Relish treats from Thailand this weekend at a two-day food festival

With a bounty of fresh produce quirky streetstyle iterations and a thriving export industry Thailand has often been dubbed as the Kitchen of the World No wonder then that the fare from the Southeast Asian country has a considerable following among Indians too claims Supatra Sawaengsri Consul Commercial and Director Thai Trade Centre Mumbai ldquoWere aware that there are many food lovers who want to visit Thailand to relish its food but cant do so due to the pandemic So we decided to bring the authentic flavors of Thailand to them in Mumbairdquo Sawengsri shares about the upcoming Thai Food Bazaar 2021The twoday festival is put together by Thai Trade Centre Mumbai in collaboration with the Thailand ConsulateMumbai Tourism Authority of Thailand and Four Monkeys a culinary experiences company by chef Seefah Ketchaiyo Karan Bane Rohan Mangalorkar and Dhanraj Shinde Sawaengsri tells us the festival aims to support Thai food fruit and produce importers and distributors in India ldquoAs India is our strategic trade partner Thailands Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Jurin Laksanawisit has been promoting Thai products in India and has made it a priority to boost trade between the two countriesrdquo Sawengsri assures us that all safety precautions will be followed ldquoEnsuring temperature checks sanitisation and keeping the capacity to a minimum to avoid crowding will be our priorityrdquoDurian by Anusaya FreshFrom a culinary contest to live food stalls here are our Top 3 picks from the festival1 Take a culinary tour The festival boasts of authentic Thai fare from popular restaurants including Seefah Hill Road Nara Thai and Lotus Blossom ldquoTheir menus will feature favorites like satays pork skewers curries served with fragrant jasmine rice phad Thai noodles and morerdquo she claims Also on the table are farm finds and fresh Thai produce that popup stalls will retail This includes fruits and vegetables like rambutan longan Thai mango mangosteen durian Thai pomelo etc and packed items such as jasmine rice fish sauce bean vermicelli red curry paste peanut satay sauce seafood meat and more You can pick up Thai snacks condiments and crockery too2 Cheer for your favorite chef On Sunday the festival will host the finale of a Thai cooking competition3 Soak in the music The bazaar will come alive with live music The lineup features Chickeen Masala by drummer Vivaan Kapoor and percussionistvisual jockey Shreya Naik and an acoustic session by singersongwriter Mellissa DessaOn September 4 and 5 Time 12 pm to 8 pm At Blue Sea Banquets 11 Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road Worli Sea FaceSupatra SawengsriTofu satay with peanut sauceChef Seefah Ketchaiyo owner Seefah Hill Road Bandra tells us shersquoll be serving up vegetarian and meat versions of satay ldquoSatay is a popular streetstyle food item found across Southeast Asia Itrsquos made with thinly sliced meat marinated in a flavourful combination and then poked onto skewers and grilled over charcoal Irsquom excited to bring this favourite to Thai Food Bazaar 2021rdquoIngredientsFor the tofu satay 2 solid yellow tofu cubes 1 tsp ground coriander leaves 12 tsp ground cumin 1 tbsp finely chopped galangal 14 cup minced lemongrass 12 cup coconut milk 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp sugar 12 tsp salt 14 tsp ground pepperFor the peanut sauce 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste 14 cup roasted peanuts crushed 1 cup coconut milk 34 tbsp tamarind juice 3 tbsp sugar 12 tsp saltMethod Pound coriander cumin galangal lemongrass turmeric powder and pepper together Mix with coconut milk salt and sugar together and set aside Cut the tofu into pieces about twomm thick and skewer and mix with the pound spices thoroughly refrigerate and marinate for an hour Grill the marinated tofu in a Teflon pan or grill over medium heat until fragrant and slightly scorched For the sauce divide the coconut milk into half Bring one half to a boil on medium heat Add curry paste and stir to combine now pour the remaining coconut milk Season with granulated sugar tamarind juice and salt Add the crushed peanuts and simmer over low heat to thicken Take the sauce off fire and serve at room temperature