A tasting menu featuring all of Chef Vikram’s favourite snacks, including his signature Black Chickpea Pakoras served with Tamarind Chutney, Naan Pizzas with Crispy Oyster Mushrooms and Fenugreek Curry, and lastly, a cherished family recipe, Butter Chicken Schnitzels with Spicy Mash and Peas.

• 2pcs Naan
• 150g Oyster Mushrooms
• 250mL Fenugreek Curry
• 1 bag Cilantro
• 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
• 12pcs Pakoras
• 4oz Tamarind Chutney
• 2pcs Breaded Chicken Cutlets
• 500mL Butter Sauce
• 500g Spicy Mash and Peas
• 2pcs Naan
• 1 bunch Cilantro
• 4oz Coconut Milk

Allergens: Dairy, Mushrooms, Alliums, Gluten, Coconut, Eggs

Make sure you’ve got 3 Medium Sauce Pans, a Large Frying Pan, 4 Baking Trays Lined With Parchment Paper, Paper Towels, Measuring Spoons, a Cutting Board, a Knife, and a Whisk. It’s also ideal to have a few staples on hand like Cooking Oil and Kosher or Finishing Salt. Now, let’s get cooking!

1st Course: Black Chickpea Pakoras

Preheat your oven to 400ºF.

Place Pakoras on your baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Place your baking tray on the middle rack in your oven, and set a timer for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, carefully pull the Pakoras out of the oven. Using a spatula, flip one Pakora over to check for doneness. If the bottom is a deep golden brown and feels crispy to the touch, flip all of them over and slide back into the oven, setting a timer for 7 more minutes.

If the Pakoras still look light and do not feel crispy, flip your tester back over, and put them back into the oven for an additional 3 minutes. Check back again for the perfect crispy texture and dark golden colour.

While your Pakoras are baking, cut open the bag of Tamarind Chutney and pour into a small ramekin.

Once your Pakoras are done to your liking and still piping hot, sprinkle with Kosher or finishing salt.

Transfer your Pakoras to a serving platter and serve with your side of Chutney.

2nd Course: Mushroom Naan Pizza

Place the Naan on your baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Next, grab your small sauce pan and put it on low heat. Empty the Fenugreek Curry into the saucepan, and gently warm until heated through, approximately 10 minutes. Make sure to whisk your Sauce every few minutes to re-emulsify!

While your Sauce is warming, take your Oyster Mushrooms and break them down into smaller, bite sized pieces. To do this, pick up a large piece of Mushroom and peel smaller sections off. There will be small Mushrooms at the bottom of a few stems – you can leave those whole. Aim to have all of the pieces around the same size so they crisp up evenly.

Chef’s Tip: Be sure not to peel the Mushrooms too small – they will shrink in the oven!

Place the peeled Mushrooms on a large baking tray. Try to spread out the Mushrooms so they are not touching, allowing them to cook evenly.

Drizzle the Mushrooms with two tablespoons of cooking oil.

Chef’s Tip: To ensure that the edges of the Mushrooms are evenly coated, you may also place them in a bowl with a drizzle of oil and toss with your hands to evenly coat. This will help them get nice and crispy!

Sprinkle the Garam Masala over the Mushrooms and place in the oven.

Set a timer for 10 minutes. Your oven is very hot, so be sure to not leave the Mushrooms unattended! After 10 minutes, if the Mushrooms are not golden brown and crispy, set your timer for an additional two minutes. Continue this process until they are golden and crispy to your liking.

Once the Mushrooms are nice and crispy, sprinkle a pinch of salt as soon as they leave the oven, and set aside. Note: Sprinkle salt after the Mushrooms are cooked to prevent them from releasing moisture in the oven.

Turn down your oven to 350ºF.

Next, place your Naan in the oven to warm and set a timer for 3 minutes. Note: You are not looking for much colour on the Naan – just warming it slightly.

