Dubai's The Crossing pops up at JW Marriott Mumbai with neo-Indian flavours

The adage food unites makes sense when we meet Jarret Drsquoabreo managing partner at Dubairsquos iconic Indian eatery The Crossing A culinary popup at JW Marriott Mumbairsquos Saffron as part of the Masters of Marriott Bonvoyrsquos mission to bring the worldrsquos best chefs to India sees the Bombay lad return home to introduce us to neoIndian flavours served in interiors inspired by the waiting lounges of Indiarsquos stations This has managed to gather a fan following in Dubai The Crossing isnrsquot an Indian restaurant in the typical sense This made the task tougher for Saffronrsquos executive sous chef Rohit Chadha who had to source ingredients to ensure the replicated flavours stood close to the originalThe Crossing Dubairsquos Executive Chef Sunil Rai with JW Marriottrsquos Executive Sous Chef Rohit Chadha cooking up a storm in Saffronrsquos kitchenAt an exclusive preview orchestrated for midday we start with a chaat made with shiso leaf crisp chickpea curd and chutneymdasha cross between pakoda and chaat A different take on palak chaat the shiso leaf lends grassy notes of anise or mild basil ldquoHere you get to experience two different stories in distinct layers The pickled chickpea is the surprise packagerdquo adds Rai The chhena khandvi is the popular snack rolled with housemade fresh cottage cheese tempered with curry leaf and mustard dressing is to be served chilled The taste is familiar but different The tiny balls of Japanese rice crackers add an unexpected crunch Rai tells us that since someone or the other they know is flying to Dubai all the time they manage to get their stock of favourites ldquoThe mustard we use comes from a trader in Delhirdquo says RaiThe gunpowder dish on the menu is fresh prawns sauteacuteed in butterpeppergarlic with gunpowder masala gravy on the side it is served with freshly made pav made using Japanese baking techniques The humble dish is a tweaked interpretation of one of the chefrsquos grandmotherrsquos recipe Next comes the Kalimpong dumpling together with stories about how the dish came to be in the region It started with just the dumpling and the thupka soup that came on the side offered by the smaller restaurants as a palate cleanser In The Crossingrsquos version the chicken shui jiao dumpling is served with chilli garlic chutney with stock on the sideKalimpong dumplingIn laal maas a Rajasthani staple New Zealand grassfed lamb chops are served with laal maas jus Keeping true to the essence of the dish fresh chillies from Holland known for their red give the dish its colour and body But not everything on the menu is fancy A morning snack thatrsquos a favourite with farmers in Tamil Nadu the ragi koozh sees slowcooked finger millet and rice with curd pickle and crisps served chilledWhile it wasnrsquot on the nonvegetarian menu we were trying the dal Moradabad came recommended by Rai A delicious moong dal chaat the recipe is said to have originated in Moradabad of Uttar Pradesh where you still find street carts selling it The dish first rose to prominence during the reign of Murad Baksh the third son of Emperor Shah Jehan who back in 1625 set up the city He loved simple mealsHis cook added toppings to plain cooked dal and the rest is culinary history On our table this yellow split mung lentil dish comes dressed in a pakwaan nest which is to broken into the chaat and mixed with chutneyFor the last course our conversation meanders to Benaras where the malaiyu is a winter morning musthave Light and fluffy itrsquos a milkbased dessert that feels like a creamy foam whipped with sugar and light cardamom It was served to us with a ghevar lattice clotted cream and topped with pistachio In many ways itrsquos similar to doodhna puff milk froth the Parsi winter delicacy We come away wondering what the definition of authentic is in culinary terms In a country that relies on family recipes and secret ingredients food can only ever be termed evolving