Food and Drink

Hero of the holiday potluck: Unforgettable signature recipes from Charlotte chefs

Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder’s Grilled Turkey in Seasonal Brine.
Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder’s Grilled Turkey in Seasonal Brine.

“It’s tiiiiimee!” (sang in your best Mariah Carey voice) to start planning those holiday meals.

Whether you’re hosting a Friendsgiving or a traditional family feast, Charlotte’s top chefs are bringing their go-to holiday recipes straight to your table this season. With a pappardelle with lamb ragu, a traditional Indian dessert and even a special cornbread created from a blend of two Thanksgiving staples, these recipes might just make your table the one everyone’s talking about for years to come.

With mouth-watering creations guaranteed to have guests toppling over each other for seconds (and the leftovers), these recipes from culinary pros are your ticket to a holiday feast that won’t soon be forgotten.

Here’s what Charlotte’s chefs are cooking that you can copy to level-up your Thanksgiving plates:

Thanksgiving sides & appetizers

CRANBERRY SWIRL CORNBREAD

Chef Jamie Barnes, an independent chef you can find at “Serving The Culture”

One Thanksgiving, after packing “way too much food” on his plate, chef Jamie Barnes got creative, sitting his cornbread on top of all his food and his cranberry sauce over that.

“Being a chef, the flavor stuck with me, so of course I wanted to create them together as one for real. For the past few years, it’s been a hit whenever I make it,” Barnes said.

Chef Jamie Barnes’ Cranberry Swirl Cornbread bakes in the oven.
Chef Jamie Barnes’ Cranberry Swirl Cornbread bakes in the oven. Jamie Barnes

Cranberry swirl cornbread recipe

Ingredients for cornbread:

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal

  • 1 tbs. baking powder

  • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

  • 1/4 tsp. baking soda

  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 tbs. light brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 1 egg yolk

  • 2 eggs, room temperature

  • 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

  • 1 tbs. coconut oil

  • 1½ cups buttermilk room temperature

Ingredients for cranberry filling:

  • 24 oz. fresh cranberries

  • 1 cup agave

  • 1½ tsp. cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 cup orange juice

  • 1/4 cups lime juice

  • 1/2 tbs. cornstarch

Method of preparation:

First, you’ll create the filling, combining all the ingredients in a sauce pot and bringing them to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring often. Cool and blend, then set aside.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and butter an 8” by 8” glass casserole dish. Separately, whisk together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and both the granulated and light brown sugars.

In another bowl, mix together the rest of your cornbread ingredients until fully combined. Combine wet and dry ingredients until everything is combined. Be careful to not over mix.

Pour your batter into the buttered dish and flatten out with a spatula. Fill a piping bag or a plastic bag with the cranberry filling and pipe straight lines the length of the pan. Typically, you’ll have about five horizontal lines.

Insert a toothpick or skewer into the top left corner of the pan into the batter and drag the skewer down. Repeat across the top to make a swirl design.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, then check the center with a toothpick to make sure it’s baked. If the oven is too hot and browning the cornbread, simply place foil on top for the remaining baking time. Remove from the oven and melt a few pats of butter over the top. Slice it up and dig in.

SOUTHERN CORNBREAD DRESSING (vegan)

Chef Joya Courtney, author of “Baby, It’s Just Vegan”

Growing up in Milwaukee, chef Joya Courtney says she didn’t have the Southern “know-how” for cornbread dressing. But in seventh grade, she found herself assigned to make it for a school potluck. With her mom too busy to help, she thought, “How hard can it be?”

“Let’s just say, I found out exactly how hard,” she told CharlotteFive. “In my 12-year-old wisdom, I figured a heaping scoop of sage was the key to success. Spoiler: It wasn’t. I served up a sage-packed disaster that left everyone coughing and politely pushing it to the side.”

Though she was mortified, she took it as a lesson. “Years later, as a chef, I vowed never to let anyone else go through the horror of overdosing on sage!” And, her perfected recipe today? “Just the best cornbread dressing you’ll ever taste,” Courtney said.

