Summer-special menu

Summer special menu: Chef shares 4 recipes featuring seasonal favourites like coconut, mango, cucumber and watermelon

Summer special menu: Chef shares 4 recipes featuring seasonal favourites like coconut, mango, cucumber and watermelon

Explore the culinary side of summer by cherishing signatural topical flavours with staple summer fruits and veggies. Check out this four-course exclusive menu!

Published on: May 01, 2026 4:43 PM IST By Adrija Dey Share via Copy link Contrary to public opinion, where summer season gets aggresively side-eyed for its relentless heat and tumultuous humidity, it also comes with its own set of perks, especially for foodies.

ALSO READ: Nutritionist shares ‘lazy drink’ recipe for 10x hydration during summer heat

Summer blooms with a plethora of flavours, with a multitude of seasonal fruits readily available everywhere. The flavour profile of the season is incredibly diverse, from the sweet juiciness of mango, watermelon, litchi, and pineapple, ideal for desserts, drinks and light salad, to the tangy, citrusy notes of lemon, lime, orange and raw mango. Fresh mint in any recipe adds a kick of freshness. The summer foods' list goes on. Invite friends and family home for a grand summer feast featuring all of summer's fruits and veggies. (Representative image by Gemini AI) So, make the most of this abundance by creating a summer-special feast at home, inviting friends and family over to enjoy the season's best flavours together. Chef Karthikeyan K, executive chef at The Den Bengaluru, shared with HT Lifestyle an exclusive summer-special menu, covering everything from hydrating starters featuring coconut and chia seeds to a fresh, lighter appetiser watermelon salad with tropical, citrusy notes, followed by a very hearty chicken main course and a mango-coconut sweet treat for dessert. The summer menu involves beginning with a hydrating starter like tender, coconut chia shot, then salad with avocado, microgreens, followed by chargrilled smoked chicken with coconut lime rice for the main course and ending with mango coconut tres leches for dessert. (Representative image by Gemini AI) Here are all the recipes of summer-special menu:

1. Tender coconut and chia seeds hydration shots

Serves 4 portions

Ingredients

1.5 lt tender coconut water 200 gm tender coconut malai 200 gm chia seeds Fresh lime juice 15 gm palm sugar 5 gm fresh mint leaf 5 gm sea salt

Method

Chia base: Soak chia seeds until they bloom into a soft, gel-like texture, creating a subtle, nourishing base. Coconut infusion: Combine tender coconut water with fresh lime juice, bringing a refreshing balance of sweetness and acidity. Assembly: Fold the soaked chia seeds into the coconut-lime mixture, along with tender coconut malai for added texture and richness. Finishing touch: Stir palm sugar gently for a natural sweetness, balanced with a pinch of salt. Add freshly chopped mint just before serving, enhancing the overall freshness.

2. Watermelon vitality salad with avocado, cucumber, microgreens, and citrus emulation

Serves 4 portions

Ingredients

100 gm mixed microgreens 01 no ripped avocado 50 gm cherry tomato 100 gm cucumber 100 gm watermelon 10 gm feta cheese 20 gm grapefruits segments 10 gm pumpkin seeds For dressing 10 gm lemon juice 05 gm honey 10 gm dijon mustard 20 gm orange juice 10 ml olive oil 05 gm salt 07 gm crack black pepper

Method

Citrus emulsion Whisk together citrus juice, honey, and Dijon mustard until well combined. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking continuously to create a smooth emulsion. Finish with citrus zest, salt, and freshly cracked pepper. Base layer Arrange a bed of fresh microgreens on a chilled plate, creating a light and vibrant foundation. Composition Place avocado slices elegantly over the greens, followed by layered cucumber and watermelon to add height, texture, and visual contrast. Fresh elements Add citrus segments and tomatoes for brightness and colour, then scatter seeds lightly across the salad for added crunch. Finishing touch Gently drizzle the citrus emulsion over the salad and finish with a delicate crumble of feta for a balanced, savoury note

3. Chargrilled smoked chicken with coconut lime fragrance rice

Serves 4 portions

Ingredients

1000 gm chicken breast 100 gm dijon mustard – finely chopped 20 gm paprika powder 01 nos fresh lime juice 10 lit olive oil 05 gm fresh thyme 05 gm salt 05 gm black pepper 10 gm garlic chopped For coconut lime rice 250 gm basmati rice 100 gm coconut milk 50 gm fresh coconut 4 nos lime juice 05 gm mustard seeds 05 gm curry leaf 25 ml coconut oil

