|
Setting up speciality kitchens is all in a day’s work for Chef Arvind Saraswat. A veteran of the culinary world, he set out by joining the Taj Group of Hotels in 1968 and went on to rule the chain’s kitchen’s for over three decades. Under The Taj’s banner, he trained first at the Hilton in London and later at the Culinary Institute of America. He switched many roles at the Taj — among them playing chef culinaire and later donning the mantle of director, food production.
Even though Saraswat likes “to take life easy at this stage”, he continues his association with The Taj as its food consultant.
In the past, he’s criss-crossed the globe collecting recipes and know-how on different culinary traditions before helping set up speciality five-star kitchens at the Taj. If he drove through China , it was to bring the more authentic spicy Sichuan and the sweet and sour Cantonese dishes to restaurant tables just as he introduced kadhai and tawa dishes after he came back from a Pakistani sojourn. It’s no surprise that he has a massive repertoire of signature dishes.
Most of his recipes have found their way into the cookbooks authored by him. Despite his crazy chef’s routines, Saraswat found time to pen The Professional Chef (2003) which has long been considered the Bible for hotel management graduates. In 2005, he unveiled The Gourmet Indian Cookbook which is brimming with low oil recipes for authentic Indian cuisine. His most recent, The Magic of Masala Cooking (2006), is a book of traditional Indian and regional specialties.
Saraswat’s career has been marked by countless banquets for world leaders and celebrities. He was often the brains behind banquets hosted by former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and later Rajiv Gandhi (the latter even confessed his weakness for jalebis that Saraswat had unknowingly served).
But the man likes nothing better than home cooked food and the simplest of dishes “as long as it is well cooked”. Here he shares some of his signature recipes.
CHARGRILLED RED POTATO COINS ON GREENS, SWEET PEPPER & ONIONS
Serves: 8
INGREDIENTS
POTATO COINS 8 potatoes, medium size STUFFING 150gm potato trimmings, fried 150gm paneer, mashed 30gm onions, chopped 15gm ginger, chopped 10gm green chillies, chopped 15gm coriander chopped, Salt ½ tsp yellow chilli powder pinch of elaichi javitri powder 2 tsp chaat masala 1tsp shahi jeera 100g grated cheese 30g clarified butter MARINATION 300g hung yogurt 100ml cream 15g ginger garlic paste 30 g red chilli paste Salt ¼ tsp ajwain powder 1tsp garam masala 60 g roasted gram flour 30 ml lemon juice 100 ml refined oil SWEETPEPPER & ONION RINGS 340gm red Pepper, cut into ½cm roundels 200gm large onions, cut into ½cm roundels 45ml oil 45ml butter A pinch of fennel powder seasoning 2tbs coriander, chopped YOGURT HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING 120gm yogurt (pouring consistency) 30ml honey 30gm mustard Red chilies flakes for seasoning GARNISH Crisp assorted green leaves
METHOD
POTATO COINS: Peel potatoes, cut into cylindrical shape. Scoop out the flesh (1 inch diameter). Wash and pat dry. Keep aside. Heat oil and deep fry scooped potatoes until half cooked. Also fry potato flesh until cooked and put in a bowl and mash. STUFFING: In a bowl put paneer, add mashed potatoes, and the remaining ingredients except butter. Stuff this mixture into fried scooped potatoes and keep aside. MARINATION: In a bowl take hung yogurt and the remaining ingredients and mix well. Put stuffed potatoes into this marinade for 1 hour. COOKING: Skewer potatoes (an inch apart) and roast in a tandoor at a moderate temperature until golden brown and crisp. Cool & cut into ½cm. SWEETPEPPER & ONION RINGS: Heat oil & butter together in a pan, add the pepper and onion rings and saute until onions are transparent. Add the remaining ingredients and toss. Keep warm. YOGURT DRESSING: Mix ingredients together.
PAN FRIED POMFRET WITH PRAWN & GUAVA RAGOUT
Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS:
150 g prawns (medium, peeled) seasoning white wine
GUAVA RAGOUT 110 g semi raw guava, sliced with skin 100 ml white wine 1 cinnamon stick 1 star anise 60 g sugar A pinch of paprika powder Few drops of lemon juice 2 tsp parsley, chopped
POMFRET 6 No. pomfret fillets (each cut into half) seasoning lemon juice
GARNISH 20 ml beet jus* 20 ml saffron oil 10 g leek juliennes, crisp fried
METHOD
PRAWNS: Marinate the prawns with seasoning and white wine for 30 minutes. Roll in aluminum foil and steam for 5 minutes. Remove and keep warm. GUAVA COMPOTE: Boil guava slices with white wine. Add cinnamon stick and star anise. When the wine is reduced to 2/3rd, add the grain sugar and paprika powder. Dissolve the sugar and wait for a minute, until a glaze is formed. Slice the prawns into roundels and add to the guava ragout. Toss, sprinkle lemon juice, parsley and seasoning. POMFRET: Marinate and cook a la meuniere (pan fry) until golden. GARNISH: To prepare beetroot jus, take 1 cup peel and juice enough to make 2 cups of liquid. Slowly reduce by half, skimming away the foam that forms and season with salt and pepper. To prepare saffron oil (¾ cups), pan roast 1tsp saffron threads over low heat for 20 seconds, add 5tbs water and quickly remove from the heat. Most of the water will steam away. With a rubber spatula, scrape the saffron and any remaining liquid in a blender. Add 1 cup olive oil and blend on a high speed for 45 seconds and allow to sit for one day. Refrigerate. LEEK JULIENNES: Wash and cut leek leaves in thin juliennes and deep fry in until crisp. Put on an absorbent paper and season.
SAFFRON & CARDAMOM BAKED YOGURT IN A TULIP
Serves: 10
INGREDIENTS
BAKED YOGURT 250gm yogurt 200gm fresh cream 200gm condensed milk 2 g fine cardamom powder ½gm saffron threads TULIP 55gm egg white 55gm sugar, breakfast 55gm flour 55gm butter (unsalted) GARNISH 60 scoops of fresh fruits 10 mint sprigs 100gm chocolate sauce 200gm vanilla sauce.
METHOD
BAKED YOGURT: Mix all ingredients and bake on a double boiler at 150° centigrade for about 30-35 minutes. Cool and chill. Scoop the baked yogurt into 40gm portion. TULIP:Mix butter and sugar until creamy, add egg white (little at a time), flour and fold gently. Divide mixture into 10/12 equal portions. Pour a portion on a greased tray and spread with bottom of a katori into a circular shape (6½ inches diameter). Repeat for rest; place the tray in a pre-heated oven and bake for 4 minutes at 220°centigrade. Remove and place the pancakes in a shallow bowl (4”diameter) and press gently in the centre. The pancakes shall take a natural shape of tulip.
As told to Rajlakshmi Ghosh |