Chef Joya Courtney’s vegan Southern Cornbread Dressing.
Chef Joya Courtney’s vegan Southern Cornbread Dressing. Joya Courtney

Ingredients for cornbread:

  • 2 cups self-rising cornmeal

  • 1½ cups vegetable stock

  • 2 flax eggs (2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water, set aside to thicken)

  • 1 tbs. vegetable oil

Ingredients for dressing:

  • 4 cups herb stuffing crumbs

  • 1 cup onions, diced

  • 1 cup celery, diced

  • 1 cup green bell peppers, diced

  • 3/4 cup red bell peppers, diced

  • 1 cup baby portabella mushrooms, sliced

  • 3 to 4 cups vegetable stock (use as needed)

  • 1 cup unsweetened oat or almond milk

  • 1 tbs. vegan chicken bouillon

  • 1 packet onion soup mix

  • 1 tbs. vegan butter

  • 1 tsp. poultry seasoning

  • 1 tbs. Chef Joya’s Golden Chick seasoning (or favorite seasoning blend)

  • 1 tsp. sage

  • 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Method of preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9” by 12” baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a bowl, mix together all cornbread ingredients. Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden and set. Allow to cool slightly, then crumble in a large mixing bowl.

In a skillet, melt vegan butter over medium heat. Add onions, celery, green and red bell peppers, and mushrooms. Stir in the onion soup mix and sauté for about five minutes, until softened.

In the large mixing bowl with the crumbled cornbread, add the herb stuffing crumbs, poultry seasoning, Chef Joya’s Golden Chick seasoning, sage and black pepper. Mix to combine.

Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl and gently toss to combine.

Dissolve the vegan chicken bouillon in the vegetable stock. Gradually add 1 cup at a time to the mixture, along with the oat or almond milk, stirring after each addition. Add enough broth until the mixture is thick but pourable.

Transfer the dressing mixture to a greased baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the top is golden and set.

Chef Joya Courtney is known for making vegan meals sing.
Chef Joya Courtney is known for making vegan meals sing. Courtesy of Joya Courtney

OYSTER CORNBREAD STUFFING

Travis Kirkley, culinary director at Indigo Road Hospitality Group Charlotte (Indaco, Mizu, O-Ku, Oak Steakhouse)

Every Thanksgiving Travis Kirkley’s dad has made Oyster Cornbread Stuffing, and it was his favorite dish on the table. In fact, it continues to be his favorite holiday dish to this day.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups stale, crumbled cornbread

  • 1 medium onion, diced

  • 2 stalks celery, diced

  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced

  • 1 tbs. garlic, minced

  • 3 cups oysters with liquid (prefer fresh, but canned will work)

  • 1 tbs. dried sage

  • 2 tbs. parsley, chopped

  • 1 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped

  • 1 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • 2 tbs. lemon juice

  • 2 large eggs, beaten

  • 3/4 cup chicken broth

Method of preparation:

Start by adding onion, celery and bell pepper to a large sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until translucent and soft.

Once cooked, add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Let the cooked vegetables cool down for 15-20 minutes.

Add crumbled cornbread to a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked vegetables, rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley, salt and pepper, and combine thoroughly by hand.

Once combined, add eggs, lemon juice, oysters and chicken broth. Mix well until combined.

Once combined, place ingredients into a greased 7” x 11” baking pan. Let mixture rest in

baking pan for 30 minutes so the dried cornbread can absorb all the liquid.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS WITH CARAMELIZED ONIONS & BACON

Chef Larry Schreiber, Bao + Broth and Schreiber’s on Rye at Optimist Hall

“These are always a hit with my family — even those who don’t normally eat vegetables,” Chef Larry Schreiber said.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved

  • 1 tbs. olive oil

  • 3 onions, julienned

  • ½ pound bacon, diced

  • 1 stick of butter

  • 1 tbs. fresh thyme

  • 1 tsp. chili flakes

  • 2 tbs. red wine vinegar

  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method of preparation

Toss Brussels in olive oil and put in a preheated air fryer for about 12-15 minutes till golden brown and slightly tender. (Editor’s note: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can roast them in the oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.)

Render bacon in the pan till crispy, remove bacon from pan but leave fat in pan and add onions and butter to the pan, then cook until deeply caramelized.

Add thyme, chili flakes and vinegar to the pan.

Cook for an additional 30 seconds toss in roasted Brussels and season to taste.

AUNTIE D’s DEVILED EGGS

Chef Mark Becker, Ava Pizzeria at Optimist Hall

“I have made deviled eggs every Thanksgiving since moving from the Midwest. To me, they’re more important than the turkey,” chef Mark Becker said.

