Invite your friends over this Sunday for a long, elaborate luncheon.Chef Manindra J Singh helps you put out the perfect spread

Mushroom And Beancurd Soup

Serves: Four
Time required: 15 minutes

15 g button mushrooms, sliced
20 g bean curd (tofu), cubed
a few drops cooking oil
10 g garlic
5 g green chillies, finely chopped
2 cups vegetable stock (see box)
salt to taste
sugar to taste
20 g corn flour
5 g coriander leaves, finely chopped

Heat some oil in a wok and add the garlic and green chillies and sauté for two minutes. Add the vegetable stock, mushrooms and bean curd, and bring to a boil. Check seasoning and remove the scum. Thicken the broth with the corn flour.
Garnish with the chopped coriander. Serve hot.
You can also add broccoli and baby corn if you want more vegetables in the soup.

Serve hot.

Lychee With Cream

Serves: Four
Time required: 10 minutes

6-8 fresh lychees
cream (fresh or rich sweetened) as required

Remove the skin from the lychees and chill them. Remove and pour the sweetened cream over. Serve chilled.

Manindra J Singh, Executive Chef, The Club, Mumbai, has previously worked in various capacities with The Taj Group of Hotels, The Oberoi Group as well as the Sarovar Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts. He is known for his innovative Indo fusion and authentic Chinese food. He has successfully conducted live cookery shows in Spain, dabbled in food styling and also been a visiting faculty with catering schools in Hyderabad.