After the Naan is warmed, take them out of the oven. Next, carefully spoon an even amount of Fenugreek Curry Sauce on each piece of Naan. Divide your crispy Mushrooms between the two pieces of Naan and put back into the oven and set a timer for five minutes.

Once the timer goes off, remove the naan pizzas from the oven, and transfer to a serving platter. Open the bag of fresh Cilantro and pick off the leaves, ripping them into smaller pieces onto the pizzas. If you prefer a finer cut, set up a cutting board, pick the leaves off the stems, and chop the Cilantro prior to garnishing the pizzas.

3rd Course: Butter Chicken Schnitzel

Bring your oven back up to 400ºF.

Set up your cleaned cutting board and open the bag of fresh Cilantro. Using a knife, chop ¾ of the stems of the Cilantro off, leaving the leaves with a few stems connecting them. Chop the Cilantro roughly – no need to go too fine with the chop.

Next, fill your first saucepan ¾ of the way up with water. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, drop the Butter Sauce bag directly into the water, and allow to simmer in the water for 15-20 minutes.

While the Butter Sauce is gently warming, continue preparing the rest of your ingredients. Take out your baking trays. Line one tray with a few sheets of paper towel, and the other with parchment paper and set aside.

Next, open the bag of Spicy Mash & Peas, and empty the contents into a second pot. Turn the heat on to medium-low to warm gently. Add in the Coconut Milk, mixing into the Spicy Mash & Peas until incorporated. Reduce the heat to low while you continue prepping the remaining ingredients.

Chef’s Tip: If the Potatoes are bubbling or sizzling, turn down the heat. You want a gentle heat that will warm the Potatoes without drying them out or causing them to burn. Ensure that throughout the rest of the cooking process you are checking the temperature of the Potatoes and stirring occasionally.

Open your bag of Breaded Chicken Schnitzel, and place Cutlets on a plate. Sprinkle both sides of the Chicken Cutlets with salt. When there is 10 minutes left on the timer for the Butter Sauce, preheat your large frying pan over medium-high heat. Note: The pan should be large enough to fit both pieces of Breaded Chicken.

Once preheated, add 100mL of cooking oil. Using a pair of tongs, place the Breaded Chicken into the hot oil.

Chef’s Tip: When adding any ingredient to hot oil, always place it into the hot oil facing away from you. Never place any food into hot oil towards your body/hands to avoid oil splashes and burns.

Fry the first side of the Chicken Schnitzel for approximately 2-3 minutes. Flip the Chicken over once golden in colour. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until both sides are evenly golden brown. If you have a meat thermometer, check the temperature of the Chicken Schnitzel. Once your Chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, it is fully cooked. Using tongs, remove the Chicken from the pan, allowing as much oil to drain off as possible and place on the baking tray lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Immediately season Fried Chicken Schnitzel with desired amount of salt.

Set the Naan on a baking tray lined with parchment, and place in the oven, setting a 3 minute timer. While the Naan is warming, start to plate, making sure to keep a close eye on the Naan.

Begin with taking half of the chopped Cilantro and mix it into the Spicy Peas & Mash, then scoop the warmed Spicy Peas & Mash onto your plate. Place the Fried Schnitzel on the plate next to the Mash or on top. Carefully remove the bag of Butter Sauce from the pot, and spoon it over the Crispy Chicken Schnitzel. Make sure you plate as soon as you’re ready to eat to ensure the Chicken stays crispy under the Sauce!

Chef’s Tip: This Butter Sauce contains cream, and sometimes cream separates from the acid in sauces. If this happens, you can place the warm bag in between a folded clean kitchen towel, and use your hands to gently mix the Sauce from the outside of the bag. You can also pour the Sauce into a bowl and mix with a whisk!

Garnish the Chicken Schnitzel and Mash & Peas with the remaining chopped Cilantro. Serve with the warmed Naan fresh out of the oven!

Chef’s Tip: Don’t let any extra Butter Sauce go to waste! Scoop up any additional Sauce with your Naan Bread for a delicious snack!

That’s it! Namaste!