By 
Can you produce five dishes for under Dhs300? We put the professionals on the spot
Shashwat Shivam, executive chef at Jodhpur Royal Dining, creates a five-course Indian menu for two, perfect for a Valentine’s feast
Wild mushroom shorba with mushroom butter toasts
15ml oil
10g onion, chopped
5g garlic, chopped
5g ginger, chopped
2 bay leaves
40g button mushrooms
40g cep mushrooms
40g shitake mushrooms
20ml cream
30g butter, softened
4 slices baguette
Truffle oil (optional)
1) Wash and cut the mushrooms and set aside. 2) Heat the oil in a pan and add the bay leaves, onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté until golden brown. 3) Add the mushrooms and sauté until they become dry and dark grey in colour. 4) Purée the mushroom mixture in a blender and strain through a cloth-lined sieve. 5) Set two tablespoons of the purée aside, then place the rest in a pan with a little water and boil. 6) While boiling, mix the remaining mushroom purée with the softened butter. Toast the baguette, then spread with the butter. 7) To serve, add the cream to the soup then season with salt and pepper and divide between two bowls. Drizzle with truffle oil, if using, and serve with the mushroom toasts.
Chicken tikka meatballs with butter gravy
For the meatballs
60g chicken tikka cubes, chopped
40g chicken mince
5ml oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp chopped ginger
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp butter
5g cumin powder
5g red chilli powder
For the gravy
500g tomatoes
50g cashew nut paste
20ml oil
5g chilli powder
5g ginger, crushed
5g garlic, crushed
30g butter
15g cream
1) To make the meatballs, heat the oil in a pan then
add the ginger, garlic and green chilli. Sauté until golden brown. 2) Add the minced chicken, stir until white, but not overcooked, then add the chopped chicken tikka, cumin, chilli powder and butter and mix together. 3) Allow the mixture to cool, and then shape into meatballs. 4) To make the gravy, boil the tomatoes with the ginger, garlic, red chilli powder and a teaspoon of salt. Purée in a blender, then add the cashew nut paste and return to the boil. Finish with the butter and cream. 5) To serve, fry the meatballs, or deep fry in a tempura batter. Divide between two plates, pour over the gravy and serve with some sliced baguette on the side.
Potato wool chaat with pea mash
50g potato
15g peas, boiled
5g onion, chopped
5g tomato, chopped
5g paprika
5ml lemon juice
5g chaat masala
5g fresh coriander, chopped
15g mint chutney
15g tamarind chutney
15g yoghurt
60ml oil
1) Grate the potatoes and shape into balls – a one-inch diameter tea strainer is perfect for this. 2) Deep fry the potatoes inside the strainer until golden brown. If you don’t have a strainer, shape as best you can and fry carefully to ensure they don’t fall apart. 3) Meanwhile, mash the peas with the chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander, lemon juice, chaat masala and paprika powder. 4) To serve, put the pea mash on a plate. Top with the fried potato wool and drizzle with the mint and tamarind chutneys and the yoghurt.
Baked Amritsari hake
120g hake fillet, cut into two equal pieces
30g butter
20ml oil
20g chilli powder
15g chaat masala
5g onion seeds
5g dried fenugreek
5g ginger, crushed to a paste
5g garlic, crushed to a paste
15ml vinegar
10g oyster sauce
1) Mix everything except the fish together to form a smooth paste. Smear it over the fish fillets and set them aside to marinate. 2) Preheat the oven to 180˚C. 3) Place the fish onto a greased oven tray and bake for ten minutes until cooked through but still moist.
Coconut and palm sugar brulée with berries
120ml heavy cream
50g coconut milk powder
3 egg yolks
15g sugar
15g palm sugar
5g gelatin
1 vanilla pod
For the macerated berries
50g mixed berries
5g sugar
5ml lemon Juice
1) Soak the gelatin in cold water and set aside. 2) Add the cream to a heavy-bottomed saucepan, scrape the insides of the vanilla pod into the cream and bring the mixture to the boil. 3) Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together, then temper them with the boiled cream. 4) Place the yolk and cream mixture in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Stir, heating, until it’s reached 80˚C. 5) Remove the bowl from the heat and add the coconut milk powder and palm sugar. Whisk until smooth. 6) Melt the gelatin and add it to the brulée mixture. 7) Fill two ramekins with mixture and allow them to set in a chiller for about four hours. 8) Chop larger berries, like strawberries, into small cubes. Tip the berries into a non-reactive bowl, add the lemon juice and sugar and mix well. 9) To serve, sprinkle sugar on the top of brulee mixture and caramelise it with blow torch or under a hot grill. Garnish with the macerated berries.