Journalism of Courage
Anand feels more than ingredients,feelings make a meal tastier
Since how long have you been in this profession and what inspired you to take this up?
I am in this industry since past 13 years. I was very close to my mother,who is an excellent cook. I use to help her in the kitchen and experiment with food. Hence,being a chef was a natural decision.
Tell us three ingredients that make any preparation tasty?
Passion,love and interest.
The three preparations,which according to you would be perfect combination of taste and health?
Roast chicken with pineapple and chilli salsa
Eggplant mousaka
Well homemade khichdi
What is that one ingredient you cannot do without?
It’s undoubtedly salt.
Are Puneites open to trying out new things?
Pune has always been conservative about their food and they remain so,however,they are opening up because of the cosmopolitan culture that is getting dominant with influx of people from parts of country.
Roasted Chiken legs with pineapple chilli salsa
Ingredients for marinade
½ large ripe pineapple – chopped
2 garlic cloves,minced and mashed to a paste with I teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced seeded fresh jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginver minced
½ teaspoon dry mustard
8 whole chiekn legs
Lime wedges
Whole fresh mint leaves
In a food processor puree all the ingredients except chicken legs,lime wedges and mint leaves.
In a large shallow dish arrange the chicken,pricked in several places with a fork. Pour the marinade over it,reserving ¼ cup for salsa and let the chicken marinade for one hour (preferably overnight). In between turn it once and keep it chilled. Transfer the chicken to an oiled rack set over a foil-lined roasting pan,spoon the marinade over it and roast the chicken in the upper third of a preheated 250 degrees centigrade oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
For salsa
100 gms chopped pineapple
1 onion chopped
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tea spoon minced seeded fresh jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon peeled fresh ginger minced one pinch salt
Heat a pan and add oil and sauté onions. Add chopped pineapples and jalapeno peeper and sauté it. To this ass the remaining ¼ cup of marinade and reduce the mixture on a slow burner. When the consistency of the mixture starts coating the back of the spoon add salt and remove from flame and let it cool.
Arrange the chicken on a heated platter,garnish it with grilled pineapple wedges,lime wedges,mint leaves and serve it hot or at room temperature with salsa.
