Garnishing ideas.

[R]

Hi everyone,

Garnishing is becoming a very important part in parties. Wherever I go to parties, the guests are all looking for the presentation first; then, comes to the taste.

So, shall we disscuss abt the same? Garnishing means how to decorate and how to make flowers or any other design from fruits/vegetables?

Recently, I watched a show in TV and also recorded that programme. They made sunflower in watermelon. I am yet to learn this art. So, pls share yr ideas with me. I am really curious to know and learn.

Thanks and Bye.

[khushi]

Wow R, I love this idea. I will definitely share some. One more thing we can do with Watermelon is make that as a fruit basket. I think many already know about this. Cut watermelon in the form of a basket with handle, then put all other fruits in it. One more thing we can do is use small cucumber as salad holder. Cut cucumber into half,scoop out the inner part, stuff all other veggies like grated carrots, finely cut green peppers, red peppers etc, basically make it more colorful. Mix these veggies with some kinda dressing you like before filling it up.
Ofcourse these are little different from food garnishing. Just thought of sharing this.

[R]

Appreciate yr quick response.

Not only garnishing, good presentation like you said while serving salad or any other dish is also welcome. For the cucumber holder, which is the holder? dont get it..can you clear me up?

Heard about watermelon basket, but have not tried personally.

I'll definitely try cucumber this week..

Thanks.

[khushi]

Hello R,
Cucumber itself is the holder after taking the inner stuff out of it. Let me know if you have any more questions about this.

-Regards,
Khushi.

[R]

Hello Khushi,

I dont get it; filling inside the cucumber like a basket-that part, ok. cucumber itself is a holder means???? can you explain me more? And, to make it stand, what do you do? Removing the bottom part so that it will sit, in that way?

Similarly with water melon, what do u do for holder?

Thanks and Bye.

[Kz]

Hi Kushi
the cucumber idea is cute, have to try it. i have tried the watermelon, long back with the help of my mom, it is a hit in partys. i think we can try it with other melons too.

R, watermelon itself is big and so it just sits on the table, no need for any holder.

We can garnish curd rice with pomegranate seeds, or kothamalli leaves and carrots strips. or even cut seedles grapes.

i tried making methu vadai more pleasing by adding carrot strips to the vadai batter, so vadai looked colorful.
for veg fried rice, noodles spring onions, kothamalli can be decorated.
i have seen many keeping a flower made of tomato on the top, it looks pretty but haven't tried it.

generally kids love poori, but we can make it more interesting by using a cookie cutter like star shape etc and make small puris in those shapes. it will be interesting for kids.
kz

[khushi]

Hi R,
Yeah cucumber is the holder, you don't have to do anything to make it stand. All you have to do is, take small size cucumbers around 4-5 inch, peel the outer skin, take out the inside stuff and fill it with veggies. If you are serving for 6 people, you need around 6 cucumbers. Hope I'm clear this time.

-Regards,
Khushi.

-

[khushi]

Hi R,
After peeling the skin, cut horizontally. I forgot to mention this in my previous post.

-Regards,
Khushi.

[R]

Thanks, Kz and Khushi.

I am yet to read yr replies fully. On seeing Kz's postings about poori, came this question suddenly.

One of my friend made pooris with a triangular color (yellow, green and one more color). Imagine in a poori and three colors on three sides like an approximate triangle and the center is our original poori. no colors!!

Can u tell me how to make this triangular color poori? That was a big hit among kids and she said something; but, forgot totally.

Thanks and Bye.

[R]

And Kz, you know our old hubber KH-she said that she had some mould and with that, she made carrot as a flower(decorated in the edges).

[khushi]

Hi R,
If you want green color poori, you can use spinach puree to the dough, I think a small to medium quantity of it will do I guess. I have never tried personally although I have tried green chappathi. If you want pink/magenta color, you can use beetroot puree. I don't know about yellow color may be turmeric will do. Hope this helps.

-Regards,
Khushi.

