Thanksgiving for the Indian Soul

The origin of Thanksgiving is quite hazy, with some accounts saying it was a harvest festival and others attributing it to the Protestant Reformation. In India, there is even a variant called Ladainha, celebrated by Goans in August. Whatever the origin, the American day of Thanksgiving falls on November 23 every year. And we don’t know about you but we’ve definitely fantasised about a western-style Thanksgiving feast more than once. But turkey isn’t all that easy to find in India and many Indians might not relish bland side dishes like mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts. So we decided to come up with an “Indianised” Thanksgiving menu that should be on your dinner table tonight.

Main Course

Farah Khan’s Ghee Roast Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole chicken with skin

Lots of dry kashmiri red chillies

Whole pepper corns

Garlic cloves

Fresh mustard paste

Lime juice Salt

Method

Grind red chillies and pepper together. Keep some garlic cloves crushed and some whole. Rub all the ingredients on the chicken thoroughly.

In a deep pan that fits the whole chicken, heat some olive oil, gently fill half the pan with water and allow the chicken to cook in the steam with the lid covered.

Turn it over when it looks halfway done. Allow to cook completely. This dish has a lot of spicy masala and goes well with rice and/or any Indian bread.

With Mini’s Alan Ka Saag

Ingredients

400 gm curd

200 grams besan

2 bunches of spinach, washed and chopped

200 gm moong chilka dal soaked

Ginger chopped :- 1 tbsp

1 tsp Hing

2 tsp Zeera

1 tsp Kalaunji

2-3 tbsp Ghee

1 tsp Red chilli powder

1 tsp Aamchur powder

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Chopped garlic

1 big sliced onion

Method

In a pan add a tsp of ghee, hing, onion, ginger, kalaunji & zeera. Once it splutters, add the soaked dal and give it a good turn.

In a bowl mix besan, curd, haldi salt, a little aamchur, red chilli powder. Blend with a whisk till smooth. Add this to the pan. Add water and let it boil for two minutes. Add chopped spinach and shift it to a pressure cooker and give 4-5 whistles.

Meanwhile, take a tadka dish, add ghee, chopped garlic, zeera, red chilli powder and toast the bagaar. Once open, add the bagaar on top of the saag.

Side Dish

Gitika’s Sausage and Beans

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Oil

1 Medium Onion

1 Tsp Chopped Garlic

Blanched French Beans (Boiled)

Salt (To Taste)

1/2 Tsp Paprika Pepper Powder

3 Medium Chopped Sausages

Method

Pour oil in the kadhai once hot. Add the onion and saute until lightly brown. Add the chopped garlic and saute. Then add the blanched French beans and a bit of paprika.

Once cooked, add the chopped sausages (you can use any variety). Cook on low heat for three minutes. Pour into a serving dish.

Dessert

Chef Neha Lakhani’s Eggless Banoffee Pie

Ingredients

1 can condensed Milk

125 gms butter, unsalted

50 gms icing Sugar

200 gms flour

4-5 bananas, sliced

1 bowl chocolate shavings

1 bowl whipped cream

Method

Heat water in a pan and keep the can of condensed milk in it for 3 hours.

In a separate bowl, add butter, icing sugar & flour, combine it and knead it into a dough. Wrap the dough using a plastic wrap and chill it for about 30 mins. Once that is done, grease a tart ring with butter and keep.

Remove the dough from the wrap and roll it flat. Place the flattened dough in the tart ring using a rolling pin. In the tart ring, push the tart so that it takes the shape of the ring. Using a knife remove the excess dough and with a fork make holes in the dough. Next, chill it for 20 mins in a freezer and blind-bake it for 180 deg C for 25 mins.

Once everything is ready, add the condensed milk into the tart and spread it evenly. Then add the bananas & whipped cream and spread it. Lastly top it with some chocolate shavings and serve!

According to some sources, Americans eat more on Thanksgiving than on any other day. And there’s usually so much food to be served that it takes several days to prepare everything. Maybe you don’t have to go that overboard but a little indulgence couldn’t hurt, could it?