The best part of the holidays was when his aunt would bring deviled eggs to every get-together. “I would eat so many, that she would make an extra tray just for me when I was older.”

Ingredients

  • 14 large eggs (2 for testing/some are going to break)

  • 3 tablespoons mayo

  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • As needed paprika flakes or Spanish paprika

  • 1 each green onion

  • 1 each slice prosciutto

  • Water and a pinch of salt

Method of preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay slice of prosciutto on a sheet pan and bake until crispy, approximately 10 minutes. Flip after 5 minutes. Let the prosciutto cool fully. Break into small pieces for garnish.

Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover all 14 eggs. Add the pinch of salt and bring to a roaring boil. Slowly add eggs to the water and boil for 10 minutes, starting the timer when the last egg is in the water. Remove from heat and let rest under cold running water for 5 minutes. Check the doneness of the yolks.

Allow the yolks to become firm all the way through but have a little bit of yellow and orange that’s not quite opaque, but don’t let them become a greenish-gray color.

Cool eggs completely. Peel the eggs and cut them in half. Remove the yolks and save for the filling. Rinse the whites of the egg in cool water for a clean look.

To make the filling, combine the yolks, mayo, mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor. Run it until smooth. If it breaks, add a splash of cold water to make it creamy. Adjust mustard, salt and pepper to your liking. Fill a plastic baggie or piping bag and chill.

Cut the top green parts of the green onions on a bias as thinly as possible. Fill the eggs with

the yolk mixture. Sprinkle with paprika or paprika flakes and top with green onion and crispy prosciutto.

“It’s about the textures and letting the egg and mustard do the talking. The crunch from the prosciutto and green onion contrast with the soft egg white and creamy yolk,” Becker said.

Main courses

RED WINE BRAISED PORK SHANK WITH CINNAMON, ROSEMARY (serves 12)

Chef Sam Diminich, chef/owner of Restaurant Constance and Your Farms, Your Table; executive chef at Beau Monde

Chef Sam Diminich, a chef who did in fact “Beat Bobby Flay” back in 2020, described this dish as “a celebration of an underappreciated ingredient transformed into a luxurious one. It is made with familiar fall flavors like cinnamon and rosemary to create an unforgettable centerpiece of an entree, he said.

Ingredients:

  • 12 pork shanks

  • 8 lbs. mirepoix (onions, carrots and celery)

  • 1 bottle red wine

  • 2-3 gallon beef stock

  • 4 oz. garlic

  • 10 black peppercorns

  • 2 cinnamon sticks

  • 4 rosemary sprigs

  • 2 qt. tomato puree

Method of preparation:

Sear pork shanks, caramelizing on all sides and remove. Roast mirepoix, caramelizing and developing flavor.

Deglaze with red wine, reduce by 75%, add beef stock and remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer and return pork

Transfer to a deep-sided pan, cover and braise for 2.5 hours at 300 degrees, then unwrap and let cool overnight

On the next day, you’ll remove the pork, and strain and reduce the sauce. Return the pork to the reduced sauce, heat to the desired temperature and serve.

Chef Sam Diminich at Restaurant Constance.
Chef Sam Diminich at Restaurant Constance. Peter Taylor

[A CULINARY JOURNEY: Charlotte, here’s how making a farm-to-table dish really happens from seed to plate.]

GRILLED TURKEY IN SEASONAL BRINE

Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder, owner of Ernie’s Smokehouse

As chef Ernie Adler touts this important Thanksgiving main as the “BEST, most flavorful turkey you will EVER eat,” he says wet brining is the method behind it all. And, you can prepare this dish in the oven, on a gas grill or smoker — but it’ll turn out best when cooked outdoors, he said.

Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder’s seasonally brined turkey can be grilled, smoked or roasted indoors.
Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder’s seasonally brined turkey can be grilled, smoked or roasted indoors. Robert “Ernie” Alder

Ingredients:

  • 2 qts. apple juice or cider, 1/2 cup orange juice

  • 1 lb. light brown sugar

  • 3/4 cup coarse Kosher salt

  • 4 oz. fresh peeled thin ginger or 2 oz. powder

  • 15 whole or 3 tsp. ground cloves

  • 6 bay leaves

  • 6 crushed garlic cloves or 3 to 4 tbsp. granulated garlic,

  • 2 tbs. granulated onion

  • Food grade paint bucket or other large bucket (available at many hardware stores) or turkey bag

  • Up to 22-23 lb. turkey or 2 turkey breasts

Method of preparation:

24 hours ahead: Heat apple juice with brown sugar, salt, and spices to dissolve, then let cool.