Method

Prepare the Marinade In a mixing bowl, combine chopped Dijon mustard, paprika powder, fresh lime juice, chopped garlic, fresh thyme, olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper. Mix well into a smooth marinade. Marinate the chicken Clean and pat the chicken breasts. Coat generously with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2–4 hours (overnight preferred for deeper flavour). Grill the chicken Preheat a grill pan or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grill. Place the chicken on the grill and cook. Baste lightly with oil while grilling to retain moisture and develop a succulent texture. Smoking and charring For a smoky flavour, place a small piece of hot charcoal in a bowl inside the grill. Drizzle a little oil over it and cover briefly to infuse with smoke. Allow slight charring on edges for a grilled finish. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before slicing.

4. Mango coconut tres leches

Serves 4 portions

Ingredient

400 gm sugar 6 egg 250 gm flour 10 gm baking powder 5 ml vanilla essence 200 gm coconut milk 100 ml mango puree

Method

Sponge Base Whisk eggs and sugar together until pale, airy, and voluminous. Gently fold in vanilla essence, followed by flour and baking powder, ensuring the mixture retains its lightness. Pour into a lined tray and bake at 180°C for 25–30 minutes, until golden and set. Allow to cool completely. Mango-coconut infusion Blend together coconut milk and mango purée. Keep blending until smooth and well combined. Assembly Once cooled, gently pierce the sponge to allow absorption. Slowly pour the mango-coconut mixture over the cake, ensuring even soaking. Refrigerate for 3–4 hours to allow the flavours to develop and the texture to soften. Finishing touch (optional) Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream infused with a hint of mango. Garnish with fresh mango pieces or delicate coconut shavings. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adrija Dey Adrija Dey’s proclivity for observation fuels her storytelling instinct. As a lifestyle journalist, she crafts compelling, relatable narratives across diverse touchpoints of the human experience, including wellness, mental health, relationships, interior design, home decor, food, travel, and fashion that gently nudge readers toward living a little better. For her, stories exist in flesh and bones, carried by human vessels and shaped through everyday endeavours. It is the small stories we live and share that make us human. After all, humans and their lores are the most natural and raw repositories of stories, and uncovering them, for her, is akin to peeling an orange under a winter afternoon sun. Always up for a chat, she believes the best stories come from unfiltered yapping, where "too much information" is kind of the point. A graduate of Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi, and an alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi, Adrija spends her idle hours cocooned with herbal tea and a gripping thriller, scribbling inner monologues she loosely calls poetic pieces, often with her succulents in attendance. On lazier days, she can be found binge-watching, for the nth time, one from her comfort-show holy trinity: The Office (US), Brooklyn Nine-Nine, or Modern Family. Dancing by herself to her peppy playlists, however, is an everyday ritual she swears by religiously.Read More Recipe Summer Catch every big hit, every wicket with Crick-it, a one stop destination for Live Scores, Match Stats, Quizzes, Polls & much more. Explore now!.

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Contrary to public opinion, where summer season gets aggresively side-eyed for its relentless heat and tumultuous humidity, it also comes with its own set of perks, especially for foodies.

ALSO READ: Nutritionist shares ‘lazy drink’ recipe for 10x hydration during summer heat

Summer blooms with a plethora of flavours, with a multitude of seasonal fruits readily available everywhere. The flavour profile of the season is incredibly diverse, from the sweet juiciness of mango, watermelon, litchi, and pineapple, ideal for desserts, drinks and light salad, to the tangy, citrusy notes of lemon, lime, orange and raw mango. Fresh mint in any recipe adds a kick of freshness. The summer foods' list goes on.

So, make the most of this abundance by creating a summer-special feast at home, inviting friends and family over to enjoy the season's best flavours together.

Chef Karthikeyan K, executive chef at The Den Bengaluru, shared with HT Lifestyle an exclusive summer-special menu, covering everything from hydrating starters featuring coconut and chia seeds to a fresh, lighter appetiser watermelon salad with tropical, citrusy notes, followed by a very hearty chicken main course and a mango-coconut sweet treat for dessert.

Here are all the recipes of summer-special menu:

Citrus emulsion

Serves 4 portions

Serves 4 portions

Source: HindustanTimes
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