It's not every day that home cooks get the chance to recreate recipes from a chef who has earned a Michelin star for their jaw dropping culinary creations.
To help "Good Morning America" celebrate the Hindu festival Holi, Indian chef Vikas Khanna, owner of the newly opened Bungalow restaurant in New York City, dropped by to share three gourmet dishes and techniques to make them at home.
Check out the full recipes for chef Khanna's vibrant and delicious dishes below.
"Chaat, which literally means 'to lick,' is a term used to describe a variety of savory snacks and street food dishes that are popular in India, particularly in the Indian subcontinent," Khanna said. "For me they are one of the greatest examples of contrasts: velvety smooth yet crispy, sweet yet spicy, sour yet salty. These favorite snacks are known for their bold flavors, combination of textures, and vibrant colors. Chaat can be found in street food stalls, markets, and restaurants across India."
Khanna continued, "At Bungalow, we combine three amazing elements to create this plate. The beginning of summer is marked by markets flooded by green mangoes that find places in our pickles, curries and drinks. In this recipe, we create a sauce of the classic Mango Panna in a thick luscious sauce. Its character of being sweet, sour, spicy and savory is retained in a perfect ratio to match with roasted sweet potato. Boondi is a round droplet of chickpea batter which is seasoned with ashwagandha."
Ingredients
For the purple potato
2 large sweet purple potatoes, cut into small cylinders, boiled in salted water
Smoke gun using dried mango wood
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon crushed red chili
1 teaspoon roasted cumin, crushed
1 teaspoon dried mango powder
Juice of 1/2 lemon
For the green mango sauce
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon Paanch Phoron
1 medium-sized raw mango
2 tablespoons sugar (or to taste)
1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon black salt (or to taste)
1 green chili such as serrano
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
For the chickpea droplets
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional, for color)
Salt to taste
Water, as needed
Oil for deep-frying
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ashwagandha powder
Directions
For the potato:
Place the potatoes in a deep dish and add the smoke to it using a smoke gun. Keep them covered for 10 to 15 minutes. Combine the remaining ingredients and gently glaze the potatoes with the mixture. Serve hot.
For the green mango sauce:
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup water and vinegar, and continue to cook until the mixture becomes jam-like. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Keep refrigerated.
For the chickpea droplets:
In a mixing bowl combine the chickpea flour, baking soda, turmeric and salt, and gradually add water to form a smooth batter resembling a pancake batter.
Heat oil in a deep-frying pan to about 360 F.
Hold a perforated slotted spoon over the hot oil, ensuring that the holes are small enough to create tiny droplets. Pour a ladleful of batter onto the ladle and gently tap or shake it to allow the batter to pass through the holes. This will form tiny droplets of batter that will fall into the hot oil.
Continue to fry until evenly golden in color. Remove from the oil and sprinkle with chili powder and ashwagandha.
To assemble:
Pour the mango sauce in the middle and gently place the roasted purple potatoes and sprinkle the chickpea droplets around it. Garnish with a yam chip.
"Dahi Kebab is a favorite in many parts of India, where masters of Indian cuisine created a technique to use hung yogurt and seal it by semolina or any flour. As they pan seared it, the outside became crisp and the seasoned yogurt remained hot. I still remember eating it in Indore for a wedding reception," Khanna said.
"It played such a trick on my palate as the piping hot yogurt oozed out of the crust. This is one of my best creations at my restaurant Kinara in Dubai, thus I wanted to bring New Yorkers a taste of crispy kataifi and hung yogurt. We serve this with fermented purple cabbage that is pureed with lemon zest and cumin. Passion fruit gel adds a sweet sour taste to bring this medley together."
Ingredients
Dahi Kebab
2 cups thick yogurt (hung curd) or labneh
2 tablespoons roasted ground gram flour
2 green chilies, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
4 dates, preferably Medjool
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
12 ounces kataifi, preferably fresh or thawed if frozen
Purple Cabbage Puree
1/2 purple cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup water
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2-inch ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 to 8 peppercorns
1 star anise
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Salt to taste
2 green chilies, split (or to taste)
3 tablespoons neutral oil
Spicy Mango Gel
1 cup mango puree
1/2 cup sugar (or as required)
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons agar agar
Directions
For the dahi kebab:
Transfer the hung yogurt to a mixing bowl. Add gram flour, chilies, ginger, garlic, dates, garam masala, cumin powder, salt and coriander leaves and mix well to form a smooth dough-like mixture. Divide the mixture into 6 portions.
Place 2 ounces of kataifi on a working surface and spread it in the shape of a square.
Place the yogurt mixture and shape the kataifi over it like a roulade. Make sure that the yogurt mixture is evenly covered by the kataifi.
Place the mixture in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes until it holds the shape.
Heat oil in a fryer to 350 F.
Once the oil is hot, carefully place the rolls and fry until they turn golden brown and evenly crispy. Once done, remove the kebabs from the pan and place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
For the purple cabbage puree:
In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, water, garlic, ginger, peppercorns, star anise, lemon zest, salt and chili. Heat the mixture on medium heat until fragrant and well combined. Bring it to a boil and remove from heat.
Transfer the cabbage in a clean medium jar and pour the mixture over it.
Let it sit for 3 to 4 days and ferment in a warm place.
Transfer to a blender with oil and puree to a smooth mixture like paste.
Season it with salt if required and keep it refrigerated.
For the mango gel:
Combine everything in a medium pan and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and let it cool.
To assemble:
Place the purple cabbage sauce on the plate. Gently place the dahi kebab on top and finish with a squeeze of mango gel.
"This dish is inspired by the Maharashtrian sweet known as Kharvas," Khanna said. "It is a milk pudding made from cow or buffalo colostrum, the first form of milk produced within one or two days of giving birth. The creaminess and rich flavors are well combined with a nut and spice mixture of Thandai, a classic spring drink served during Holi. The hibiscus powder adds a floral undertones to the dessert and the sesame brittle adds a magical texture."
Ingredients
Mixed Nuts Pudding
2 cups whole milk, or any plant-based milk of your choice
1/2 cup granulated sugar, or to taste
2 teaspoons agar agar powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mixed dry fruits, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cardamom seeds, finely ground
Pistachio Mousse
1 cup unsalted pistachios, shelled and finely ground
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons spinach puree
Sesame Brittle
5 tablespoons butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom powder
1 cup raw sesame seeds
Hibiscus Powder
2 ounces dried hibiscus petals (organic and pesticide-free)
2 ounces sugar
Directions
For the mixed nuts pudding:
In a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and agar agar. Stir well to dissolve the agar agar powder and sugar completely.
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Once the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining ingredients.
Pour the pudding mixture into serving cups or molds and refrigerate it for an hour or overnight.
For the pistachio mousse:
In a mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in the pistachio powder and spinach puree, and mix until well combined.
For the sesame brittle:
In a medium pot, combine butter, sugar and cardamom powder, and cook until the candy thermometer reads between 290 to 300 F.
Add the sesame seeds and mix well. Continue to stir and cook until the seeds take on a light amber color.
Immediately remove from heat and pour onto a nonstick silicone mat. Let cool at least an hour before breaking into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
For the hibiscus powder:
Carefully remove stems or stigmas attached to any hibiscus flowers. Transfer to a spice or coffee grinder with sugar and pulse until the powder is smooth. Strain and store in an airtight container.
To assemble:
Top finished pudding with a spoonful of pistachio mousse, add a piece of sesame brittle and sprinkle with hibiscus powder.