MIRCHI AT THE TABLE

Last year,when Mumbai-born chef,Floyd Cardoz,who specialises in India-inspired food,won Bravo’s Top Chef ,it was a harbinger of things to come. This year has been internationally hailed by food magazines across the world as the year when Indian food comes to the forefront of global dining. From haute new fine-dining restaurants (New York’s Tulsi was one of the first Indian restaurants in North America to be awarded a Michelin star recently) to the infusion of Indian ingredients such as turmeric and tamarind into Continental fare – India’s never been hotter.

Jog agrees that Indian food has been a forerunner of sorts with its popularity rising in the West. “There is a curiosity on both sides. They want to experiment with dishes native to India,while we here,are Indianising European and American dishes.” Another first that they have at their restaurant is the Layered Cottage Cheese Stake with creamy Pasanda sauce. “We serve the Paneer stake with English vegetables and plums to fuse the English idea with Indian ingredients,” he adds.

Ravish Arora,owner,Incognito,located at Phoenix Mall,Pune,says,“There are two different types of fusion. One,where two dishes are merged and the other,where two ingredients from different areas are merged. It is really about getting just the right the proportions. That is also a reason why there aren’t many restaurants that serve fusion foods. They have a short shelf life. So you need to be very smart with what you create.” Incognito too has its own fair share of fusion dishes that are popular with the customers.

The New York-based Tulsi restaurant,run by Chef Hemant Mathur who hails from from Jaipur,is heavily inspired by the tandoor – with menus featuring dishes such as Tandoori Wild Boar Chops and Tandoori Salmon. Jog mentions that a Fish Steak with Madras onions and reduced sambhar sauce is something that they will be introducing as soon as the flavour sets right.

At Incognito the Marinated River Sole with Tropical Salsa is a hit with clients. “We marinate the fish with chilly orange juice and grill it in a European style. The salsa on top is a combination of lichees,peaches and chillies. This is served with coconut rice. Another dish that has found a good response is the Bacon Chestnut rolls. It combines the use of thyme and pepper with Chestnut,which is a very Asian ingredient. This is then baked so that it retains all the original flavours while mixing with each other harmoniously,” he says.

Jog says,“We cannot really generalise whether everyone wants to eat these type of unique dishes but yes there is a change in the mindset and people have become more receptive in general.”