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A toast to love, passion, and sophistication—crafted to make your Valentine’s Day Date truly extraordinary.
Elevate your celebration by indulging your beloved with a luxurious, restaurant-style experience featuring these exquisite, chef-curated recipes
This Valentine’s Day, trade fancy restaurant dates for an intimate, unforgettable evening at home. Elevate your celebration by indulging your beloved with a luxurious, restaurant-style experience featuring these exquisite, chef-curated recipes.
Hibiscus Flower Lemonade
By Sonalal Kumar, Bartender, Lantern Bar, Atmosphere Kanifushi Maldives
Ingredients:
● Hibiscus flower 2 nos
● Lemon –15ml
● Cardamom powder a Pinch
● Honey
Method:
● In a saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
● Add the dried hibiscus flowers to the boiling water and reduce heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.
● Remove from heat and let it steep for an additional 10 minutes to enhance the flavor.
● Using a fine mesh strainer, strain the hibiscus infusion into a pitcher, discarding the flowers.
● Stir in the freshly squeezed lemon juice and honey while the hibiscus tea is still warm. Mix well until the honey is fully dissolved.
● Add a pinch of cardamom to the mixture. Stir well to combine the flavors.
● Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until completely chilled.
● Fill glasses with ice cubes and pour the chilled hibiscus cooler over the ice. Garnish Garnish with fresh mint leaves for an extra touch of freshness.
Nantu Kuzhambu
By Chef Chinna, CUR8, Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru
Ingredients
● Mud Crab – 1 no.
● Onion – 1 large
● Garlic – 50 gms
● Ginger – 20 gms
● Tomato – 150 gms
● Mustard Seeds – 5 gms
● Coconut Milk – 70 gms
● Tamarind Water – 50 ml
● Fennel Seeds – 5 gms
● Fennel Powder – 5 gms
● Pepper Powder – 5 gms
● Curry Leaves – 5 gms
● Chef’s Curry Masala – 10 gms
● Gingelly Oil – 30 ml
● Turmeric Powder – 10 gms
● Chili Powder – 10 gms
● Green Chilies – 2 nos.
● Coriander Powder – 10 gms
● Coriander Leaves – 5 gms
Method:
● Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Let them splutter.
● Add fennel seeds, followed by curry leaves, and let them splutter too.
● Add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and green chilies, sautéing until the raw aroma dissipates.
● Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook until they are soft and stewed.
● Once the tomatoes are mashed, add turmeric, chili, coriander, curry masala, fennel powder, and pepper powder. Mix well.
● Pour in the tamarind water and adjust the tanginess to taste. Cook until the mixture loses its raw aroma.
● Add the cleaned crab to the prepared masala and cook until done.
● Finish by stirring in fresh coconut milk and garnishing with coriander leaves.
Pomegranate Sangria
By Lasith, Bartender, Sangs Bar, OBLU SELECT Sangeli
Ingredients:
● 60ml white rum
● 60ml orange juice
● 20ml pomegranate syrup
● 10ml lime juice
● 10ml cinnamon syrup
● Slice of orange (Garnish)
Method:
● Add white rum, orange juice, pomegranate syrup, lime juice, and cinnamon syrup to a cocktail shaker.
● Fill the shaker with ice cubes.
● Shake well for 10–15 seconds until chilled.
● Strain the mixture into a chilled wine glass with ice altogether.
● Garnish with a slice of orange.
Strawberry Yoghurt Cheese Cake With Double Crumb by Lalit Kumar, Executive Chef, Skyview By Empyrean
Ingredients:
- Packets plain shortbread biscuits, roughly broken
- Whole almonds, toasted
- Coconut flakes, toasted
- Ground cinnamon
- Unsalted butter, melted, plus 30g extra, chilled, chopped
- Strawberries, hulled and halved, plus extra to serve
- Caster sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Titanium-strength gelatine leaves
- Cream cheese, at room temperature
- Cups (420g) Greek-style yoghurt
- Baby basil leaves (optional), to serve
Macerated strawberries
- Strawberries, hulled and halved
- Caster sugar
- Red wine vinegar
Method
- Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Grease base and sides of a 20cm round springform cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
- To make the base, place biscuits, almonds, coconut and cinnamon in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Add melted butter and whiz until well combined. Measure 3 cups of the biscuit mixture and press firmly into base of prepared cake pan. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.
- Transfer remaining biscuit mixture to a bowl and, using your fingertips, rub in the extra chilled butter to form a crumb. Transfer to prepared tray and bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once during baking, until golden and crisp. Cool completely on tray. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set aside overnight at room temperature until ready to assemble.
- To make the filling, place strawberries, sugar, vanilla and 1/4 cup (60ml) water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until sugar dissolves, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until strawberries are softened and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup. Remove pan from heat. Using a handheld stick blender, blend until smooth.
- Meanwhile, place gelatine in a bowl of cold water and stand for 5 minutes or until softened. While the smooth strawberry mixture is still hot, squeeze excess water from the gelatine and add to strawberry mixture, stirring until gelatine completely dissolves. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk cream cheese and yoghurt together until smooth. Add strawberry mixture and whisk until well combined and smooth. Pour over chilled biscuit base in pan and level the surface. Cover and chill overnight until firm.
- The next day, for the macerated strawberries, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Set aside for at least 2 hours until strawberries soften and a rich syrup forms.
- To serve, stand cheesecake at room temperature for a few minutes before releasing sides of pan. Transfer to a serving platter, top with macerated strawberries, extra fresh strawberries and basil (if using). Sprinkle with extra crumb and place remaining crumb in a bowl for people to help themselves. Serve.
