Ranbir Kapoor’s celebrity chef shares the actor’s favourite winter dish, here’s how to make it
Winter is here, the chill is in the air, and your mother is rummaging through old sweaters. But the threat of colds and viral infections lurks around every corner. For those tired of the usual kadha and Indian dalia, Ranbir Kapoor has a delicious alternative straight from his kitchen, thanks to his private chef, Harsh Dixit.
Chef Harsh, whose clientele includes Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Athiya Shetty, and sports personalities such as KL Rahul, is the man behind the season’s cosy comfort food: congee, a slow-cooked East-Asian rice porridge that’s gentle on the stomach, excellent for gut health, and surprisingly energising. “It’s basically rice cooked slowly in a flavourful broth until it breaks down. Light on the stomach, fantastic for gut health, and surprisingly energising,” Chef Harsh explains.
And congee isn’t one-size-fits-all. For Ranbir, Chef Harsh once whipped up a corn congee, a monsoon favourite, while KL Rahul, a pescatarian, enjoys his with fish broth or occasionally crab. But the magic ingredient that truly elevates the dish is the crispy chilli oil. “It’s like crack. We make ours with garlic, onions, sesame seeds, peanuts, Sichuan peppercorns. We use Kashmiri chilli and sometimes even Guntur chillies from Andhra Pradesh. It’s fried but not oily, crunchy but layered,” he adds. Here’s Chef Harsh’s recipe to create it at home!
Congee with Crispy Chilli Oil (Serves 4)
Ingredients for the congee:
150g jasmine rice, 600ml chicken stock (or water), 7.5g salt, 5g castor sugar, 2.5g white pepper, chopped scallions to garnish.
Method:
Add jasmine rice and chicken stock to your Instant Pot and set it to Slow Cook. Let it bubble away gently for 90–120 minutes, until the grains completely break down into a smooth, comforting porridge. Stir in salt, sugar, and white pepper for that perfect balance, then ladle into bowls and top with chopped scallions. Serve hot and enjoy the cozy goodness!
Ingredients for the crispy chilli oil:
4 tbsp neutral oil (like rice bran or sunflower oil), 2 tbsp finely chopped garlic, 1 tsp sesame seeds, 1 tbsp crushed peanuts, 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, salt to taste
Method:
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, toss in garlic and shallots, and cook until golden and fragrant. Turn off the heat and stir in sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns. Finish by adding chilli powder and salt, letting the flavours infuse as the oil cools into a punchy, aromatic condiment.
Whether you’re battling winter chills or simply craving comfort food, this congee with crispy chilli oil is the perfect way to warm up, just like Ranbir Kapoor and KL Rahul do in their own kitchens.
