Celebrity Chef Shipra Khanna Talks About Her Fun Tryst With Alpenliebe

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Celebrity Chef Shipra Khanna Talks About Her Fun Tryst With Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly

Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly has teamed up with top culinary experts in India to curate lip-smacking recipes using this jelly as an active ingredient. Amrita Raichand, Saransh Goila, Ajay Chopra and Shipra Khanna have joined the wagon, and are all set to create innovative, fun recipes ranging from quick snacks, desserts, and cakes to summer coolers and mocktails. That’s not it – the brand will also be picking the most interesting recipes sent by the viewers through a digital campaign, and the best ones will get featured on Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly’s social media channels! By Sushmita Srivastav

Fresh out of MasterChef India Season 2 fame, Chef Shipra Khanna talks to us about the campaign, her addition to the Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly menu, her journey as a celebrity chef so far, and a lot more.

1. Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly has just announced its newest digital campaign with renowned celebrity chefs in India, and you are a part of it. How excited are you?

I’m very excited to be a part of this campaign as the product is versatile enough to allow various food opportunities. As a chef, I can use the product to experiment with different flavours and texture profiles to come up with dishes for various occasions.

2. Tell us a little bit about the campaign.

Keeping in mind the brand’s mantra, this campaign, too, puts family at the center of the activity. It is all about having fun with family and friends in a game of ‘Jelly-Antakshari’, in which instead of singing songs starting with the last alphabet of the last song, you whip up a dish with the last alphabet of the last dish prepared. When I was challenged to this, the alphabet I got was an ‘S’, which made me whip up my rendition of Scrumptious Cupcakes using Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly along with my neighbour’s son. He loves desserts and jellies so he was the ideal sous chef and audience to me.

3. Tell us about your special Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly menu.

Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly comes in different forms and flavours – as bear bottles, as gummies, in the classic strawberry shape with flavours such as cola, raw mango and strawberry. This gave me room to use the product as an active ingredient, and also as an element of surprise (for example as a quirky garnish). Also, I concentrated on making dishes that would be easily replicable at home by thousands of mums and children who I’m sure will be continuing the Jelly-Antakshari chain and creating their own unique dishes for the rest of us to enjoy.

4. Can you take us through few recipes of the treats you’d be adding in the menu?

Let me give you the recipe for my cupcakes:

Alpenliebe Juzt Jelly cupcakes
1 3/4th cup flour
1cup sugar
1cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup Juzt Jelly
1 1/2tsp baking powder

Method:

In a large bowl whip some cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then in another bowl mix flour and baking powder. Now mix the dry ingredients in the wet bowl; once mixed well add Juzt Jelly to it. Transfer into cupcake moulds and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until done. Garnish with your favourite form of Juzt Jelly when cool.

5. Did you always want to become a chef?

I always loved cooking, and was always inclined towards creating new dishes and recipes; however, didn’t know I would take up being a chef professionally! But I am extremely thankful for the path that led me here because in food I have found my true calling.

6. From winning MasterChef India Season 2 to hosting your own cooking show, and to becoming one of the top celebrity chefs in the country, how has your journey been so far?

The journey so far has been challenging — something that I’ve put in a lot of hard work, focus and determination into. But it’s been a lot of fun at the same time! I wouldn’t want to go back and change anything about this journey.

7. Three ingredients you just can’t do without?

That would be salt, lemon and vanilla!

8. The last meal that bowled you over?

Mejillas de pescado, a Spanish delicacy that I tried when I was travelling some time ago.

9. Your forever mantra for creating a new dish or curating a fresh menu?

For me, it would be – exotic yet simple!

10. Best food destinations across the world for you?

Having travelled expansively over the last few years, the destinations I would pick would be San Sabatian, Lyon and Britain!

11. That one restaurant you’d love to go back to?

Arzak in San Sebstian, Spain.

12. Your favourite culinary destination in India?

I actually have two – Delhi and Andhra Pradesh.

13. Your favourite cuisine that you can’t get enough of?

Indian — hands down! The flavours of our own country are the ones that all of us, I bet, crave the most when we haven’t had it for a long time. Also, the cuisine is so versatile it allows for a lot of innovation, which I absolutely love.