Think global,eat local

Akshata Shetty speaks to three international chefs who celebrate the spirit of Independence Day by dishing out desi recipes that have traveled miles globally, for our true blue food lovers

Chicken Tikka
Luca Casini, Chef de Cuisine, Hyatt Regency Pune, has been in India for a year and the Indian dish he enjoys the most is the simple Chicken Tikka. "Its robust, authentic flavours and easy preparation make it the dish I would most likely be able to cook and enjoy anywhere in the world," he admits. Casini observes that Indian restaurants can now be found across the globe. "I have tried Indian cuisine in London, where the flavours are more or less authentic as there are so many Indians there. The dishes have a slight European touch and are perhaps a bit milder to satisfy the European palate," he states.


Chef Luca Casini with the Chicken Tikka

Recipe
Ingredients
Boneless chicken leg without skin (250 gm)
Ginger garlic paste (15 gm)
Hung curd (100 gm)
Kasuri Methi (5 gm)
Kashmiri red chilli powder (5 gm)
Garam Masala (5 gm)
Red chilli powder (5 gm)
Powdered cumin (5 gm)
Black salt (5 gm)u00a0u00a0
Chaat masala powder (5 gm)u00a0u00a0
Mustard oil (15 ml)u00a0u00a0u00a0
Lemon juice (5 ml)u00a0u00a0u00a0
Salt (3 gm)

Method
Cut the chicken leg into large chunks. Marinate the chicken in a mixture of ginger garlic paste, lemon juice and salt. Marinate them with mustard oil, hung yoghurt, kasuri methi, salt, red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, chat masala and black salt. Put the marinated chicken in the seekh and cook it in the tandoor for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot with Lachha paratha, onion and mint chutney.

Scallion Pancake with Cumin
Pensiri Pattanachaeng, Chef de Cuisine, Thai, at Pune Marriott Hotel and Convention Centre observes that Indian cuisine has a lot of richness because of the use of various condiments and sauces. "My dish today is a reflection of the growing popularity of Indian cuisine and indicates how one can add an Indian touch to world cuisine," he stated.



Recipe
Ingredients
White cabbage julienne (120 gm)
Carrot julienne (80 gm)
Cut spring onion (100 gm)
For Pan cake batter
White flour (50gm)
Water (40 ml)
Salt (2 gm)
For Soy-Ketchup sauce
Light soy sauce (5ml)
Tomato ketchup (10 ml)
Red chilli powder (2 gm)
Roasted cumin seed (2 gm)
Veg Mayo (15 gm)

Method
Prepare pan cake batter on a mixing bowl. Add vegetables in another mixing bowl and mix well. Heat the grill, add a little cooking oil and the mixed vegetables and let them grill on both sides. After the pancake is cooked well, place on a plate. Put the soy-ketchup sauce, veg mayo sauce and chopped spring onion on top of the pancake. Serve hot.

Caprese tandoori salad
Italian chef Roberto Boggio of Le Meridien has prepared a fusion dish that combines rustic Italian and Indian cuisine. Titled the Caprese Tandoori Salad, it is made keeping in mind the Indian tri-colour. Chef Boggio states, "Indian cuisine with its diversity of spices and herbs has a universal appeal." The fusion created between the Insalata Caprese, the Italian salad and an Indian clay oven is a delight both inu00a0 terms of taste and visual appeal. The Bufalo Mozzarella di Campana (which is an extremely soft and melt-in-the-mouth cheese) blends beautifully with the smoked Indian Tandoor flavour.


Chef Roberto Boggio with the Caprese Tandoori Salad

Recipe
Ingredients
Buffalo Mozzarella (250 gm)
16 cherry tomatoesu00a0
4 Tandoori Roti
Pudina Chutney (4 tsp)
Olive oil (20 ml)
Black pepper (1 gm)
Oregano (3 gm)
Salt (1 gm)

Method
Prick the cherry tomatoes on all sides with fork prongs and marinate it with olive oil, salt, pepper and oregano for two hours. In the meanwhile cut the buffalo mozzarella into 12 slices. After two hours remove the cherry tomatoes from the marinade and arrange tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella alternately in skewers. Roast skewers in Tandoori oven for one minute and slide the skewer into the Tandoori Roti previously coated with pudina chutney.