Spread The Love This Valentine’s Day With A Classic Royal Dessert With A Twist

Sweet Potato Nuggets

Makes 15 to 20 pieces

Here's a baked sweet potato appetizer that resembles the popular Italian starter, bruschetta.

Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• 3 tomatoes (finely chopped)
• 50gm crumbled paneer
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili flakes (or to taste)
• 1 tsp mixed herbs (oregano and basil)
• 1 tsp chaat masala
• Coriander leaves (for garnishing)

Method

1. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into a round or oval shape.
2. Brush the sweet potato pieces with oil and sprinkle some black pepper on them.
3. Then, bake them in the oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes.
4. For the topping, mix all the ingredients (tomatoes, paneer, onion, sugar, chili flakes, herbs and chaat masala).
5. Put the topping on the baked sweet potatoes and garnish with coriander leaves.

Shahi Tukda with Banana Rabdi

Makes 4 to 5 pieces of round, 8 to 10 of triangular

Shahi Tukda is a rich Mughlai dessert made with bread, milk and nuts. And we add one of the most popular fruits, banana, to the dish to make it even more delectable!

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 bread slices
• 300g sugar (divided)
• 100ml water
• 500ml milk
• 10 strands of saffron (divided)
• 1 tsp cardamom powder (divided)
• 2 tbsp cut almonds and pistachios (divided)
• 1 banana

Method

1. Cut out the edges of the bread slices and then cut the slices in the desired shape (round or triangular).
2. Toast the slices on a tava or in the oven.
3. Next, take a heavy-bottomed pan and add 200g sugar and 100ml water.
4. Add half of the cardamom powder and 5 strands of saffron to the sugarwater mixture, and keep stirring till the syrup reaches one-thread* consistency.
5. Dip the roasted bread in the syrup and drain the excess syrup.

For banana rabdi

1. Take a heavy-bottomed pan, add the milk, and keep stirring till it reduces to half.
2. Add 1 tbsp of almonds and pistachios, the remaining cardamom powder, saffron strands, and sugar (~100g). Let it thicken.
3. Mash the banana and add it to the rabdi when it has cooled.
4. Refrigerate the banana rabdi for 30 minutes.

To serve

1. Take the syrup-dipped bread slices and top them with the banana rabdi. Garnish with the remaining almonds and pistachios.

*Dip a spoon or wooden spatula in the syrup and take it out. Allow it to cool for a few seconds. Next, touch the syrup with a clean finger. Now touch your thumb and finger together and gently pull apart your finger and your thumb. On pulling apart your finger and your thumb, if a single thread is formed without breaking, the syrup has reached a one-thread consistency.

Chatpata Cutlet

Makes 8 to 10 pieces

If you love the chatpata flavor of chaats, try making these scrumptious cutlets!

Ingredients

• 2 potatoes
• 1 carrot (grated)
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 beetroot (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp amchur (dry mango powder)
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 100ml oil (for frying)
• A pinch of chaat masala

Method

1. Boil all the vegetables until cooked.
2. Mash the potatoes and mix all the vegetables.
3. Add chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, salt, amchur powder, cumin powder, and ginger-garlic paste to the vegetables, and mix well.
4. If the vegetable mixture is too soft, add some breadcrumbs to it.
5. Roll the vegetable mixture into balls and gently flatten them with your palms. Then dip them in a bowl containing the remaining breadcrumbs.
6. Shallow-fry the patties in oil until they turn golden brown.
7. Sprinkle chaat masala on the cutlets and serve them hot with a dip of your choice.

Rakesh Punmia loves experimenting in the kitchen. For more of his recipes. Visit: https://www.instagram.com/rakeshpunmia/