Journalism of Courage
Premium
This is an archive article published on July 3, 2010
Food for thought
I graduated from IHM in 1993. I've been cooking for the last 17 years now.
Written by EXPRESS FEATURES SERVICE
July 3, 2010 04:26 AM IST
3 min read
3 min read
Since when have you been in this profession?
I graduated from IHM in 1993. I’ve been cooking for the last 17 years now.
What are the ingredients that make a meal tasty?
We cannot identify just one or a couple of ingredients. I think it is the series in which they are used that is more important. To give an example,it would be oil,whole garam masala,ginger and onions.
What are the three preparations that you think are the perfect combination of taste and health?
Everything is fine if eaten in a limit. What I think would be a perfect combination of nutrition and taste is a small bowl of salad,followed by a simple meal consisting of bread,one piece of meat and a vegetable,and finally a spoon of one’s favoured dessert.
What is one ingredient you can’t absolutely do without?
The ingredient without which I can’t cook has to be garlic. I use garlic in almost 99 percent of my dishes,except the desserts of course! I can’t imagine a day in the kitchen without garlic and if such a day does come along,then surely I wouldn’t know what to do!
Do you think Puneites are open to experimenting with food?
At Citrus,whenever we have tried new recipes at buffets and food festivals,we have received really good responses. But on a daily basis,people often hesitate when they come across a new name in the menu. They have their tastes and preferences set and choose not to try out anything new.
Tom kha gai (a Thai recipe)
Ingredients
Coconut cream80mls
Kaffir lime leaves chopped2gms
Lemon grass sliced30gms
Sesame Oil 1ml
Basil chopped5gms
Chili Oil 2mls
Fish sauce1ml
Ginger juliennes3gms
Galangal2gms
Garlic chopped2gms
Broccoli cut10gms
Carrots sliced10gms
Mushrooms sliced10gms
Sugar1gms
Cooking Oil4mls
Salt to taste
Method
Make vegetable stock,flavored with lemon grass sticks and basil (reserve tender one for the soup). Reduce the stock to half. Take a wok or a pan and add a little cooking oil. Add garlic,chopped lemon grass,kaffir lemon leaves and stir fry with all vegetables. Add basil,ginger and galangal,finely chopped or sliced. Add stock and boil it,then add coconut milk and add salt,sugar,sesame oil. Reduce it till it becomes creamy and thick. Garnish with chilli oil and basil leaves. Serve hot.
Advertisement
Loading Taboola...
Live Blog
Top Stories
Advertisement