SALVADOR THALI
PUDINA THOVAYAL (MINT PASTE)
150g grated coconuttoasted
150g canola oil
30g urud dhal
6g mustard seeds
15g chana dhal (split chickpea lentils)
15g dried red chillies
400g red onions, sliced
5g curry leaves
90g tamarind pulp
120g mint leaves
100ml water 5g salt
Heat up canola oil in a pot. Add mustard seeds, urud dhal, and chana dhal to the oil and sauté for about 1 minute.
Add dried chilies, red onions, and curry leaves to the pot. Cook until onions are soft and translucent.
Add mint leaves and water. Allow to wilt in the pot. Ensure mint leaves are fully cooked, then add toasted grated coconut and tamarind pulp. Adjust seasoning with salt.
Blend mixture to a coarse paste and reserve.
“I take the myriad of flavours from a thali – mild, tart, piquant and savoury – and infuse them into one dish.”
PUMPKIN MASALA
400g pumpkin, cubed
6g mustard seeds
15g urud dhal
400g red onions, diced
8g curry leaves
60g ginger garlic paste
15g kashmiri chilli powder
6g turmeric powder
200g tomatoes, diced
70g chilli puree
30g sugar
15g salt
150g canola oil
In a pot, heat up canola oil. Add mustard seeds and urud dhal and cook until dhal is golden brown. Add red onions and curry leaves to the mix, cook until the onions are translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook off to remove the raw smell.
Add the Kashmiri chilli powder and turmeric powder, sweat for 3 mins. Add diced tomatoes and cook until mushy. Add chili puree to the mix and cook till the oil splits. Add cubed pumpkins and sweat for 5 mins. Add enough water to cover the pumpkin mix and allow to simmer for about 15 mins.
Continue cooking till pumpkins are soft and mushy, resembling a compote texture. Adjust seasoning with salt and sugar.
LIME PICKLE PUREE
100g lime pickle
100g water
25g sugar
Blend all ingredients to a smooth paste in a high-speed blender.
DHAL PUREE
125g toor dhal
125g masoor dhal
1L water
1 pc green chilli
2g turmeric powder
5g salt
Add all ingredients to a pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 40 mins or until dhal is fully cooked.
SAMBHAR SAUCE
3g hing
14g urud dhal
3g mustard seeds
240g red onions, diced
2 pcs green chillies, slice lengthwise into half
3g dried red chillies
5g curry leaves
30g ginger garlic paste
100g eggplants, cubed
100g carrots, cubed
100g potatoes, cubed
2g fennel seeds, crushed
2g cumin seeds, crushed
2g coriander seeds, crushed
2g fenugreek seeds, crushed
2g black peppercorns, crushed
600g dhal puree
40g chilli puree
500ml water
250g tamarind water
20g salt
In a pot, heat up oil and bloom mustard seeds, hing, and urud dhal until fragrant.
Add red onions, dried red chillies, curry leaves and sweat for 3 mins. Add ginger garlic paste and cook off to remove the raw smell.
Add all the cubed vegetables to the mix and continue to sweat for 5 mins. Add all the crushed spices and sweat for about 4 mins. Add dhal puree, water, and chilli puree and stir well.
Bring mix to a boil and allow to simmer for 15 mins. Add tamarind water little by little, mixing well with each addition. Adjust with salt to taste.
SAMBHAR MARINADE
150g rice puree
40g sambhar powder
8g turmeric powder
8g Kashmiri chilli powder
20g ginger garlic paste
10g salt
Mix all ingredients to form a smooth paste. Reserve.
ROASTED PUMPKIN
600g kabocha pumpkin, cut into thick wedges
150g sambhar marinade
Toss pumpkin in sambhar marinade until well coated. Let pumpkin marinade for up to 6 hours. Bake pumpkin in oven at 200°C for 20 mins.
FRIED QUINOA (for salted quinoa crumble)
100g red quinoa
1L water
20g salt
500ml canola oil
Add all ingredients to a pot and boil for 9 mins. Strain quinoa, allow to air dry for 2 hours in chiller. Once quinoa is nice and dry, deep fry in canola oil at 180°C until crispy. Set aside.
SALTED QUINOA CRUMBLE
50g fried quinoa
20g toasted pumpkin seeds
15g salted chili, deep fried and coarsely crushed
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.
ASSEMBLY
300g roasted marinated pumpkin
100g mint paste
200g pumpkin masala
100g sambhar sauce
25g lime pickle puree
15g salted quinoa crumble
10 pcs fried curry leaves
Heat roasted marinated pumpkin in oven at 180°C for 4 mins. Place the pumpkin on a serving plate and apply lime pickle puree on the fleshy side of the pumpkin. Sprinkle salted quinoa crumble. (Lime pickle puree will aid in the quinoa sticking to the pumpkin)
Place pumpkin masala between the roasted pumpkin wedges to resemble a perfect wedge. Spoon the sambhar sauce on the plate and finish with quenelles of mint paste. Garnish with fried curry leaves.