Nadru Palak by Chef Sameer Dighe from Sahara Star. Pic/Shadab Khan

Method
>> In a pan, heat oil and sauté ginger-garlic and chilli pieces
>> Add spinach paste and stir until it looks cooked
>> Add the lotus root and cook it for another five minutes
>> Season and finish with cream. Serve hot with rotis

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Tips
>> Avoid lotus root with soft spots or bruises. Pick the one that is firm to touch
>> It is best to pair lotus root with other vegetables that are tender to provide a textural variation. Snow peas, asparagus and
mushroom pair perfectly with lotus root
>> Lotus root works best with stir fries, but since it absorbs flavours well, so you can add it to soups and broths too
>> Store it after washing and removing surface mud.
>> However do not peel it until you are ready to use

White asparagus as Braised asparagus, hollandaise sauce, summer black truffles
Ingredients
10 spears of white asparagus
60g butter
2 eggs
150ml clarified butter
10g whole peppercorn
10g sliced onion
30ml vinegar
90ml vegetable stock
10g black truffle (available in bottled form)
A few drops of lemon juice

Braised asparagus, hollandaise sauce and summer black truffles by Chef Mohammed Bhol from Two One Two Bar and Grill, Worli. Pic/Anita Anand

Method
>> In a pan, boil white asparagus in salted water for 10 minutes
>> Once it gets tender, drain and keep aside
>> In a pan, take 30ml of vegetable stock and add 30g of butter to it
>> Reduce until it thickens and season with salt and pepper
>> Add the asparagus to it and cook it for 3-4 minutes
>> To make the sauce, add ¼ cup of water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat
>> In a separate pan, mix vinegar with onions and peppercorn and reduce it until it thickens
>> Add egg yolk and whisk for two minutes or until the mixture becomes light and foamy
>> Add few of lemon drops to it
>> Place this bowl on top of the saucepan filled with water and mix it until it gets thick
>> Remove the bowl from heat and add clarified butter, whisking constantly. If you add it too quickly, the sauce will split.
>> As the sauce thickens, you can gradually increase the rate at which you add butter.
>> Season as per taste and check consistency
>> A finished hollandaise sauce will have a smooth and set texture. If it’s too thick, adjust the consistency by adding a few drops of warm water.
>> Place the asparagus in the centre and pour the sauce on top. Garnish with black truffle slices and serve

Tips
>> To use white asparagus, you must first peel its outer skin. Make a small cut in the spear, about half an inch from the bottom and use a sharp knife to take off the outer peel
>> Asparagus gets its white colour from etiolation, which is the deprivation of light. They are not as healthy as the green ones, so restrict their usage to salads
>> White asparagus takes more time to cook

Rambutan Cheesecake
Ingredients
5 rambutans
200g hung curd
3g gelatine
50ml cream
10g butter
15g biscuit crumbs
10g caster sugar

Rambutan Cheesecake by Chef Anuj Agarwal from Canvas, Palladium, Lower Parel. Pic/Suresh KK

Method
>> Puree four rambutans andu00a0keep aside
>> In a bowl, mix curd, fruit puree and sugar
>> u00a0Add gelatine and let it rest
>> In another bowl, mix biscuit crumbs and butter together to form the base of the cheesecake
>> Press these crumbs evenly in a cake tin
>> Pour the curd mixture on top and let it set in the freezer for 3-4 hours
>> Once the cake appears set, remove from the tin and garnish with chopped pieces of rambutan and a sprig of mint. Serve cold

Tips
>> Even though rambutan looks like the litchee fruit, its taste is acidic and similar to grape. Therefore always balance out the flavour with extra sugar
>> When stored, allow rambutan to cool to room temperature before using it to cook

Romanesco broccoli with chickpeas and olives
Ingredients
200g Romanesco broccoli, chopped
100g cauliflower florets, chopped
5 green olives, sliced
8-10 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup chickpeas, boiled with one bay leaf
2-3 tbsp olive oil
Crushed red pepper
Cilantro and parsley
Salt to taste

Romensco Broccoli salad by Chef Anuj Agarwal from Canvas, Palladium, Lower Parel. PIC/ Suresh KK

Method
>> Preheat the oven at 220 degree Celsius.
>> In an ovenproof dish, place the broccoli and cauliflower florets. Top it with olives, pepper, salt and chickpeas
>> Drizzle the mixture with olive oil
>> Bake it for 20-25 minutes
>> Garnish with cilantro and parsley before serving

Tips
>> Since the Romanesco broccoli has smaller and more intricate florets than the regular one, wash it.
>> Trim the florets into a uniform size, to ensure that they cook evenly
>> Romanesco broccoli takes around 7 minutes to cook. Cooking further will make it lose colour.

Jackfruit Kathal Masala Biryani
Ingredients
1/2kg jackfruit, peeled, sliced and deep fried
¼ cup onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, chopped
2tsp ginger-garlic paste
100g paste of rice
1½ tbsp coriander powder
1tsp garam masala
½tsp turmeric powder
50g curd
Salt to taste
1tsp red chilli
8 green chillies, deseeded
2tsp lemon juice
½kg rice, half-cooked
15 coriander leaves
20g mint leaves
50g pure ghee
100g fried onion
3 pieces black cardamom
1g bay leaves
5tbsp refined oil

Jackfruit biryani by Chef Mujeeb Qureshi at Veda, Palladium, Lower Parel. Pic/Shadab Khan

Method
>> In a pan, heat oil and add jackfruit pieces with the rice paste. Fry till mixture turns golden-brown
>> In another pan, heat oil and sauté black cardamom and bay leaves. Once cardamom begins to crackle, add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, tomato, curd, spices and sauté the mixture for seven to eight minutes
>> Add the jackfruit and add a cup of water
>> Transfer all the ingredients to a biryani handi and add green chillies, fried onion, mint leaves, coriander leaves, lemon juice and cook for two minutes
>> Sprinkle saffron and drizzle some ghee on top. Cover the handi for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot

Tips
>> Pick a jackfruit with a green exterior.
>> To store jackfruit for a longer period of time, you can freeze it or keep it soaked in sugar syrup (containing equal amounts of water and diluted sugar)
>> After using the flesh, you can use its seeds by roasting, boiling or baking them until tender
>> Always coat the knife and your hands with vegetable oil before touching jackfruit. Raw jackfruit leaves a gummy residue
>> Soaking jackfruit in cold water for 30u00a0minutes before use will give it au00a0good textureu00a0