Thanksgiving 2022: Try Chef Mahesh Padala's Festive Delicacies

Why are certain food and ingredients chosen or remain as the festival's mainstay? With Thanksgiving around the corner, we pondered those typical dishes that must be on the menu. The list broadly includes apple pie, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, cranberry recipes, pecan pie and so on. But why? "The abundance of pumpkins, gourds, and spices is the significant constituent of this season, resulting in the festive menu. This gourmet mash-up also echoes the shades of Fall on the table, embracing browns, crimson, orange, and cherry reds," explains Chef Mahesh Padala, Cluster Director F&B for SAMHI Group. He observes how there are efforts to retain the authenticity of Thanksgiving's flavours and the onset of newer trends letting people go creative with the culinary fare. 

Mahesh believes hotels and players in the F&B sector are instrumental in upholding the traditions and heritage of food. They must create a celebratory ambience whenever needed to recreate the nostalgia related to different festivals for the patrons. Drawing inspiration from his passion for diving deep into the food heritage and comprehending the festive connect, Chef Padala, shares two pumpkin-based recipes for Thanksgiving. 

Recipes

Roasted Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli in Butter sage sauce

Serving:1 portion

Cooking time:20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 150gram pasta dough 
• 10 gram pesto     
• 20 ml extra virgin olive oil 
• 20 grams ricotta cheesesage 
• Salt to taste to taste     
• 20grams sundried tomato 
• 10 grams asparagus    

For pasta dough 

• 250grams refined flour
• 11 egg yolks

Method:

1. Marinate the pumpkin with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper 
2. Roast the marinated pumpkin in the oven for 20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius until tender
3. In a bowl mix together the ricotta, parmesan, Roasted pumpkin. nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Sheet the pasta dough and cut it in the desired shape. 
5. Stuff the mixture and make a ravioli
6. In a hot pan emulsify the butter, cream and sage. Season the sauce with salt, pepper and finish it with basil pesto and juliennes of sundried tomato
7. Blanch the pasta in hot water for 12 minutes until it floats on the top
8. Once the pasta is cooked add the blanched pasta to the sauce

Garnish the dish with pesto, sautéd asparagus and sundry tomato!

Chocolate millefuelle with Pumpkin & Cinnamon ice cream

Cook Time:1 hour 

Serve: 10 Portions 

Chocolate mousse

Ingredients 

• 80 gram egg yolk                                                            
• 100 ml whole milk               
• 115 gram dark chocolate 63 %                                       
• 200 gram semi whipped cream                                                           
• 4 gram Gelatine                             
• 32 gram castor sugar                                                       
• 6gm Water

Method                                                                                                                

1. In a bowl soak gelatine and water 
2. In a saucepan add whole milk, sugar, eggs yolk and boil together until it is set 
3. To it add soaked gelatine and mix properly and then add melted chocolate to make it like ganache 
4. To it add semi whip cream and mix it properly
5. Then keep the mousse in the chiller for 1 to 2 hours

Sweet cookies base 

Ingredients

•  200 gm all-purpose flour                                                     
•  85-gram unsalted butter                                                       
•  60-gram castor sugar                                                             
•  10-gram vanilla essence                                                        
• 20-gram almond powder                                                       

Method

1. Take a planetary mixer bowl
2. Add all the above ingredients to the bowl and mix it properly using a paddle to make the dough
3. Make sheets out of the dough and cut them to your preferred size, and bake it under the temperature of 160%       

Cinnamon pumpkin ice cream

Ingredients

• 250 ml whole milk
• 100 gram castor sugar                                 
• 250 gram heavy cream                                
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder                       
• 100 gram pumpkin puree                             

Method

1. Take a saucepan and add the whole milk and sugar
2. Boil it until the milk is warm
3. Add heavy cream, cinnamon powder, pumpkin puree and mix them together properly 
4. Once it boils take out the whole mixer and put it in another bowl and freeze it for 5 hours
5. After its frozen take out the mixture and blend it in an ice cream maker    

You may taste them at Sheraton Hyderabad Hotel during the festival.