 tsp

Lemon juice – 01 tdsp

Hung curd – 500 gm

Baby turnips – 12

Baby carrot (scrubbed)– 06

Squash – 02

Cheery tomatoes -10

Red onion – 02

Garlic bulb -01

Ground cumin- 2 tsp

Olive oil – 4 tsp

Method

1. Score the lamb on both sides. Using a food processor, grind up coriander seeds, garlic, fresh coriander, mint and half of chickpeas until you have a paste.

2. Season this marinade with salt and fresh ground pepper, then add lemon juice and yoghurt. Put the other half of this marinade in the fridge.

3. Coat lamb with this marinade. Leave it in the fridge for 24 hrs.

4. Preheat the oven to 200*C. Place turnip and carrot in a roasting tray with the Squash, onion, garlic and reaming chickpeas, then sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper.

5. Drizzle with olive oil and toss together to coat.

6. Cook for about and 1 hour, tossing the vegetable halfway through.

7. Serve the lamb well cooked with the veggies.

8. Drizzle with rum and flambé (optional)

By Chef Vikram Shokeen

Jr. Sous Chef

AT The Ashok , New Delhi

Recipe 3: Red Velvet Pastry

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

Plain Cake flour - 400 gms

Cocoa Powder Unsweetened - 10 gms

Baking soda - 05 gms

Pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients

Unsalted butter softened - 115 gms

Caster Sugar - 330 gms

Eggs - 02 Nos

Vegetable Oil - 250 ml

White Vinegar - 1 tsp

Vanilla Extract - 2 tsp

Buttermilk - 250 ml

Red Liquid Food Colouring - 2 tblsp

Frosting

Philadelphia Cream Cheese - 400 gms

Unsalted Butter - 115gms

Vanilla Extract - 1 ½ tsp

Icing sugar - 450 gms

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/350F. Butter a baking tray (sides and base) and dust with cocoa powder.

2. Sift the dry ingredients and whisk to combine in a bowl.

3. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with an electric beater or in a stand mixer until smooth and well combined.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating in between to combine. At first it will look curdle keep beating until it's smooth.

5. Add vegetable oil, vinegar, vanilla, buttermilk and red food colouring. Beat until combined and smooth

6. Add Dry Ingredients. Beat until just combined - some small lumps are ok, that's better than over mixing.

7. Divide batter between cake pans. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes on the same shelf, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. Rest for 10 minutes in the pan then turn out onto a cooling rack and allow to cool.

By Chef Prajit

Bakery Chef

At The Ashok, New Delhi

Here's hoping you celebrate the day with your loved ones and savour these special delicacies.

A very Happy Valentine's Week to all!