Love strawberries? Make these unique dishes this winter season

Strawberries are heavenly The delicious red fruits are soft and juicy and an absolute delight Apart from eating them plain some of the most common ways people have consumed them over the years are by indulging in strawberry milkshakes strawberries and fresh cream vanilla ice cream with freshly cut strawberries and if youve lived in Maharashtra long enough you know how you have to enjoy strawberries in every form in Mahabaleshwar But chefs say there is a lot more that can be done with themWith the winter season here itrsquos impossible to ignore strawberries which are available in abundance right now The mystery of getting either more sweetness or tart in every bite is one of the most important aspects of eating the fruitKeeping the flavours and fruit in mind this winter middaycom spoke to Indian chefs to get some of their favourite and most innovative recipes to enjoy the fruit this season While they want you to indulge in a salad and porridge they also want you to add the fruit to crumble and other desserts along with Italian dishes like you have never beforeWinter Special SaladThe easiest way to include any seasonal vegetable or fruit is by including it in a salad and the strawberry is no different this winter season ChefAbhishek Pednekar executive chef at Woodside Inn in Andheri and Bandra says people can simply make the Winter Special Salad which he serves at the restaurant He explains Itrsquos a winter special salad with strawberries which are in season and the speciality of this salad is the strawberry vinaigrette dressingrdquo Itrsquos because Pednekar has observed most people only use it raw but has more to it and even gives a hue and festive flavour to the saladIngredientsChioggia Beet 200 gmStrawberries 200 gmWater chestnuts 100gmRadicchio lettuce 50 gmKale lettuce 50 gmRoasted hazelnuts 10 gmBrussel sprouts 30 gmOlive oil 50 mlVinegar 20 mlSalt 10 gmBlack pepper 5 gmFeta cheese 10 gmMethod1 First make the dressing for salad Take 150 gm of strawberries oliveoil vinegar blend together Peel and slice Chioggia beets and marinate itwith 30 ml of dressing and keep it aside2 Blanch water chestnut and Brussel sprouts and allow them to cool and apply salt olive oil and black pepper to it3 For plating the salad place the marinated Chioggia beets at the bottomIn a separate bowl toss kale and radicchio lettuce with Brussel sprouts water chestnuts diced strawberries with the dressing and adjust theseasoning4 Place the lettuce mixture on top of Chioggia beets and garnish the salad with roasted hazelnuts and feta cheeseStrawberry CrumbleWhen you talk about strawberries itrsquos impossible to not talk aboutdesserts and with the winter season here one has to soak in thefestivities by giving in to their sweet tooth craving So Raveena Tauranifounder and head chef at Yogisattva Cafe says you can make a Strawberry Crumble She explains I love using organic strawberries when in season to make this beautiful crumble Indian strawberries are very tart so thesweetness of maple syrup combined with the tartness of Indian strawberriesalong with a crunchy element on top makes this a perfect dessert for the strawberry season Top it with vanilla ice cream and you have a winnerrdquoIngredientsFor the fillingStrawberry washed dried and sliced 4 cupsTapioca flour 2 tbspLemon juice 1 tspOrganic maple syrup 1frasl4 cup OR jaggery powder 12 cup For the crumbleRaw almonds 12 cupRolled oats 14 cupCoconut oil 2 tbspCoconut sugar 3 tbspPure vanilla extract 1 tspGround cinnamon 1 tspSea salt 14 tspMethod1 Preheat your oven to 190 degrees Celsius Toss the sliced strawberriesin a large bowl with the lemon juice tapioca flour and maple syrup andarrange at the bottom of a baking dish of your choice2 Set aside in the refrigerator while you prepare the crumble topping3 Add the almonds to a highspeed blender or food processor and pulse until crumbs form Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until a thick crumb mixture forms Donrsquot blend for so long that it gets pasty though4 Sprinkle the topping generously all over the strawberries then bake in the preheated oven for 3035 