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Chef Aarti Sampath creates Recipes of Resilience for Children’s Hope India

Christmas is a time for giving and sharing – and Chef Aarthi Sampath did exactly that! In this time of pandemic when all of us are in our own little cocoons and isolated from the larger world, she got into her kitchen and whipped up a delicious Christmas dessert, shot a video of it and shared it with Children’s Hope India supporters for its series on Recipes of Resilience which has been such a boon to families stuck in lockdown with few means of entertaining teens and children. In clear steps, she explains how even the most challenged cook can make this gourmet Apple Galette.

Aarti Sampath herself is a lesson in resilience for in her hugely successful career she has been through many ups and downs – from selling eats from a cart to chef de cuisine at the fabulous and legendary Rainbow Room! She has also been on the team of the Michelin award winning Junoon and is a Chopped Champion. And yes, she did beat Bobby Flay on his show with her great rendering of Hyderabadi biryani!

She started her career working with several Asian restaurants within Taj International in several cities across India.  So it is wonderful that she is now head chef at the chic Chinese Tuxedo, a contemporary Chinese restaurant set in a former opera house on Doyers Street in downtown New York City. A must-visit after the pandemic!

The chef community has been very supportive of Children’s Hope India, a New York nonprofit (with which I’m involved) for children’s health and education. At the start of the pandemic, Chef Vikas Khanna, who spearheaded the massive Feed India campaign  helped us with tons of rice and lentils for our projects in Jodhpur and Bhopal, to feed families during the quarantine. He also created a delightful restorative drink to help us restore some balance into our lives, and you can check it out on the CHI website. Chef Maneet Chauhan also created a video for our Recipes of Resilience to show parents how to interact with children in the kitchen with a fun session creating Shrimp Upma, using her daughter as a sous chef!

Resilience is the quality most needed during these difficult times. The need is really so great at this time when COVID-19 has upended life as we knew it. This year spent battling coronavirus has destroyed the normal lives of children and their education. CHI is providing digital learning and scholarships in its 22 projects in India – and if you’d like to participate and be a part of this to make a positive change in children’s lives – please do help educate a child through digital learning. No donation is too small – and is a way to bid good bye to a difficult 2020  – and make 2021 so much better for everyone!

Do visit ChildrensHopeIndia.org/ to check out all the Recipes of Resilience with your family – and also check out the positive ways you can teach your kids to make a difference and impact the world.

Digital Learning during the Pandemic

Meanwhile, here is the recipe from Chef Aarthi Sampath – a Merry Christmas to you all!

Christmas Apple Galettes

Pie Dough (Makes 4 Galettes)

125g (1 cup) A.P flour (or a blend of any grain flour of choice)

114g(1 stick) unsalted butter cubed

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp sugar

1-2 T water

Mix together sugar, salt and flour. Rub butter into flour. Do not over mix. Form dough with 1-2 T of Ice cold water. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

Filling

2 apples cored thinly sliced

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 C maple Syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt

In a bowl , gently mix all ingredients .

To Assemble and bake:

Cut Dough into 4 equal parts , roll out and place on a parchment lined tray. Place roughly 15-20 slices of apples. Crimp edges . Dot the top with a cube of butter. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes .

Download recipe in PDF