Vedant Newatia, Founder and Head Chef at Atelier V, Indore, introduces Amber Dias to three recipes that put a fresh spin on familiar flavours, from savoury bites to something sweet.
Festive cooking is about food that feels generous, familiar and made to be shared. And Chef Vedant Newatia captures that spirit perfectly in these recipes. He lends a personal touch to dishes that are as enjoyable to serve at a celebration as they are to recreate at home.
“These are recipes that have become a bit of a festive classic for us at Atelier V. We chose them because they’re dishes we enjoy serving during this time of the year, but also because they’re things people can recreate at home and make their own. There’s a lot of familiarity in these flavours, but we’ve added our own touch through the combinations and the way we put them together. For me, festive food is about sharing something you enjoy with the people around you, and these are dishes that work really well for that,” he says.
Buffalo Chicken Wings With Maple Mayo
Crisp, spicy Buffalo chicken wings paired with a sweet and smoky maple mayo for an easy-to-share addition to a festive spread.
Ingredients
(Serves 4-5)
For the Wings
1 kg chicken wings
12 gm salt
All-purpose flour, to dust
3 gm black pepper
5 gm garlic powder
4 gm onion powder
4 gm smoked paprika
8 gm baking powder
Oil for frying
For the Buffalo Sauce
150 ml Classic Hot Sauce
80 gm unsalted butter
For the Maple Mayo
200 gm mayonnaise
35 ml maple syrup
8 gm Dijon mustard
8 ml lemon juice
1 gm smoked paprika
1–2 gm salt
Method
1. Pat the chicken wings completely dry. Toss with flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika and baking powder. Refrigerate uncovered for 4–12 hours.
2. Heat the oil to 165–170°C and fry the wings for 7–8 minutes. Rest for 3–4 minutes, then flash-fry at 190°C for 1–2 minutes until crisp.
3. Warm the hot sauce and remove from heat. Whisk in the butter until combined, then toss the fried wings in the Buffalo sauce.
4. Mix all the Maple Mayo ingredients until smooth and serve alongside the wings. 78 Society Achievers – September 2026
Caponata Empanadas With Arrabbiata Sauce
Crisp , golden empanadas filled with a rich caponata of eggplant, vegetables, olives, capers and raisins, served with a spicy Arrabbiata sauce for dipping.
Ingredients
(Makes 18–20 small empanadas)
For the Empanada Dough
500 gm refined flour
8 gm salt
120 gm cold butter
30 ml olive oil
170–190 ml cold water
1 egg 1 egg + 1 tbsp water or milk for egg wash (if baking)
For the Caponata Filling
400 gm eggplant
120 gm onion
70 gm celery
100 gm red bell pepper
180 gm chopped tomato
60 gm green olives
20 gm capers
12 gm garlic
25 gm tomato paste
25 ml red wine vinegar
12 gm sugar
30 gm raisins
25 gm pine nuts
50 ml olive oil
12 gm basil
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
For the Arrabbiata Sauce
500 ml passata (tomato purée)
40 ml olive oil
20 gm garlic, sliced
4–6 gm dried chilli flakes
25 gm tomato paste
5 gm sugar (optional)
Salt, to taste
10 gm basil
Method
1. Mix the flour and salt. Rub in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Add the olive oil, egg and enough cold water to form a smooth, firm dough. Do not over-knead. Refrigerate for 45–60 minutes.
2. For the filling, salt the eggplant and leave for 15 minutes, then pat dry. Sauté or roast until browned.
3. Sweat the onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the chopped tomato, olives, capers, raisins, sugar and vinegar, and cook until most of the moisture has evaporated.
4. Fold in the eggplant and pine nuts. Finish with basil, salt and black pepper, then cool completely.
5. Roll the dough to around 2 mm thickness and cut into 10–11 cm discs. Fill each with 30–35 gm of caponata, fold and crimp the edges. Deep-fry at 175°C for 2-3 minutes.
6. If baking, beat the egg with water or milk and brush over the empanadas. Bake at 190°C for 18–22 minutes.
7. For the Arrabbiata, fry the garlic and chilli flakes in olive oil. Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute, then add the passata. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, season and finish with basil.
8. Serve the empanadas warm with the Arrabbiata sauce.
Chocolate Mousse With Olive Oil & Sea Salt
A simple chocolate mousse finished with extra virgin olive oil and flaky sea salt for a savoury contrast.
Ingredients
(Serves 6)
For the Chocolate Mousse
300 gm dark chocolate, 65–70%
450 gm whipping cream
For the Finish
30–40 ml extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt, as required
Method
1. Finely chop the chocolate. Heat 150 gm of the cream until just simmering and pour over the chocolate. Rest for a minute, then whisk until smooth.
2. Cool the ganache to around 32–35°C.
3. Whip the remaining 300 gm cream to soft peaks. Fold one-third into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whipped cream.
4. Portion into serving dishes and refrigerate for at least 3–4 hours.
5. Finish each serving with extra virgin olive oil and a few flakes of sea salt.
