EAST MEETS WEST BAKED CRAB WITH KOLMI KASHUNDI
background, they’ve started using the techniques from their respective school of learning presenting their Indian dishes with a lightness in both flavour and presentation. Indian curries which are normally generously served, are presented in a similar manner that the French use to present their sauces i.e. below or surrounding the focus of the dish.
“When working in Geneva with Michelin Star Chef, Vineet Bhatia, I learnt the sous vide technique on meats and seafood with Indian staples. One of our star dishes was broccoli khichdi with sous vide lobster. This technique used in Continental cooking works well on our recipes also as it keeps the meat succulent and tender. Dehydrating food is another great Western concept that works on desi food. It can be used to make healthy papads, tandoori gobi popcorn and dehydrated beetroot chaat,” says Chef Gagandeep Singh Sawhney, Executive Chef, Shangri La Bengaluru.
Many have started incorporating more modern techniques like sous vide, foaming etc — there’s a lot of experimenting going on based on how these techniques work with Indian flavours, how to make these techniques less gimmicky and more substantial in their final contribution to the overall dish.
“The chefs at Farzi Cafe for example, have been serving a raj kachori with a foam of tamarind chutney. In addition to being delicious and looking good it also delivers a fraction of the calories that the original recipe would have. Renowned chef Manish Mehrotra, has given a twist to the humble kulcha by stuffing the quarter-sized naans with molten blue cheese and pairing the kulchas with oddball ingredients,” says Celebrity Chef, Ananya Banerjee. The focus is to stick to the authentic and be creative.
INGREDIENTS
1 crab
1 tbs butter
1/2 tsp garlic
1 bunch kolmi spinach)
2 tbs emanthal cheese grated 1 tsp sugar
1 tbs sesame seeds
Salt to taste. saag (water
METHOD
Boil crab. Keep the shell intact. Scoop out all the crab meat.
Heat butter, add chopped garlic, green chillies. Sauté well. Add kolmi saag and cook till cooked. Add crab meat and Kashundi and mix well. Add emanthal cheese. Fill this crab mixture back in the shell.
Grill under a salamander. Flash fry some kolmi saag seasoned with sugar and salt. Sprinkle the saag on the crab. Top it with roasted sesame seeds.
Recipe Courtesy Chef Gagandeep Sawhney, Atlantis The Palm, Dubai (Recipe courtesy Ananya Banerjee)