Luscious persimmons, sour carambolas or sweet tangerines, you are likely to find one or all of them at your local vendor or supermarket. However, most of us think twice before picking them up as we do not know how to use them to create quick and tasty dishes. Hence, we got the chefs from some of the city's popular eateries to share recipes from their menu that you can replicate at home.

GLAZED KUMQUATS BAKED CHEESE CAKEBy chef Sandeep Pande, Executive Chef, Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre HotelIngredients

225 gms digestive biscuits100 gms butter, melted250 gms tub mascarpone600 gms soft cheese2 eggs plus two yolks10 chopped Kumquats boiled in sugar syrup4 tbsp plain flour75 gms caster sugar

For the topping120 ml whipped double cream3 tbsp lemon curdA handful of kumquats cut in half and boiled in sugar syurp, to serve

MethodHeat oven to 180. Line the bottom of a 23cmspringform tin with greaseproof paper. Tip the biscuits and meltedbutter into a food processor, then blitz to make fine crumbs. Pressinto the tin and chill. Whisk all the other ingredients in a large bowl until completelycombined, pour into the tin, then bake for 35-40 minutes until the cheesecake has a uniform wobble.Turn off the oven and leave the cake inside until cool. When it is completely cooled, remove from the tin and top with sour cream. Swirl lemon curd over the top and decorate with Kumquats and readily available chocolate garnishes.

About KumquatsThey are often called "the little gold gems of the citrus family". Kumquats have a sweet and sour taste and can be eaten whole with the skin and all. The seeds, however, should not be consumed.

Mangosteen-adeBy Pranav Mody, Manager/Mixologist, The Sassy Spoon

Ingredients3 whole mangosteen with the rind3 cups of frozen mixed berries1 cup fresh apple juice1 cup fresh grape juiceHoneyIceMintSome pomegranate for taste and garnishingWaterPitcher

MethodIn a blender add mangosteen with the rind, mixed berries, juices and honey to taste. Blend and keep aside. In a pitcher add ice, mint, pomegranate and water (leave some space for the puree). Add 90 ML of the puree to this, stir and serve.

About mangosteenThis tropical fruit has a leathery maroonish peel, which has to be removed to get to the snowy fleshy bit on the inside. It has a sweet and sour taste and makes for a good addition to a salad.

Dragon fruit tartBy executive chef Sudhir Pai HOLIDAY INN MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Ingredients4 tart shells

Short crust dough

200 gms butter

100 gms icing sugar

300 gms flour

A pinch of cinnamon powder

5 ml vanilla essence

For the cream filling

250 gms cream cheese softened

100 gms sugar

10 ml vanilla essence

Topping

2 dragon fruits (sliced)

2 tsp chopped pista

For the glaze

2 tsp apricot jam

1 tbsp fresh lime juice

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Method

For the crust, in a food processor, combine the icing sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a three-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool. For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the dragon fruit into into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around neatly overlapping to form a nice pattern. For the glaze: Combine apricot jam , lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about two minutes. Let it cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze. Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Red Dragon Fruit and Quinoa Salad with Lemon dressing

By Chef Rohan D'Souza

1 Red dragon fruit ( diced or scooped into balls )

½ cup cooked quinoa

Handful of spinach

½ roasted yellow bell pepper

¼ sliced onion

80 gms sundried tomatoes chopped

A few sprigs of fresh coriander

Cooked filo pastry flakes (brushed with butter and baked for a few minutes till

bronze or lightly brown )

Seasoning

Sweet lemon dressing

2 ½ lemon juice

60 ml rapeseed oil

½ tsp caster sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Blitz the ingredients for the salad dressing and set aside. Assemble the rest of the salad ingredients except the filo pastry. Mix well with the dressing and adjust seasoning. Plate it up and add the filo pastry crisp.

About dragon fruit

Dragon fruit has a leathery, bright red skin and sweet, kiwi-like flesh. It's part of the cactus family, and is high in fiber, vitamin C and B vitamins. The best way to eat it is plain, cut into half and scoop the flesh. You can use it to make a quick salad as well.

Spinach Papaya Passion Fruit Feta Tangerine Salad

By Devendra Rawat Sous Chef at Out of the Blue, Khar

Ingredients

40 gms baby spinach40 gms aragula leaves20 gms beetroot cut as fine as match sticks20 grams radish cut as fine as match sticks

20 gms carrot cut as fine as match sticks

10 gms feta cheese cubes

10 gms pomegranate

10 gms quinoa cooked

10 gms chia seeds in jelly form

20 gms papaya cubes (small)

40 gms passion fruit cubes (small)

5 gms almond flakes

20 gms kiwi cubes (small)

5 gms pistachio

Dressing

60 ml fresh orange juice

¼ tsp orange zest

3 gms chia seeds

¼ tsp mustard

5 ml lemon juice

Mix all the ingredients together to make a dressing

Method

Cut passion fruit in half. Gently scoop out the center of the fruit. Cut the fruit in small cube size.Cut kiwi and papaya into of the same cube size. Add fruit in medium bowl with carrot, radish, beet match sticks and lettuce leaves, add quinoa and chia seed jelly. Drizzle dressing over salad mixture, gently toss together. Place the salad on a plate and add the pistachio nuts on the top.

Blueberry Pop Rock

By Sumit Wahal Brand Head Mamagoto and Rahul Khanna Director Mamagoto

40 gms blueberry puree

2.5 gms black pepper

10 ml lime juice

15 ml sugar syrup

2.5 gms black salt

2.5 gms roasted cumin seeds crushed

75 ml cranberry juice

METHOD

Mix half of all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker except the blueberry puree. Double strain into another shaker. Add the blueberry puree and mix well and pour into a ball like mold and put a wooden stick. Keep inside the deepfreeze. While serving take out the frozen ball and put into the glass. Pour left half of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Double stain over the frozen ball.

About blueberry

Blueberries have a sweet sour taste. They can be eaten whole or with oats or as a salad and are used extensively in salads.

Citrus Salad with star fruit

By Chef Subhash Shirke, Executive Chef of The Pantry, Kalagodha

Ingredients

120 gms fresh sweetlimes

60 gms star fruit

40 gms mixed lettuce roquette

40 ml chilly vinaigrette dressing

20 gms whole corn

40 ml lettuce lollo rosso

20 gms sweet potato chips

Method :

Cut fresh sweet lime into small pieces. Wash the star fruit with cold water and cut round slices of it. Mix lettuce roquette along with the freshly cut sweet lime and star fruit.- Drizzle some chilly vinaigrette dressing. Add whole corn on top with Lettuce Lollo Rosso. Serve fresh with Sweet Potato Chips & Popcorn