The Peruvian Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable Episode Seven

It is raining heavily since last one week, the month of July is always like this in Mumbai, sometimes it rains so heavily that city gets paralysed.

I remember last year July2019, It was raining too, real heavy, each time I looked at sky, I showed my fist, frowning at the skies.  It was a special day. It was the launch of our Wild Asparagus Table, brainchild of Salloni Malkani and Chef Ananya Banerjee, to explore the world cuisine. French cuisine, the mother of European gastronomy, was the theme. I remember the amount of hours I had spent researching the customs, culture and food of France. I even saw the whole series of Julia Child cooking. She always said that people who love to eat, are always the best people, and I believe that. I didn’t want to miss it at any cost. Luckily Uber service made it possible for me to attend that event and I thoroughly enjoyed that day.

Click her to read about my experience on my blog.

And thus the potluck chapter began, different month, different cuisines, as we travelled virtually through different parts of the world, always looking forward to the next one, till Covid19 came to hijack our plans.

Here we are, some eighty plus active WAT members (that includes bakers, home-chefs, food bloggers, food connoisseurs,….) all stuck at home, cooking food mainly for our family members only. Thanks to our cyber space, we continue to share our knowledge through different chat shows through social media channels.

So, this month, we celebrated once again, the theme was Peruvian cuisine. In the last 10 years, Peru has been recognised as one of the world’s best culinary destination. Although Peruvian cuisine is a product of cultural fusion,ingredients and cooking methods, the adaptation of traditional dishes to modern cuisine is the result of gastronomical boom in recent years. Peruvians continue to mix everything from popular street foods  to vanguard cuisine that introduces new textures and flavors, Saddest part of this potluck is that we could only share the pictures. We could not taste each other’s food, nor pose for different group pictures, nor have drinks. We ate what we cooked and shared only with our family members, but the research and interest was the same, same drive to learn something new and cook, same enthusiasm and yes, I learnt something new, because I have never been to that part of the world and looking at the different food prepared by others, I am wiser now.

The most important ingredient in all Peruvian cuisine is the potato, as Peru has the widest variety of potatoes. There are more than3000 kinds of potatoes.

I have feasted with my eyes only. Throughout the day, on Saturday, the 25th July2020, the pictures were posted on our group, as soon as they finished cooking. Everybody made Peruvian cuisine in their home and only shared their pictures. I drooled at every picture and wished we were enjoying all the food some common place (our last potluck was on a boat..uff)

I decided to make Aji de Gallina. 

This rich, velvety chicken dish is creamy, nutty and spicy, There is burst of different flavors and it tasted even better the next day.

 There are many ingredients that are not available right now during this lockdown, so I have tweaked the recipe a little

The steps to make this amazing chicken, follow me..challo

Step 1

Boil 500gms of chicken breast in one litre of water, add 2tbsp of chilli garlic oil and one vegetarian cube. I put one egg to boil too (why waste extra stove for one egg?)

Step2

Remove the boiled chicken, cool it, shred it and keep it aside.

Step3

Remove half of the stock and boil rice in it. add garlic if you wish (I wanted flavoured rice)

Step4

Add 2 slices of bread to the remaining stock and let it soak.(I used brown bread, I am diet conscious that way)

Step5

Add 2tbsp walnuts, 2tbsp pistachio, 1 cup grated cheese, and half cup skim milk. Make a puree and keep it aside.

The main taste in this dish is from yellow aji peppers, that I was not able to get, but I used Bertie’s pepper sauce, that is used in typical Caribbean cuisine, and has a similar taste.

Step6

In a pan, heat 1tsp of olive oil. Add 2 finely chopped onion, 8pods of garlic, 8 green chilies, 2 spoons of pepper sauce.(did you notice how spicy it will be?, that pepper sauce is dynamite)

Step7

Cook till onions are translucent, add the shredded chicken (made in step2) and cook for a minute.

Step8

Add the walnut-pistachio-bread puree (made earlier in step 5) mix and cook for 5 minutes till it is mixed well and creamy

To serve

Serve with boiled rice, boiled potatoes, boiled egg, walnuts and black olives. You have to taste it to know its unique flavors. Spicy because of hot pepper sauce, creamy because of milk and cheese and nutty because of walnuts and pistachio...Are you inspired to cook this...????