Clean the turkey, cut off the wing tips and place in a bucket or turkey bag with all the above ingredients. Add water enough to cover the turkey fully, agitate to mix the seasonings, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours but no longer. Adler recommends gently shaking the bucket or turkey bag every few hours to keep the flavors infusing consistently.

When the time is up, remove the turkey, place it on a roasting rack in a pan and return to the refrigerator uncovered overnight.

Grilling: Use the same cooking time guidelines as you would for the oven: 15 minutes per pound. Place the turkey on a roasting rack and in a pan, rub the surface with olive oil, place the pan on the grill preheated to 350 degrees with chicken stock to cover the bottom.

Smoking: Use fruit or mild woods (apple, cherry, orange, alder). The chef suggests smoking for only 25% of the cooking time so the smoke does not overpower the turkey. Due to the ingredients and the smoking process, the turkey will likely look pinkish. As long as you’ve cooked it to 165 degrees, it’s safe to eat.

Add potatoes, carrots and onions to the pan halfway through and make sure to baste it each hour. The turkey will darken due to the apple juice and brown sugar caramelizing. If you desire a lighter color, tent it with foil.

When the thermometer that comes with most turkeys pops or the internal temperature hits 165 in thickest part, it’s done. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving.

For a professional-looking carve, first cut off the legs, then the thighs, then wings. Then cut the breasts each from the bone using a boning knife slowly following the bone. Finally, slice each breast.

Use the pan drippings to make an incredible gravy. Adler recommends masa corn flour as a thickener so it’s also gluten free for all to enjoy.

Note: If you want to try this turkey, just the way chef Ernie makes it, he has it available for pick up during the week of Thanksgiving.

Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder has traveled overseas to help feed Ukrainian refugees with World Central Kitchen.
Chef Robert “Ernie” Alder has traveled overseas to help feed Ukrainian refugees with World Central Kitchen. Courtesy of Robert “Ernie” Alder

PAPPARDELLE WITH LAMB RAGU (serves 4-6)

Chef Susanne Dillingham, private chef and owner of The Tiny Farm

Chef Susanne Dillingham’s Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu, made from scratch with handmade pasta and a rich, herb-infused lamb sauce, delivers a true taste of Italy.

Trained at Apicius in Florence, Italy, and mentored by renowned chefs, Dillingham combines authentic Italian techniques with her love for farming and local, seasonal produce. She even runs a small farm in Gold Hill, where she grows edible flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables and manages four hives as a beekeeper.

Chef Susanne Dillingham’s Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu.
Chef Susanne Dillingham’s Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu. Susanne Dillingham

Ingredients for pasta:

  • 2.2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 4 eggs

  • Pinch of salt and glug of olive oil

Ingredients for sauce:

  • 1 lb of lamb (any cut in 1-inch pieces)

  • ½ cup white wine

  • 2 celery stalks, brunoise cut in small cubes

  • 1 onion, brunoise cut in small cubes

  • 2 carrots, brunoise cut in small cubes

  • ½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced

  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

  • 1 can tomato paste

  • 1 container beef stock

  • ½ cup heavy cream

  • Parsley, sage, oregano — a few sprigs/leaves chopped finely

  • Salt and white pepper

Method of preparation:

Place the flour on a clean and dry surface and make a well in the center of the flour. Crack the eggs and add them to the well, along with the salt and olive oil. Mix in the egg to the flour, gradually, with a fork or your fingers, until the mixture is like a wet paste.

Knead the mixture for about 5 to 8 minutes until you have a firm ball, adding more flour if it feels sticky. Let this rest for 30 minutes to three days in the refrigerator.

After resting, start on the thickest setting on your pasta machine and roll the pasta sheets out, make sure to dust with flour each time. Keep moving until you reach the desired thickness. Cut into wide strips. Set aside sheets until ready to boil. Boil in heavily salted water for about 15 seconds.

To make the sauce, place a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in a sauté pan and heat up.

Start with carrots, celery, fennel and onion, but do not let it brown. Cook until the concoction is soft.

Once the mixture is soft, add garlic. Then, add the lamb and cook for approximately 5 minutes, browning the meat a little.

Add white wine when the lamb is browned, reduce heat and add the tomato paste and beef stock.

