Sweet Beginnings With Chef Pooja Dhingra

Prep time: 20 minutes + chilling
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
160 g flour
100 g cold butter, cubed
40 g icing sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
1½ tsp chilli juice

Method
1. In a bowl, mix the flour and sugar. Add cold butter cubes and use your fingertips to blend everything together.
2. Add the lemon juice and chilli juice to the dough, and mix well.
3. Chill the dough for 20 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 165° C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
5. Roll out the dough between sheets of parchment paper to a 5-mm thickness.
6. Cut into rounds with a 3-cm cookie cutter, and place on the tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake for eight to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: Make sure you don’t have any seeds in the chilli juice.  


Chikoo Hazelnut Kulfi
Makes: 3 to 4 traditional kulfi moulds

Cooking time: 20 minutes  

Chilling time: 8 hours 

Ingredients
500 ml milk                        
50 g caster sugar                
100 ml chikoo pulp  
50 g hazelnuts, roasted and chopped      

Method
1. In a saucepan, start heating the milk on a low flame.
2. Add the caster sugar and continue to whisk the milk until it is reduced to half. This takes about 20 minutes. Ensure that the flame is low and you don’t stop whisking!
3. Let the reduced milk cool, and then whisk in the chikoo pulp. Mix well to incorporate.
4. Fill kulfi moulds with this mixture and freeze for six to seven hours, or overnight.
5. When you are ready to serve, spread the hazelnuts on a tray.
6. Demould each kulfi carefully and immediately roll it on the tray to coat with hazelnuts.
7. Serve chilled.

Tip: This eggless kulfi is a nostalgic trip back in time.


Chocolate Pomegranate Tart
Makes: One 7-inch tart 
Prep time: 20 minutes + setting time
Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients
For the tart dough:
125 g flour
15 g cocoa powder
100 g butter, cubed
50 g icing sugar
15 ml milk

For the dark chocolate ganache:
160 g dark chocolate
90 ml cream
20 g butter

For the topping:
150 g pomegranate seeds

Method
1. To make the tart, in a large bowl, measure out sifted flour and cocoa powder. Add in the cubed cold butter. Gently start rubbing them together. Add the sifted icing sugar and mix all the ingredients carefully.
2. Once it has achieved a sand-like texture, pour the milk in. Knead to form a dough. Cling wrap the dough and chill for at least an hour before using it.
3. Grease a tart ring with butter. Preheat the oven to 165° C.
4. Lightly flour your kitchen surface and roll out the chilled dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Carefully transfer the dough into the ring and line it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
5. To make the ganache, place the dark chocolate in a bowl.
6. In a saucepan, heat the cream and bring it to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, and let it sit for a minute. Slowly mix it, and add in the butter. Combine well.
7. Once the ganache cools, pour it into the tart ring. Top with pomegranate seeds and set in the refrigerator for two hours.

Tip: The pomegranate adds a juicy, crunchy and indulgent touch to this chocolate tart.

Images: Pooja Dhingra/Coming Home

Also see: Reimagining a classic: Eggless Mini Gulab Jamun Cheesecakes from Parth Bajaj