Cuisine Crossovers

Cuisine from the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) is a mixture of cuisines from Pakistan,Afghanistan and India. “There are dishes that come from these places that have influences of Awadhi,Hyderabadi,Kashmiri,Rajashthani,Punjabi and Delhi. In fact,people have a wrong notion about the cuisine from the NWFP. They assume it’s only from Pakistan and Afghanistan,which is not the case,” Khurana says.

In the city for the North Western Frontier Province Festival at the Hyatt Regency,Khurana offers a peek into the dishes on the menu. “Some of the dishes that will be presented during this 10-day festival will include Tandoori Gucchi,Gucchi Pulao,Afghani Murg Tikka,Chakli Kabab,Lahsuni Jinga,Dal Makhani,jalebis and mango kulfi. Dishes like the Gucchi Pulao are native to Kashmir and are made using the Gucchi mushrooms that are found only in Kashmir and are very expensive,” he says. The only way in which cuisine from the north can be authentically replicated is by making use of the ingredients that are found there. “However even though these dishes are unique to their respective areas,Indians have always found ways to experiment with them. Take the example of kebabs. Kebabs originated in Pakistan and Afghanistan and were originally made of beef,but here in India we have chicken,lamb and even vegetable kebabs,” he adds.

(The festival is on at The Cafe,Hyatt Regency Pune till September 25)

Chef Ryan Lim

Hailing from Singapore and specialising in French and Italian cuisines,Chef Ryan Lim is adding an authentic touch to the ongoing ‘Singapore Food Festival’ at the Pune Marriott Hotel & Convention Centre. “The thing about Singaporean food is that in spite of being a melting pot of various other cuisines,it has held its own. A lot of spices are used in the food. And,chicken stock and pork are two major ingredients,” he says.

In Pune,the festival is pure vegetarian. “The challenge lies in substituting various non-vegetarian sauces and even stock with vegetarian ingredients. For instance,a spicy shrimp paste can be replaced with a peanut sauce,and fish cake with bean curd or tofu,” he says,adding,“Since I specialise in non-vegetarian dishes,making these vegetarian dishes is a new challenge that I am thoroughly enjoying.”

(The festival is on at Shakahari at the Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre till September 25)

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