[R]

Khushi, that I understood. But, how to make three colors to present at the edges of the poori ?

[khushi]

Sorry R, I didn't read your post properly before posting the reply. I don't know the answer. Let me know what you find out.

[indu]

Hi R,
This is a good and very interesting thread. Here are some decorative garnishes I do, for some get-togethers or special family dinners even. They are extremely simple to make and hope you also get good results.

For carrot flowers, chop a carrot in half & take the bottom half, as it will be easier to do. Make a slit [vertically[ down the entire length of the carrot, not too deep, just less than 1/2 a cm. Then make a similar, parallel slit, close to the first cut. Now just remove [cut] the narrow strip of carrot, between these 2 slits. Do like this , on 3 more sides of the carrot. Now, place the carrot horizontally and slice rounds as usual, to get flowery edges on the carrots. With practice can make more slits, so you'll get more petals. The same method is easier to do with cucumber/zucchini etc. but I usually do carrot or radish flowers and place thin strips of unpeeled cucumbers as the stems. A small dab of turmeric in the centre of the radish, makes it more attractive. And guests do eat more of the salad if it is presented attractively.

For spring onion trees, select fresh ones with a big ,broad bulb which will be the base. Trim the uneven/ darkened/ dry tips of the green leaves. Then hold the onion by the white bulb [upside down] and with a sharp handy knife, slit the leaves, upto 125mm. length, starting from the white bulb. Repeat several times, turning the bulb as you go, so that many slits appear on all the sides of the spring onion. Place it in ice-cold water and chill [refrigerate] for at least one hr. Then, remove, shake excess water, and arrange the curled up crisp leaves beautifully . Place either on a small mound of variety rice/ biryani etc. or can even place 2 of these trees in the corner of a oval platter of cutlets, kababs.

You can also place the spring onion tree at one end of a pumpkin boat, {a crescent shaped slice of yellow-pumpkin , peeled} ; slightly steamed baby carrots can be placed as other boatmen, with the stems of brinjals [with the 'pavadai'] or tops of bhindis as their hats . Depending on your imagination, can do more decorations.

You can also make mouse shapes , using big pears. Slice a peeled pear in half, remove the centre pith & place the halves upside down on the serving plate. Make thin tails [in the shape of 'J' ] from another pear, and place the tail at the broader end of the pear mouse. Just insert 2 pepper corns [or silver balls] as eyes, towards the narrow end , which is the mouth. And 2 tiny triangles of cherry or apples skin, can be placed as pointy-ears. It looks really beautiful if these mice are arranged in a plate, surrounded by lemon [green colour] jelly.

As & when I try out something new , I will post it.
Bye,
Indu.

[R]

Thanks for clearing me out, Khushi abt cucumber.

Indu, that is so cool. You do have lots of idea, good work!! BTW, have u seen the questions posted by me under Household tips thread? Pls do it and reply me.

Bye.

[Kz]

Hi R,
I donno abt the three colors in the puri but long time back my friend made curry leaves puri which was not fully green but it tasted good. if u do find out abt it do let us know.it sound diff.

i donno abt the mould for making carrot flowers, but i have made carrot flowers like Indhu has described.
even grated beetroot makes a colourful presentation when arranged with other veges.

We can do arrangements with fruits too. using strwberries, grapes, cantalpupes and other melons. like a flower basket arrangement. need long bamboo sticks for stems. green melons and cantaloupes can be cut into triangular shapes (leaves) or scooped using a melon baller and arranged like flowers. the make great gifts and center pieces and takes more time to do too.

Indhu, the boat idea is so creative.
Kz

[bhargavi.raj]

Hi friends,
Herez is an easy way to garnish Indian curries and soups. Fry some corriander leaves along with the stems( cleaned and trimed) in hot oil/ghee,and garnish it just before serving. It looks good and also tastes yummy.

Recently at a party i saw this yummy looking curd rice (southindian style ) It was garnished with grapes ,pomogrante seeds and pineapple peices. It looked delicous and also tasted good along with the fruits.