After two hours of cooking all together, season with herbs, cream and salt and pepper.

Add the pasta to the pan with sauce, sauté and serve.

Chef Susanne Dillingham’s Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu offers an alternative for a crowd tired of turkey.
Chef Susanne Dillingham’s Pappardelle with Lamb Ragu offers an alternative for a crowd tired of turkey. Susanne Dillingham

SHRIMP ÉTOUFFÉE (serves 8)

Chef Reyaña Radcliff, special events chef and corporate caterer

Being from New Orleans, Chef Reyaña Radcliff comes from strong traditions when it comes to food. That could be “anywhere from red beans & rice Mondays to parade route hot dogs!” And her Shrimp Étouffee is nothing short of a family favorite.

Ingredients

  • 1 stick of butter

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour

  • 1 yellow onion (small chop)

  • 1 bell pepper (small chop)

  • 2 stalks celery (small chop)

  • 1/2 head of garlic minced or to taste

  • 4 cups chicken (or veggie) broth

  • 4 to 5 tsp. Tony Chachere’s (mild) or Slap Yo Mama (spicy cousin)

  • 2 lbs shrimp, 21/25 size (peeled deveined, tail off), but you can substitute chicken or mushrooms

  • Cooked rice to serve

  • 1/2 bunch green onions (thinly sliced)

  • 8 thin slices of lemon (make a slit in the middle)

Method of preparation

Melt butter in a medium pot; whisk in flour. Continue to cook until slightly lighter than a brown paper bag, whisking periodically.

Add in peppers, onions, garlic and celery. Once your vegetables are translucent, slowly add stock 1 cup at a time while whisking to avoid clumping.

Once the sauce has thickened after a few minutes, turn the fire down to low and season shrimp, then stir after 4 minutes.

When shrimp are pink and curled, which takes about 8 to 10 minutes, turn the fire off.

In a bowl, ladle shrimp étouffée and top with a small scoop of rice. Garnish étoufée with green onions and one twisted lemon slice in the middle of the rice scoop.

PUMPKIN AND CHINESE LEEKS

Chef Zhang Qian, The Dumpling Lady

“This simple and comforting dish is one my family loves,” chef Zhang Qian said.

The sweetness of the pumpkin and the garlicky flavor of the Chinese leeks are “just perfect with each other,” Qian added.

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 cup of chicken or veggie broth

  • 1 oz Japanese pumpkin, peeled and sliced thin

  • ½ cup leeks, julienned

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 1 tsp sugar

Method of preparation

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan and add in minced garlic. Add sliced pumpkin into a pan and mix with oil and garlic, cooking for about 2 minutes. Stir consistently so nothing sticks to the pan.

Add broth, put the lid on the pan and cook until desired softness (Chef Qian likes his little hard on the edge and softer on the inside). Add salt and sugar to taste and add leeks. Mix well and serve. You can enjoy this dish by itself or add it over rice.

Dessert

ARROZ CON DULCE (vegan)

Chef Jani Espinosa, founder of RiCoQui and competitor on Top Vegan

Chef Jani Espinosa, known for her plant-based cuisine with Puerto Rican and Latin American influences, has a Puerto Rican holiday dessert she holds near and dear to her heart, Arroz Con Dulce.

“In Puerto Rico, it’s tradition to make arroz con dulce only for the holidays,” Espinosa said. “We grew up making this with my grandmother, and we always had our family gatherings and there’s people who would bring it and we’d be like, ‘Who made this?’ Because if it was a certain person, we’d be like ‘nuh-nuh, no.’” In her family, it’s important to get this dish just right. “If you mess up the rice pudding once, that’s it — you’re done,” she jokes.

Chef Jani Espinosa’s vegan Arroz Con Dulce.
Chef Jani Espinosa’s vegan Arroz Con Dulce. Jani Espinosa


Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of white rice (medium grain)

  • Raisins

  • Fresh ginger

  • Cinnamon sticks

  • Whole cloves

  • Star anise

  • Coconut

  • 1 can coconut milk (whole fat)

  • 2 cups water

  • Sugar

  • A pinch of salt

Note: If you’re wondering why there aren’t exact measurements for each ingredient. Espinosa says, “I don’t really measure. We kind of just go with what the ancestors tell us, what the spirit tells you.”

Method of preparation:

Begin by making a spiced tea as the base. Boil water with cinnamon sticks, ginger, cloves and star anise, and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes. Strain out the spices.

