Valentine's Day is not all about dining out or ordering takeaways. For those planning to stay at home, prepare to indulge in a symphony of flavours crafted with love for an unforgettable celebration.

From succulent roast chicken to flavours of daab chingri, and red velvet cake, these recipes are designed to delight the senses. 

Photo: Sabirul Islam Tanjil

ROAST CHICKEN 

Ingredients 

1 whole chicken, giblets removed 

4 garlic cloves 

Salt and black pepper, to taste 

½ cup butter 

1 stalk celery, leaves removed 

Rosemary sprigs 

Mustard, as required  

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°. Place chicken in a roasting pan; season generously inside and out with mustard and rosemary, salt, pepper, and garlic. Place 3 tablespoons of butter in the chicken cavity; arrange dollops of remaining butter on the outside of the chicken. Cut celery into 3 or 4 pieces; place in the chicken cavity. 

Bake chicken uncovered in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165° F (74° C). 

Remove from the oven and baste with drippings. Cover with aluminium foil and allow to rest for about 30 minutes before serving. 

Photo: Sabirul Islam Tanjil

DAAB CHINGRI

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3 persons

Ingredients

12 headless prawns (approximately 750g)

For the marinade —

½ tsp green chilli paste

½ tsp ginger paste 

1 tsp lemon juice

4 pinches salt

1 empty coconut shell with a top opening of around 4 inches in diameter (retain the lead)

20g butter

100ml coconut milk

6g green chilli paste 

50g dough, smooth and elastic 

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste 

Method

Wash, clean, remove skin, and devein the prawns. Marinate the prawns with the marinade ingredients for 5 to 10 minutes. Melt butter in a pan on a low flame. Sauté the marinated prawns. Add chilli paste, ginger paste, and a dash of salt. Sauté.

Add coconut milk and mix well. Turn to medium flame and bring to a boil. Keep stirring until the prawns turn white and the tail turns red. The gravy should be smooth and of pouring consistency. Adjust seasoning. Pour the gravy into the coconut shell. Close the opening with the lid. Seal the opening of the lead with dough, to prevent the steam from escaping. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the dough. Serve hot with steamed rice. 

Photo: Sabirul Islam Tanjil

RED VELVET CAKE 

Ingredients 

For the sponges —

150ml vegetable oil 

250g plain flour 

1 tbsp cocoa powder 

2 tsp baking powder 

250g light brown soft sugar 

1 tsp fine salt 

200ml buttermilk 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

15ml red food colour   

2 eggs 

For the icing — 

125g slightly salted butter, at room temperature 

350g icing sugar 

175g tub full-fat soft cheese 

1 or 2 tsp vanilla extract 

Method

Heat the oven to 180° C. Oil and line the base and sides of two 20 cm cake tins with baking parchment. If your cake tins are quite shallow, line the sides to a depth of at least 5 cm. Put half each of the flour- cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well.  

Mix half each of the buttermilk, oil, vanilla extract, food colour and 100ml water in a jug. Add 2 eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until well combined. The cake mixture should be bright red. Pour the cake mixture evenly into the two tins, and bake for 25-30 mins, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the baking parchment and leave to cool. Repeat the steps with the remaining ingredients, so you have four sponge cakes in total. 

To make the icing, put the butter in a large bowl and sieve in half the icing sugar. Roughly mash together with a spatula, then whizz with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the soft cheese and vanilla, sieve in the remaining icing sugar, mash together again, then blend once more with the hand mixer. 

To assemble the cake, stick one of the sponges to a cake stand or board with a little of the soft cheese icing. Use roughly half the icing to stack the remaining cakes on top, spreading a generous amount between each layer. Pile the remaining icing on top of the assembled cake, and use a palette knife to ease it over the edges.  

Recipe: Amari Dhaka

Location: Amari Dhaka