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly5 Serve warm or at room temperatureStrawberry Fettucine with Rucola Avocado and BocconciniIf you love Italian food then master chef Mohd Shahnawaz of ITC Grand Central in Parel says you can make a delicious Strawberry Fettucine with Rucola Avocado and Bocconcini He explains Strawberries are one of my favourite fruits It has multiple health benefits as it supports onersquos immunity and whilst being extremely tasty it also moderates onersquos blood sugar At Hornbyrsquos Pavilion the chefs say they often prepare desserts or beverages with strawberry toppings or as main ingredients However this recipe is his favourite I love preparing Strawberry Fettucine with Rucola Avocado and Bocconcini because children love it the mostIngredientsAvocado 1 pieceBocconcini 5 piecesFresh strawberry puree 500 mlAgar Agar 5 gmRucola and Basil leaves a handfulDressingOlive oil 100 mlBalsamic vinegar 50 mlMustard 1 tspSalt and pepper to tasteMethod1 Take the avocado for salad by removing the skin and seeds and cutting it into cubes2 Cut the Bocconcini in half3 Wash and clean rucola leaves and basil4 For the strawberry fettucine mix some salt and sugar in the strawberrypuree and then add some agar agar and mix well5 Spread the mixture on a flat tray and let it set once set cut it into long strips shape of fettucine6 Assemble all together and serveFresh Strawberry DomeMukesh Kumar Singh who is the executive chef of Novotel Imagicaa Khopoli believes there are many ways to make use of fresh fruit If you want to go beyond a regular salad but want to have an elaborate dessert then he says you can make a Fresh Strawberry Dome The dish comprising strawberry jelly and strawberry cream is a complete treat if you love the winter specialStrawberry Fresh JellyIngredientsGelatine 20 gmStrawberry puree 200 gmGrain sugar 25 gmWater 65 ml for gelatine soakingStrawberry creamIngredientsWhipped cream 200 gm Caster sugar 25 gmStrawberry puree 75 gmGelatine 15 gmLemon juice 1 mlMethod1 Place a pan over medium flame and add sugar along with water in it Cook the mixture for about 45 minutes and leave to cool Now add the fresh strawberries in a blender jar and blend them to form a smooth puree Add this puree to the sugar syrup and mix well Strain this mixture into a bowl using a muslin cloth to remove the red liquid2 Next mix gelatine powder with half a cup of cold water and make sure it melts Next add the gelatin mixture to the red liquid and mix well Pour this liquid into the desired mould and refrigerate for a couple of hours3 Put strawberry pulp cinnamon and sugar into the small panSprinkle the gelatine over water and let it soak Heat strawberry mixture over low heat stirring all the time till warm4 When warm add the soaked gelatine and continue stirring till it reaches a coating consistencyBeat the whipped cream double in volume and mix with another mixture5 Remove from heat allow cooling and mix in the lemon juice and pour into the individual Dom shape mould and leave to cool6 Garnish with fresh strawberry slices mint chill and decorate as requiredVegan Strawberry Porridge Just like you can add a mix of flavours to salads porridge also gives people the liberty to experiment with strawberries Divyanshi Patel executive chef at Hotel Astor Goa in Candolim says you can start simple with a Vegan Strawberry Porridge She explains Strawberries are the most loved seasonal ingredient by all the chefs and Goa is the land of fresh coastal ingredients a blend of both is the idea behind the dish Fresh coconut milk with strawberries sourced from the organic farm of Mahabaleshwar are the two key ingredients for this dish Being a chef she says providing nourishing food with aided health advantages is the key and thats why she chose to add ashwagandha powderIngredientsRolled oats 2 cupsFresh coconut milk 4 cupsNatural honey 1 tbspStrawberry chopped 1 cupAshwagandha powder 1 tspDry ginger 12 tspCinnamon 1 tspMethod1 First blend all dry ingredients together in a glass clip jar pour the coconut milk then blend all dry ingredients topped with chopped strawberries2 Put it in the fridge overnight In the morning dig in with a spoon