Easter 2025: 4 easy and delicious recipes to celebrate the festival

As the Christian community across the country observe Holy Week in the coming days of April in preparation for MaundyThursdayand GoodFriday it will conclude with Easter celebrations that will be a feastThis year Easter is being observed onApril 20across the world While Mumbais many different communities including the Goan Mangalorean East Indian and even Syrian Christians among others come together to celebrate there will be a lot of good foodWhile some may order in others will be looking to cook a feast with some traditional as well as innovative dishes We asked Indian chefs to help you with some ideas as they share recipes for delicious dishes that are not only classics but also innovativeSome convert the hot cross bun into puddingasothers have mocha mousse inspired by the Pantone colours of the yearand others even share recipes from global cuisinesto help youadd a unique touch to itHot Cross Bun Bread PuddingTake the opportunity to innovate with the classic hot cross bun to make a Hot Cross Bun Pudding says executive chef Anshul Dhyani He explains ldquoThis dish takes a beloved Easter classic and gives it a comforting homestyle twist The spices from the buns infuse the custard beautifully mdash itrsquos tradition with a warm hug With hot cross buns being an Easter staple that is fragrant with spices and dotted with raisins or currants this version transforms the humble bun into a warm custardy dessert perfect for sharingIngredientsHot cross buns sliced in half 4 nosUnsalted butter softened 2 tbspWhole milk 2 cupsHeavy cream 12 cupEggs 3 nosGranulated sugar 12 cupVanilla extract 1 tspCinnamon 12 tspZest of 1 orange optional for a fresh twistRaisins or sultanas optional 14 cupPowdered sugar for dustingMethod1 Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius 340 degrees Fahrenheit Grease a medium baking dish2 Butter the cut sides of each hot cross bun and place them butterside up in the dish Layer themslightly overlapping Sprinkle raisins between layers if using3 In a mixing bowl whisk together milk cream eggs sugar vanilla cinnamon and orange zest until well combined4 Pour the custard mixture evenly over the buns Gently press the buns down to soak Let sit for 10ndash15 minutes so the buns absorb the liquid5 Bake in the preheated oven for 30ndash35 minutes or until golden and set with slight wobble in the centre6 Let cool slightly before serving Dust with powdered sugarSEE PHOTOS Celebrate Easter by indulging in these festive food menus in MumbaiTraditional Hot Cross BunsIf you simply want the classic hot cross buns then chef Ritesh Raje who is the executive sous chef of DoubleTree by Hilton Goa in Panaji say it is always the best optionIngredientsFor the doughStrong white bread flour 500g 4 cupsCaster sugar 75g 13 cupGround cinnamon 2 tspGround nutmeg 12 tspGround allspice or mixed spice 14 tspSalt 1 tspActive dry yeast 7 gm 1 packetWarm whole milk 300 ml 1 14 cupsUnsalted butter softened 50 gm 14 cupLarge egg 1 noMixed dried fruit currants sultanas raisins 150 gm 1 cupZest of 1 orangeFor the flour crossPlain flour 60g 12 cupWater enough to make a thick paste 5 tbspFor the glazeCaster sugar 50 gm 14 cupWater 4 tbspMethod1 Activate the yeast Warm the milk not hot and mix with the yeast and a pinch of sugar Let it sit for 5ndash10 minutes until frothy2 Make the dough In a large bowl mix flour sugar salt and spices Make a well in the centreand pour in the yeast mixture butter egg and orange zest Mix to form a sticky dough3 Knead Knead on a floured surface for 10 minutes until soft and elastic Gradually knead in the dried fruit until evenly distributed4 First rise Place dough in a greased bowl cover with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot for 1ndash15 hours or until doubled in size5 Shape Punch down the dough divide into 12 even pieces and shape into round buns Place on aparchmentlined baking tray or close together in a large tin for pullapart style6 Second rise Cover loosely and let rise for 30ndash45 minutes until puffed7 Add the cross Mix flour and water into a thick paste Spoon into a piping bag or ziplock bag with tip snipped off and pipe a cross over each bun8 Bake Bake at 190 degrees Celsius375 degrees Fahrenheit for 20ndash25 minutes until golden and hollowsounding when tapped on the bottom9 Glaze While still hot simmer sugar and water to make a simple syrup Brush generously over buns for a glossy finishGreen ShakshukaChef Shridhar Parab who is the junior sous chef at Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai in Worli says you can take the global twist to the traditional Easter celebration by making a Shakshouka He shares ldquoWhile Shakshouka has received a lot of love from across Indian dining tables this green version adds a fresh twist to the flavourful recipe denoting the freshness commonly associated with EasterIngredientsOnion finely chopped 50 gmGarlic minced 20 gmGreen onion chopped 15 gmAsparagus sliced 20 gmBaby spinach 10 gmCoriander Leaves chopped 5 gmEdamame 10 gmAvocado diced 10 gmJalapeno finely chopped 5 gmOlive oil 5 mlCumin powder 6 gmCoriander powder 4 gmSalt 2 gmRed banana chilli sliced 8 gmFeta cheese 10 gmEggs 4 nosMethod1 Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius2 Heat olive oil in a cast iron pan over medium heat3 Sauteacute onion and garlic until translucent4 Add green onion jalapentildeo and asparagus Cook for 23 minutes until softened5 Toss in baby spinach coriander leaves and edamame6 Season with cumin powder coriander powder and salt Cook until vegetables are soft7 Flatten the mixture and create small wells Crack an egg into each well Top with sliced red banana chilli8 Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake at 180degC for 5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking9 Remove from oven Top with crumbled feta cheese diced avocado coriander leaves chili flakes and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oilPancake Mocha Mousse CakeInspired by Pantonersquos 2025 Colour of the Year chef Neha Deepak Shah associated with Stahl cookware says you can make a Chocolate Mousse Pancake Stack for the occasion While savoury dishes are popular during this time along with Easter eggs you can easily start your day with the pancakesIngredientsFor the pancakesWhole wheatflour 12 cupCorn flour 12 tbspJaggery powder 12 tbspBaking powder 1 tspMilk room temperature 12 cup 1 tbspGhee melted 1 tbspVanilla essence 14 tspFor the mousseDark chocolate melted should be at room temperature 100 gmMilk chocolate melted should be at room temperature 100 gmWhipped cream should be at room temperature 100 gmMethodFor the pancakes1 Mix all the dry ingredients and add in the milk2 Mix thoroughly to prepare a smooth flowing batter and then add in the butter3 Pour the batter into a squeezy bottle4 Make the pancakes in one go and dont spread5 Pour the batter on low flame Cook on medium flame and flip when you see bubbles on thepancake To get a perfect golden coloured pancake never add any butter or oil while cooking it6 Remove and set asideFor the mousse1 Fold in dark chocolate into the whipped cream Once it is well combined fold in the milk chocolatetooFor the pancake mousse cake1 Take a pancake and place it on a serving dish2 Top it with a generous but even layer of the prepared mousse3 Place another pancake on the mousse and repeat the layers to form a cake4 Cover the cake evenly with the mousse and garnish as you likeatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params