Chef Sharvari Amit Gokhale

For the Choux Pastry:

1. Combine water, butter and salt in a sauce pan.

2. Set over a high heat and cook until the liquid comes o a boiling and butter is fully melted for about two minutes.

3. Remove from heat and add flour.

4. Using a wooden spoon, thoroughly mix in the flour until no lumps (make sure to smash out any stubborn lumps).

5. Return saucepan to a medium heat and cook stirring the mixture frequently until the dough reached 80ºC.

6. Transfer the dough in a bowl and beat it on a medium speed until the dough reaches 60ºC to avoid cooking of the eggs when incorporated.

7. Add 1 egg at a time, making sure each egg is fully beaten into the dough before adding the next egg.

8. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl, and then mix the choux batter. Fill the pastry bag with a wide plain or a star nozzle and pipe them in 2 Inch wide Choux.

For the Masala Chai Craquelin:

1. In a medium bowl, using a flexible spatula, mash together Demerara sugar and butter and stir until smooth.

2. Add flour, salt and Chai Masala. Thoroughly mix it until the dough becomes damp and crumbly meal is formed.

3. Using your hands, bring it together to form a ball.

4. Place it on a parchment sheet, on a working surface and set the dough on top.

5. Roll the dough out into 1/8th Inch thickness rectangle and freeze it for 5 minutes.

6. Remove the 2 inch round cutter and cut the dough.

7. Give an egg wash or a water wash on the piped choux pastry and place each choux pastry with a topping of craquelin.

8. Bake the choux pastry along with Craquelin at 220ºC for 25 minutes and then lower the temperature at 180ºC and bake it for another 15-20 minutes.

9. Allow to rest inside the over for 1 hour to let it dry in centre.

For the Frozen Chai Custard:

1. Boil 50 ml water, lemongrass and tea leaves together and infuse the tea leaves for 15-20 minutes. Strain later.

2.Take corn flour, refined flour, vanilla essence, egg yolk and 50 ml milk and make it into a smooth and lump free pastry.

3. Boil 200 ml milk and sugar on a low flame together.

4. Mix the strained tea with the yolk mixture. Pour the yolk mixture in a thin stream into the boiling milk and stir continuously until it thickens.

5. Once thick, strain it into a bowl and blend it with butter and whisk.

6. Cover it with a cling film sticking to the custard to avoid filming.

7. Once cold, freeze the custard in a square or round tin.

To Assemble the Choux Pastry:

1. Slit the Choux pastry horizontally.

2. Cut the frozen custard with a round cutter almost to the same size of Choux and sandwich the Choux and custard together.

3. Serve chilled.