By: Daniel Fusch

India is a country in which color, rhythm, and spice appear to emanate from the ground itself. From the vibration of temple bells in Varanasi to the dazzling lights of the film studios in Mumbai, each corner vibrates with tales—tales of family, festivals, and most of all, food.

Indian food, with its fearless use of heat, tang, and sweetness stacked on top of one another, is commonly the initial representative of this boisterous heritage. This representative has now taken one young Maharashtrian chef further than she ever dreamed.

Meet Anushka Pathak, whose journey began in a modest Pune kitchen.

She was in 1st grade when she did what many adult cooks consider a minor miracle: she cooked a round, balloon-soft roti.

Her mother’s beaming face, full of triumph, ignited something in her. Anushka Pathak thereafter approached recipes as canvases, painting them with passion and questions even as her parents pushed her toward more “stable” professions. By high school, she had reached a compromise—textbooks alongside steaming pots, until it came to the point where the realization broke that food was not a hobby at all but a calling.

She chose a less conventional path to pursue the Higher Secondary Certificate’s specialized course in Food Production and Culinary Arts instead of more traditional academic options. This choice proved rewarding: Pathak performed exceptionally well in her board exams, proudly holding her trophy. She then continued to build on her passion by earning a diploma in hospitality and food processing, focusing particularly on traditional Marathi flavors. At the same time, opportunities beyond her local sphere began to draw her attention.

Convinced that she needed to behold Maharashtrian cuisine “in conversation” with other cuisines, she applied to – and gained admission to the Seattle Culinary Academy.

Seattle delivered equal measures of wonder and culture shock to Anushka Pathak.

In early lessons, her knife cuts were labeled tentative; one instructor even debated whether to advance her.

Anushka responded the way she always had: with relentless practice. Within quarters, she had carved her way onto the recognition list for her academic achievements and was inducted into a prestigious honor society for two-year colleges. Long hours in the academy’s student-run fine-dining restaurant and bistro hardened her timing, speed, and palate.

Her defining moment arrived with the “Chef of the Day” showcase.

Whereas India’s favorite falooda typically features rose syrup and mango ice cream, Anushka Pathak engineered the dessert to tell her tale.

She mixed the warm spices of masala chai into a rich crème anglaise, churned it into ice cream, sandwiched it between classic vermicelli noodles, and topped everything with all-spice rabri, ginger-pecan brittle shards, and dancing rose petals. The outcome was textural theater – cold, warm, creamy, crunchy, floral, and slightly peppery, served in a glass that appeared to radiate.

Today, Anushka Pathak speaks of her craft with a conviction that belies her age. “Food is my voice, my identity, and the bridge through which I share my heritage with the world,” she says, summarizing a philosophy that urges tradition forward rather than leaving it frozen in nostalgia.

Her next ambition is to build a restaurant where diners taste Maharashtra like she does: bold, soulful, and unafraid of innovation.

Below, she offers a glimpse of the centerpiece of her Chai-Spiced Falooda—the ice cream that helped introduce her flavors to her Seattle mentors. The rabri and brittle can be prepared using any preferred recipe, but Pathak encourages cooks to keep the spices generous and the imagination open.

Recipe: Chai-Spiced Ice Cream (Part of Anushka Pathak’s Chai-Spiced Falooda)

Ingredients

• 180 g water
• ¼ cup robust black tea leaves
• 285 g heavy cream (first addition)
• 135 g whole milk (4 % fat)
• 8 whole cloves
• 4 black peppercorns
• ½ tsp ground fennel seeds
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 6 green cardamom pods, split
• 1.9 g salt
• 180 g granulated sugar
  
• 90 g light corn syrup
• 9 egg yolks
• 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract)
• 450 g heavy cream (second addition)

Method

1. Steep the spices

Combine the first cream, milk, cloves, peppercorns, fennel, ginger, and cardamom in a saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring, for 90 seconds. Remove from heat, cover, and steep 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Brew the tea

While the spices steep, boil the water, add tea leaves, and steep for 4 minutes. Strain and discard leaves.

3 . Build the custard base

Strain the spices out of the cream mixture. Stir in brewed tea, salt, sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolks until smooth.

4. Cook to nappé

Add the vanilla bean. Over medium heat, cook the custard, scraping the sides and bottom with a silicone spatula until it coats the back of the spoon (about 183 °F / 84 °C).

5. Finish and chill

Remove from heat. Stir in the cold second addition of cream. Chill thoroughly.

6. Churn or freeze

Spin in an ice-cream machine according to the manufacturer’s directions, or freeze overnight and process with a Pacojet.

Serving Suggestion – Layer the finished ice cream with vermicelli noodles soaked in rose syrup, spoon over all-spice rabri, scatter shards of ginger-pecan brittle, and garnish with rose petals for a plated falooda that fuses nostalgia with modern flair.

With every scoop of chai-perfumed ice cream or crunch of brittle, Anushka Pathak’s diners taste not only a dessert but the arc of a life that began with an ideal roti and now strides confidently onto the world stage, carrying India’s vibrant spirit in every bite.