A twist of taste this Diwali

From syrupy apple jalebis to fragrant green-tea ice cream, this festive season just got a little bit sweeter with signature dessert recipes by chefs from across the globe

CHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL CAKE

By Nigella Lawson
Uk-based gourmand, food writer and host of (Nigellissimaon) TLC

(Cuts in 8-12 slices)

Ingredients:
150 ml regular olive oil, a little extra for greasing
50g good-quality cocoa powder, sifted
125 ml boiling water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
150g ground almond or 125g plain flour
Half teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
200g caster sugar
3 eggs
1 x 22 or 23 cm springform cake tin

Method:
Preheat the Oven to 170.C/gas mark 3. Grease the springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.

Measure and sift the cocoa powder into a bowl or a jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract,  then set aside to cool a little. In another small bowl, combine the ground almond (or flour) with the bicarbonate of soda and pinch of salt.

Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.

Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the ground almond (or flour) mixture.

Scrape down and stir a little with a spatula, then pour this dark, liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.

Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream, as a pudding.

Recipe extracted from NIGELLISSIMA: INSTANT ITALIAN INSPIRATION by Nigella Lawson, published by Chatto & Windus.
© Nigella Lawson 2012.

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  Date and coconut rolls with date ice cream

By Vineet Bhatia, award-winning chef and owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Rasoi, London

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
For the date ice cream
100ml whipping cream
100ml full-fat milk
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons liquid glucose
40g granulated sugar
60g dates, finely diced
for the date and coconut rolls
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
16 dates, chopped
4 tablespoons Chenna (see page 28)
3 tablespoons caster sugar
11 tablespoons desiccated coconut
1 teaspoon ground green cardamom
4 spring roll sheets, 10 x 7cm
3 tablespoons plain flour, mixed with
5 tablespoons of water to form a
smooth mixture
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Method:
First make the ice cream. Gently bring the cream and milk to the boil in a heavybased saucepan, then set aside. Beat the egg yolks, liquid glucose and sugar together until thick and creamy, then mix in the warm milk and cream a little at a time.

Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until it thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon. Strain immediately into a clean, dry bowl and leave to cool. Stir in the dates, then pour into an ice-cream machine and freeze until firm. Transfer to the fridge to soften slightly about 5 minutes before serving.

For the date rolls, melt the butter in a pan, add the chopped dates, chenna, caster sugar and 5 tablespoons of the desiccated coconut and cook gently for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, mix in the green cardamom and leave to cool.

Place the spring roll sheets on a work surface, divide the date mixture between them, then fold in the sides and roll up to form cigars. Dip them in the flour paste and then coat them in the remaining desiccated coconut.

Chill for about 20 minutes, until firm. Heat the vegetable oil to 175°C in a deep-fat fryer or a deep saucepan. Add the coconut rolls and fry for 2 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper, then cut each roll into 3 at an angle and serve with the ice cream.

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GREEN-TEA ICE CREAM

By master chef Tetsu Akahira, Sakura, The Metropolitan Hotel & Spa, New Delhi

(makes 12 servings)

Ingredients:
1 litre milk
30g Maccha powder or green tea powder
220g sugar
300 ml double cream
8 egg yolks

Method:
Heat milk over low flame at 60 degrees centigrade, remove and set aside to cool. Mix sugar, egg yolks and cream till the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Dissolve the Maccha powder in a small quantity of boiling water. Mix all the ingredients together and put in a  pre-chilled ice cream machine for 30 minutes. Serve.

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APPLE JALEBIS

By Ravinder Bhogal

UK-based food writer, stylist and host of <Ravinder’s Kitchen> on TLC

Ingredients:
4 apples, peeled, cored and cut into rings
250g cornflour
25g plain flour
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon saffron, steeped in warm water
325g yoghurt
For the syrup:
500g caster sugar
250 ml water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons rosewater

Method:
Sieve cornflour, bicarb and plain flour together into a bowl. Blend together the saffron and yoghurt, and whisk well into the flour mixture. Allow it to rest for around an hour. Make the syrup by putting water and sugar in a pan and bringing to a boil. Simmer for ten minutes until syrupy, take off heat and add lemon and rosewater.

Heat the oil for deep-frying. Peel and core apples and cut them into thin rings. Dip apple rings into the <jalebi> mixture, and deep fry till golden and crisp. Once cooked, plunge into the syrup and retrieve. Serve.

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ORGANIC PASSION FRUIT SOUFFLÉ

By Dhruv Oberoi, sous chef, Olive at the Qutub, New Delhi

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
35g sugar
40 ml passion fruit puree
4 egg whites
3g orange rind
3gmlemon rind

Method:
In a bowl, cream the egg yolk with the sugar, until pale and the sugar has dissolved. Add the passion fruit puree, orange rind, lemon rind mix and set aside. In a separate bowl (copper, if you have), whisk the egg whites to firm peaks, but be careful not to overbeat them. Whisk 1/3 of the whites into the yolks then carefully fold through the remaining. Spoon the mixture into a buttered and sugared soufflé mould (this could also be a tea cup or ramekin). Bake at 190C for 12 minutes.