In a pot, combine the coconut milk with sugar until dissolved, adding a little of the spiced tea water for flavor.

Add the soaked rice, spiced tea and a pinch of salt to the pot with coconut milk. Add raisins to the mixture. Cook until the rice reaches a thick, pudding-like consistency.

Pour the arroz con dulce into a dish and chill overnight in the fridge.

On the second day of refrigerating, put everything together, cook it and leave it in the fridge overnight again. On the third day, it’s ready to go.

Bonus: If you’re in the mood for more of a pina colada version, Espinosa said to elevate her recipe this year, she’ll be adding toasted coconut as a topping and swapping out the raisins for pineapples. “We’ll see if my mom approves,” she laughed.

Jani Espinosa’s Arroz Con Dulce can also be made with pina colada flavors.
Jani Espinosa’s Arroz Con Dulce can also be made with pina colada flavors. Jani Espinosa

LADOO

Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan, owner of Santhoshi’s Kitchen

Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan’s favorite holiday recipe, ladoo, is a gluten-free Indian sweet that can also be made without dairy. Growing up, Radhakrishnan remembers her grandma, mom and aunts making Indian sweets and snacks for Diwali, one of the biggest holidays in India.

“We kids would have fun playing around the house and watch the process of sweets and snacks being made in awe. We would also volunteer to help. My grandma would give us some ladoo mixture to make our own ladoos. … We would make tiny ladoos with our little palms. It would look so cute and taste yummy! I carry my family tradition in America by making these Indian sweets and snacks and sharing it with our friends on Diwali,” Radhakrishnan said.

Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan’s ladoo.
Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan’s ladoo. Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan

Ingredients:

  • 2½s chickpea flour

  • 1½ cup sugar

  • 1 cup water

  • 2 tsp. cardamom powder

  • 1/8 tsp. rose essence

  • 1/4 tsp. yellow food coloring

  • 1/8 tsp. baking soda

  • Vegetable oil for deep frying

  • 2 tbs. ghee (melted and clarified butter)

  • 1/4 cup sliced cashew nuts

Utensils needed:

  • Large mixing bowl and whisk

  • Wide, heavy-bottomed deep pan for deep frying

  • Ladle

  • Skimmer

Method of preparation:

Add the chickpea flour, 1/8 teaspoon yellow food color, 1/8 teaspoon baking soda and water as needed to make a thick batter (the consistency of pancake batter).

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. When the oil is at 300 degrees, scoop a small portion of the batter in a ladle and hold a skimmer above the hot oil.

Pour the batter on the skimmer and spread it out evenly on the skimmer. The chickpea batter will drop into the oil, form bubbles around the batter and settle down. After this, remove the chickpea balls (Boondi) from the oil and set them aside. Repeat the same process for the entire portion of the batter.

Place a heavy-bottomed pot on the stove and add 1½ of sugar, 1 cup water, 1/8 teaspoon yellow food coloring, 2 teaspoons cardamom powder, 1/8 teaspoon rose essence and heat the contents.

Once the sugar melts and the syrup starts to boil, switch off the heat.

Add the Boondi into the syrup and mix well. Let the mixture come down to room temperature. Once the Boondi and sugar syrup mixture cools down, blend it into a coarse mixture.

Place a small pan on the stove and switch on the heat. Add 2 tablespoons of ghee, and when the ghee melts, add 1/4 cup of sliced cashew nuts and fry until the nuts turn light golden brown in color. (This process will happen very quickly.)

Remove the fried cashew nuts and keep them aside. Add the coarsely blended Boondi and sugar syrup mixture and fried cashew nuts into a wide bowl and mix them well. Ladoo mixture is ready. Grease your palm with oil or ghee and make small balls out the ladoo mixture. Now, your ladoo is ready to eat.

Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan’s ladoo can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
Chef Santhoshi Radhakrishnan’s ladoo can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Santhoshi Radhakrishnan

This story was originally published November 19, 2024 at 5:30 AM.

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Mari Pressley
The Charlotte Observer
Freelancer Mari Pressley was an intern on the Charlotte Observer’s Service Desk and CharlotteFive. She studies mass communication with a concentration in journalism, while minoring in writing and photography. Her previous experience includes interning for Credit Karma’s Editorial team and serving as Managing Editor at Winthrop University’s school newspaper, The Johnsonian.
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