Christmas delicacies to try at home

Christmas is just around the corner, and what better way than to celebrate it with some delicious, tempting and mouth-watering food on the table, along with friends and family.

We bring you some easy and traditional recipes to try at home and set the festive mood this Christmas. Let the feast begin!

1. Mulled Wine
Ingredients
Red wine – 750ml
Cloves – 4
Nutmeg Powder – 2 Pinches
Orange Peel – few
Orange Juice – 100ml/1whole orange
Sugar/Honey – 3 tbsp
Star Anise – 2
Cinnamon stick – 1
Lemon Peel – few
Brandy – 200ml

Preparation
Take a pan, add 250ml of red wine, honey, cloves, star anise, nutmeg powder, cinnamon stick, orange peel, lemon peel and orange juice.
Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook till the wine becomes thick.
Add the remaining wine and the brandy, bring it to a boil, and immediately remove the pan from heat.
Pour the mulled wine into a wine glass while it is still hot.
Remove the spices from the wine with a spoon and add a slice of orange to enhance its citrus flavour.

2. Creamy Chicken Garlic Breast
Ingredients
Chicken Breast – 2 pieces
Minced garlic – 5-6 cloves
Crushed garlic – 2 cloves
Onion – 1 medium (finely chopped)
Chicken Stock – ½ cup
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Cream – ½ cup
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Dried oregano – 1tsp
Dried parsley – 1tsp

Preparation
Pound the chicken breast with a rolling pin to flatten the thicker sides
Coat the chicken breast with salt and pepper well on both sides
Take a pan, heat it well. Once hot, add the olive oil and 1tbsp butter to the pan
Add the crushed garlic cloves and let them infuse into the oil
Add the chicken breast to the pan and sear them on both sides. Once done, remove from the pan and keep aside
In the same pan, add 1 tbsp of butter. Add the chopped onion and saute it well
Add the minced garlic and saute for 10-15 seconds and then add the stock
Add the lemon juice and mix well. Add the parsley and oregano to the gravy
Reduce the heat and let the onions soften well
Add cream to the gravy and mix it well. Simmer it until it reaches the desired consistency
Add salt and add the chicken breast to the sauce. Cook for a minute and plate it.

3. Rum Balls
Ingredients
Chocolate cake or chocolate muffins – 1/2 kg
Candies fruits – 2 tsp
Pista, almond, cashew nuts – 1 tbsp each chopped
Dark chocolate – 500 gms
Nutmeg powder – a pinch
Cinnamon powder – 1 tsp
Clove powder – 1/4th tsp
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Rum – 120ml

Preparation
Take a readymade chocolate sponge cake or chocolate muffins in a bowl and crush it. Add candied fruits and nuts to it
Add cinnamon, cardamom and clove powder and a pinch of nutmeg. Add some rum to this.
Melt the dark chocolate separately on a double boiler and keep it aside. Also, melt some butter and keep it aside.
Add 3 tbsp of melted dark chocolate and 2tbsp of butter to the mixture. Mix it well, and then using your hands, make small balls out of the mixture.
Spread the chocolate balls on a plate and put them in the freezer for about an hour.
Take the rum ball out of the freezer and dip them in the melted dark chocolate one by one and keep them aside on a plate.
Place the place back in the fridge for about 30 mins for the chocolate to set.

4. Plum Pudding
Ingredients
Walnuts – 40gms or 1/3 cup (chopped)
Almonds - 40gms or 1/3 cup (chopped)
Candied orange peel – 25gms or 1/3 cup
Dried Cranberry – 50gms or 1/3 cup
Dried cherries - 25gms or 1/3 cup
Raisins – 40gms or ¼ cup
Candied ginger – 20gms or 1/3 cup
Rum/Brandy – 150ml
Honey – 3tbsp
Orange Juice – 70ml or 1/3 cup
Bread crumbs – Made from 4-5 slices of fresh bread
Refined Flour (Maida) – 75g
Cocoa Powder – 2tbsp
Cinnamon Powder – ½ tsp
Clove powder – ½ tsp
Nutmeg powder – a pinch
Salt – a pinch
Baking powder – ¾ tsp
Butter – 75gms or 1/3 cup
Sugar (Brown/white) – 70gms or 2/3rd cup
Orange zest – 2tbsp
Egg – 1

Preparation
Take a bowl, soak all the candied and dry fruits in either rum or brandy as per your choice
Add honey and orange juice to the dry fruits and mix them well
Soak the dry fruits for 24 hrs or 2-3 hrs before preparation
Take another bowl, add the fresh breadcrumbs. Add the refined flour to it, add cocoa powder, cinnamon powder, clove powder, nutmeg powder, salt and baking powder. Mix the ingredients well.
Take another mixing bowl, add butter, add the sugar, orange zest. Mix it well until the butter turns creamy in consistency
Once the butter becomes a little soft and fluffy, add the egg a little by little and mix well
Add all the dry ingredients to the butter and fold it well
Add the soaked dry fruits and mix well again
Take your baking moulds and line them well with butter. Take the mixture and add it into the moulds. Do not fill till the rim of the mould; keep some space for the mix to rise
Cover the mould with butter paper and then with aluminium foil on top of the butter paper, covering the mould partially
Tie both with a string or thread around the mould so that the paper doesn’t shift
Now take a pressure cooker and fill 1/4th the level of the pressure cooker with water
Place a baking ring inside the pressure cooker. Place a steel plate on top of the ring. Place the moulds on top of the plate and close the cooker lid
Let the 1st whistle happen on a high flame, reduce the flame after that and let the cooker whistle 7 more times. Once done, switch off the flame and let the cooker rest for 10 mins
Take out the moulds and remove the cover from the top. Using a knife, free the sides of the pudding from the mould and then de-mould it onto a plate
Garnish the pudding with some icing sugar and tinned cherries.

5. Cheesy Potato Bread
Ingredients
Potato – 1 or 180gms
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Bread - 8 slices
Mozzarella Cheese - 1 cup (grated)
Egg – 1
Bread crumbs – 200gms

Preparation
Chop and boil the potato until soft. Once done, take the potato out and mash it well
Add pepper to the mashed potato and mix well again
Take the bread slices, cut off the sides of the slices, then, using a rolling pin, flatten the bread slice to a thin sheet
Take a little bit of the mashed potato and put it in the centre of the bread sheet. Spread it a little and add the grated mozzarella cheese on top
Cover the cheese with another layer of mashed potato on top
Fold the bread sheet to form a triangle with the stuffing in the middle
Press down and close the side opening with the help of a fork on both sides
Take a bowl, break the egg and beat it well
Take a pan and add enough oil for deep frying
Take the bread triangles, dip them in the egg yolk, and coat them well with breadcrumbs
Deep fry the triangles

Is your mouth watering? Try these delicious Christmas recipes at home, and have a happy and wonderful Christmas with your loved ones!

Merry Christmas!