Christmas 2024: Bored of desserts? Try these 4 mouth-watering savoury dishes to spice up your festive menu

Switch up your Christmas 2024 menu with these 4 mouth-watering savoury dishes that are perfect for adding a flavourful twist to your festive celebrations.

Christmas has always been about dessert. The decadent, sugary goodness is pure bliss for people with sweet tooth. But this time, let's shake things up and create room for savoury food on the table. This menu has a little bit of everything from Western to desi-savoury recipes. Executive Chef Manjay Shahi from U Kitchen by Ferns N Petals shared 4 delicious savoury recipes:

Christmas menu can include both sweet and savoury dishes. (Shutterstock)

Festive tortilla wrap

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour- 1 cup
• Refined flour- 1 cup
• Salt- 1 pinch
• Vegetable oil or butter- 50 ml
• Beetroot juice- 1 small cup
• Mashed Spinach – 50 gm
• Baking Powder: 2 Pinch

Method:

• Start by taking flour in a bowl and adding a pinch of salt. To ensure softness, incorporate vegetable oil or butter, followed by baking powder.
• Gradually add warm water to the mixture while kneading the dough. When the dough is nearly ready—about 90% done then add beetroot juice to one batch for a rich festive red. For the second batch, blend in spinach paste to create a fresh, celebratory green. Keep the dough aside for 1 hour.
• Take a rolling pin and roll to the desired diameter, 8 inch ideally. Heat the griddle and put the tortilla on it cook it for 30 secs flip it cook another side for another 30 secs. Continue the same technique with others.

For Chicken Filling

• Chicken- 500 gm boneless chicken cut into small pieces
• Onion -1 (diced)
• Red Chilli Powder- 5gm
• Salt- to taste
• Chilli flakes- as per the taste
• Coriander Powder- 5gm
• Ginger and Garlic paste- 10 gm
• Meat Masala- 5 gm
• Homemade Garam Masala- 5gm (Dry roasted and powdered - clove, bay leaf, green cardamom, cinnamon, cumin seeds, black cardamom, nutmeg, star anise)

Method:

• Take chicken in a bowl, wash it thoroughly and dry it with tissue or linen cloth. Add salt to taste, ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, chili flakes, diced onion, coriander powder, garam masala and meat masala and schezwan sauce. And keep the mixture of chicken aside or 45-60 mins.
• Once marinated, drain the extra water from the bowl. Heat a fry pan. Pour oil and 2 small cubes of butter. Once heated put the chicken mixture into the oil and pan fry for 8 mins in medium flame. After that cover the fry pan for next 2 mins. Now take the chicken mixture. Keep it aside for 5 mins.
• Take a tortilla sheet, add the chicken mixture to the center, and wrap it tightly. Insert a skewer at the end of the tortilla to secure it, then grill both sides until golden and crisp. Serve hot.

Kerala Style Prawn Fry

Ingredients to marinate

• Lemon-1
• Turmeric Powder ½ teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Take 8 to 10 medium-sized prawns, cleaned and deveined. Sprinkle with salt and turmeric, then drizzle with lemon juice. Let the prawns sit for 10 minutes.

Recipe for Blended spices

Ingredients:

• Dried Mango Powder- 2gm
• Red Chilli- 2 gm
• Kashmiri red chili powder- 2 gm
• Garam Masala- half tea spoon
• Cumin powder- half tea spoon
• Chick Pea Powder- half table spoon
• Corn Flour- 1 table spoon
• Lemon- half lemon
• Black Salt- 1 gm
• Chaat Masala- 2 gm
• Asafoetida- 1 pinch

Method:

• Take the marinated prawns. Put all the above ingredients in an iron cast wok, put 250 ml oil in the wok and slowly put prawns one by one. Make sure the prawns don’t stick to each other.
• Lightly fry them for 1 min and keep aside, let it settle for some time and fry it again after 15 mins.

Recipe for green dip

• Green coriander- 1 bunch
• Ginger- 2 gm
• Garlic – 10-12 cloves
• Green Chilli- 4-5
• Water- half cup
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Place all the ingredients in the mixer grinder and make a smooth paste. Now serve hot and crunchy Prawns with green dip.

Tomato Delight Chicken Rice Bowl

Tomato chicken rice bowl is full of flavours.(PC: U Kitchen)

Ingredients

To cook Chicken:

• 2kg Chicken wings
• 1 chopped ginger
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 1 onion
• 2 chicken seasoning cube
• 2 teaspoon each of salt, curry powder, thyme
• 1/4 cup water

To cook Rice:

For the blended mix

• 3 red capsicum
• 5 tomato
• 2 capsicum
• 1 medium onion
• 3 Green chilli
• 6 cups Basmati Rice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 500 gms Tomato puree or paste
• 2 chicken seasoning cubes
• 1 tablespoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoon salt
• 2 1/2 cup chicken stock

Method:

• Begin by boiling the chicken with onion, garlic, salt, seasoning cube, thyme, curry powder, and water. Cover and cook over low to medium heat for about 15 minutes. Once done, reserve the flavorful chicken stock.
• While the chicken is cooking, blend tomatoes, bell peppers, green chilies and onion into a smooth mixture and set aside.
• Pour the blended pepper mix into a wide pot and simmer until reduced, approximately 15 minutes, depending on the water content used for blending.
• Once the chicken is cooked, separate it from the stock and fry, grill, or air-fry the meat until it turns golden brown.
• Rinse the rice thoroughly several times until the water runs clear, then set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large, wide pot. Add chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
• Stir in the tomato puree and fry for about 15 minutes until it develops a grainy texture.
• Add the reduced pepper mix, season with salt, curry powder, thyme, and bay leaves, and fry for another 10 minutes.
• Pour in the reserved chicken stock and stir well.
• Add the washed rice, cover the pot with foil to trap steam, and cook on low to medium heat for about 20 minutes. This helps the rice cook evenly without becoming soggy. Remove the foil, gently fluff the rice to release steam, and if the rice feels dry, add 3 teaspoons of butter and let it melt into the dish.
• Serve the flavorful rice with golden chicken and a fresh salad for a complete and satisfying meal.

Santa’s Savoury Spiral Bread

Santa’s savoury spiral bread is must try this festive season.(U kitchen)

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm milk
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• 1 egg

For the Filling:

• 300g chicken salami (thinly sliced)
• ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup green olives (sliced)
• 1/2 cup roasted tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup roasted red capsicum (sliced)
• ½ cup caramelised onion
• ¼ cup Raisins
• 2 tbsp cream cheese (optional, for extra creaminess)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg (beaten, for egg wash)

Method

Prepare the Dough:

• In a small bowl, mix yeast, sugar, and warm milk. Let it sit for 5-7 minutes until frothy.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the yeast mixture, egg, and butter. Knead until a smooth dough forms (about 8-10 minutes).
• Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Assemble the Bread and then prepare the filling.
• Preheat the oven to 190C.
• Punch down the risen dough and roll it out into a rectangular shape on a floured surface. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the dough
• For layering the filling, start with chicken salami, followed by cheese, olives, tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, and raisins. Leave a 1-inch border along the edges.
• Roll the dough tightly from one long end to the other, forming a log. Seal the edges by pinching the seams.
• Now for baking, place the rolled dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam-side down. Brush the top with beaten egg for a golden finish.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and cooked through.
• For serving suggestions, let the bread cool slightly before slicing. Serve warm as part of your Christmas dinner or as a delightful snack. Pair it with a side of cranberry relish or a fresh green salad for added flair.