#HarryPotterDay: Your fave Harry Potter treats get a desi upgrade

Age-agnostic, playful and celebrated, the Harry Potter series (the literature and feature films) is as much about the magic spells and characters as it is about the foods featured in it. Be it the delish non-alcoholic Butterbeer or Harry’s favourite treacle tart, these dishes have their own fan-following. So, what if these popular treats received a desi upgrade?

‘Indian HP food would be pure sensory magic’

Experts say that adding Indian flavours to Potter cuisine would be magical. Says chef Beena Noronha, “If Hogwarts were set in India, walking into the Great Hall would feel like stepping into a grand Indian wedding — smells of biryani, butter chicken, smoky tikkas, saffron, and ghee would fill the air. Thalis would float to the students, piled high with fragrant curries, chutneys sparkling like potions, and mithai pyramids almost touching the enchanted ceiling.” Adds chef Ishijyot Surri, “Indian food culture thrives on narrative and sensory experience, which aligns perfectly with the wizarding world and its culinary magic. Spices like star anise, black pepper, mace, saffron and fennel can enhance the magical experience. Indian combinations of flavours that blend sweetness, spice, tang, and floral notes could evoke the enchanting essence of the Harry Potter world.”

“Imagine serving a Sorcerer’s Millet Pilaf – it showcases foxtail millet and root veggies in broth, set in a pumpkin or an earthen bowl with edible flowers on top. Gluten-free, light and brimming with plant goodness, it’d be perfect for a modern-day Hogwarts feast,” says Shivani Sharma, chefpreneur and founder of a gourmet brand.

Prepare Potter food, but make it Indian


Butterbeer variants

* Masala doodh is associated with warmth, celebrations, and comfort — exactly what Butterbeer is supposed to be. It’ll be spiced with cardamom, saffron, and pistachios, sweetened with jaggery

* A warm, frothy jaggery-spice brew: Think saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, a hint of ginger, sweetened naturally with jaggery, topped with a cloud of whipped malai. Serve in old school copper mugs, dust with a little edible gold dust

* Use a base of spiced masala chai and top it with lightly whipped saffron cream and caramelised jaggery. Jaggery gives a richer flavour, while a splash of coconut milk can add a magical texture. It would resemble the feel of festive chai served in a kulhad, but it’d be frothy and buttery

* Saffron Thandai Latte reflects the lavish indulgence of Butterbeer as it is a warm, creamy blend of almonds, saffron, fennel, and rose. The slight kick of Butterbeer is reminiscent in thandai’s pepper and cardamom notes

* Nut Milk Latte made with almond butter and laced with spice (sweetened with dates or jaggery), foamy with a dollop of coconut cream. Rather than heavy sugar, it’d add warmth from nutmeg, cinnamon, and a hint of pink salt



Honeydukes mithai shop

Jalebi Wands – crispy spirals of flossed sugar bursting with edible glitter syrup

Chocolate Barfi Frogs – ones that jump when warmed

Peda Snitches with golden varq wings

Gulab jamun firecrackers bursting with paan syrup or Rasgulla Bubbles

Bertie Botts Indian edition

* The Every Flavour Indian mix: Start with gulkand and take a turn towards saucy with imli. Then you’d have limey and sharp hing followed by some spicy green chilli. Add smoky black cardamom with earthy paan and jaljeera zing with a bitter gourd bite

Harry’s Treacle Tart

* Gur and Coconut Tart: The almond crust would be gluten-free, and it’d cradle a luscious filling of coconut, jaggery and a hint of saffron. The combination of coconut barfi and caramel would bring in soft sizzling warmth

Pumpkin Pasties

* Mini Gluten Free Pumpkin Filled Empanadas: Made from almond or amaranth flour, the spiced filling would consist of cumin, fennel, green chillies, and a hint of jaggery to balance sweetness. Bake the pockets instead of frying

-Inputs by chefs Shivani Sharma, Ishijyot Surri and Beena Noronha