Chef Avishek Singha And Chef Anup Sreshta Share 4 Special Winter Recipes 

Winter is at its peak, and we are all enjoying this season with a lot of delicious delicacies like gajar ka halwa, masala chai, gond ke laddoo, and sarson ka saag. The sweater season is also called a time of celebration, as we have special occasions like festivals and weddings. Be it any event, the food served there always grabs attention. If you are hosting a party, deciding the menu always becomes the biggest challenge.  

The food counter is expected to be colourful and there must be something for everyone. We usually pick the most common dishes to play on the safe side so that each member is satisfied. But this time, if you are looking for some exotic recipes to surprise your guests, we have got your back. Packed with exciting flavours and great taste, here are four winter festive recipes to try: 

Opera Revisited 

Ingredients  

For almond chocolate cake 

• 210 g almond praline 
• 80 g castor sugar 
• 210 g eggs 
• 15 g cocoa powder 
• 55 g dark chocolate 
• 60 g flour 
• 55 g butter

For chocolate cremeaux 

• 375 g heavy cream 
• 375 g milk  
• 150 g yolks 
• 175 g sugar  
• 375 g 70% chocolate  

For almond milk chocolate coating 

• 500 g milk chocolate couverture  
• 110 g cocoa butter  
• 150 g dry roasted almonds (crushed)  

For coffee, white chocolate whipped ganache 

• 250 g heavy cream 
• 25 g of inverted sugar  
• 12 g glucose sugar 
• 220 g of instant coffee  
• 375 g white chocolate melted heavy cream 

Method 

To make almond chocolate cake 

• Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Mix the eggs, sugar, and praline in the mixture with a whip attachment.  
• Melt the butter and chocolate. Shift the dry ingredients. Fold in the dry ingredients after adding the butter-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture. 
• Pour the butter on the lined tray and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  

To make chocolate cremeaux 

• Cook a crème anglaise to 82 degrees Celsius. To get a glossy, smooth texture, strain the partially melted chocolate through a fine sieve. 
• Process the emulsification with a hand blender to perfect the cremeaux. Immediately pour the cremeaux on top of the almond cake and freeze it. 

To make an almond milk chocolate coating 

• Melt couverture and cocoa butter together and add crushed almond flakes to it.
• To make coffee white chocolate whipped ganache 
• Boil heavy cream, inverted sugar, and glucose together. After adding the chocolate, mix until it is smooth.
• Add heavy cream and rest it overnight. 

To make assembly 

• Stick a toothpick through each almond cake or crème brulee and freeze it for a few minutes. Dip each petit gateau in an almond milk chocolate coating and remove the toothpick. Now pipe the rosette coffee ganache on top. 

Papparoti  

Ingredients  

For dough 

• 1 kg of flour  
• 120 g butter  
• 40 g yeast  
• 40 g gluten  
• 10 g improver  
• 150 g sugar 
• 100 g eggs  
• 10 g salt  
• 40 g milk powder 
• 540 g milk  

For topping 

• 1 kg of butter 
• 800 g of icing sugar  
• 700 g eggs  
• 1 kg of flour  
• 12 g Nescafe  
• 30 g espresso  
• 20 g cinnamon powder  
• 1 kg of butter for filling  

Method 

• Make the dough with all the ingredients and leave it to rest on the table for one hour. Divide the dough into 40 g each, shape it, and let it rest for 15 minutes. 
• Then stuff each dough with 20 g of butter and let it rest for one and a half hours. Now, make the topping by creaming butter and icing sugar, then add eggs slowly. 
• Now mix Nescafe with espresso and add it to the batter. Fold in all the dry ingredients. Now pipe the topping mixture on top of the proofed dough and bake it for 18 to 20 minutes at 180 °C. Serve it hot. 

Recipes By Chef Anup Sreshta, Societe Rangoon, Bengaluru:

Burmese Coconut Rice 

Ingredients 

• 1.5 cups of jasmine rice  
• 0.5 cups of coconut milk  
• 1.5 finely chopped shallots  
• 0.5 tsp. salt  
• 3 g crushed saffron  
• 2 cloves  
• 1 cinnamon stick 
• 2 bay leaves  

Method

• Rinse the rice and transfer it to the rice cooker.  
• Add saffron and coconut milk to the rice cooker, then water until it reaches the 3-cup mark of the rice cooker. 
• Add vegetable oil, finely chopped shallots, salt, spices, and bay leaves, then stir to combine everything well. 
• Close the lid of the rice cooker and press 'cook'. After cooking, let the rice sit for a few minutes, then open the cover and give it a swirl to fluff it up.  
• Close the lid again and leave it to steam for another ten minutes or so. Serve with Burmese curries and refreshing salads. 

Sweet Corn Fritters 

Ingredients  

250 g chickpea flour  

• 120 g corn starch  
• 12 g baking soda  
• 200 g glutinous rice flour  
• 50 g salt  
• 1 l water  
• 100 g of sweet corn  

Method 

• Mix both the flours in a large bowl. Add baking soda, salt, sweet corn kernels, and normal water, and mix. Cut the dough into triangular shapes. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat for 2 minutes. 
• Fry and flip the fritters to ensure both sides are evenly golden brown.