Its easy.......come on...I loved it

It was tasting even better the next day and I made croquets the next day adding just bread crumbs and deep frying...nice snack to go with drinks....

#FBAIKitchen arrives At The Bar Bank

Last night was a special day.. 

I was with my foodie friends, perched on a high wooden stool, sipping on an icy cold drinks and munching on freshly churned out #sindhi snacks like masala Koki, and Sanna Pakoras. There was vibrant music in the back ground, some of my friends would shake a hip or arms in happiness, Fresh sea air filled the space mingled with sweet aroma of food. 

I was at the launch of #FBAIkitchen..a food truck, parked at The Bar Bank at Juhu. 

I never knew this place existed (although I have passed this area at Juhu many times). This is a vibrant open space where food trucks of different cuisines (doling out detectable cuisine) are parked side by side (in a big circle) with a large sitting area in the centre. In the patio are set of wooden furniture where you can chill with friends. The place offer free wifi..so u can sit for hours. It has a kind of carnival atmosphere with catchy music in the background.  I really liked this place, more so that it now has #FBAIKitchen that cares for homechefs. 

Concept child of Saloni and Sameer Malkani, #FBAIKitchen will help homechefs and homecooks to have an experience of running the restaurant from food truck before they can start on their own. This is a good platform for them to showcase their innovation and creation to the world, who initially had their moments of fame only during one day pop ups or at private workshops, and that too, only for limited group of people, But here they are actually meeting the floating audience who come to try something new everyday.

  

This month has started with sweet and petite homechef Jyoti Vishnani, who will showcase her #sindhi cuisine. There were sanna pakoras, Kheema patties, sindhi curry and many other specialities.

I was happy that #FBAIKItchen has given exposure to #SindhiCuisine, to start with, with none other than our bubbly and young Jyoti Vishnani, a Sindhi Chef from Ulhasnagar, who earlier had the privilege of working with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Signature by Sanjeev in Doha. More recently she had a pop-up, she had curated for Punjab Grill in Mumbai. She was also the contestant in Masterchef season 4 plus she had an opportunity to share her recipes on Tata Sky Cooking, a project by Chef Vikas Khanna. It was really nice meeting her.

Great time ahead for different Homechefs , line up from different regional cultural cuisine, who will showcase their own cuisine on monthly rotation basis. This holds good opportunity for them to experience the running of restaurant before they can venture on their own. #FBAIKitchen is also good for people who will get different cuisine every month and have more reasons to visit BarBank month after month…

Watch out for more updates as the chef changes each month…….

The Albanian Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable – Episode Six

I was not drunk, (I never am) but I swayed at every step, to and fro… the floor seemed to move like a swing, from left to right and back to the left..I looked for a secure seat to sit down...there were beautiful soft, white couches everywhere, (very comfortable) lined neatly against the rim of the boat. Fresh sea air filled with fishy smell, heavy  traffic moved at the distant sea link, cutting across the blue sky that kissed the ocean across the horizon. I was to spend the evening at floating restaurant  @AB Celestial Floatel celebrating Albanian Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable with my foodie friends and home chefs.

The sea, the sun downer (I love sunsets) and the floating restaurant...What a combo!..Bless them, our Captains (Ananya Banerjee and Salloni Malkani) for choosing such an ambience for our Albanian-themed potluck..This month of Jan 2020, thirty of us decided to meet at ABCeletianFloatel a floating restaurant, pretending that we are on the shores of Albania, each one cooked with their researched culinary creation and shared their stories as if they had just returned from their Europe trip……

pic courtsey..Samir

Naturally,  before the potluck, we do lot of homework. research on food culture and to know the place..its like a virtual holiday we take to understand what are the interesting facts about that place. Did you know that the national airport of Albania is named after Mother Teresa. The full name of the the airport is Tirana International Nene Tereza? Or that the dishes are prepared from fresh ingredients found locally and seasonally. Grilling is common as its baking, so the flavours are pure and rich and the interesting fact about Albanains is that there are no McDonald's chains in the country.

Now you know……say Thank you ..

Food of Albania has been influenced by all of its neighbouring countries, but from what I’ve seen of their recipes, I think Greece has made the most influence.  Including their lunch, which is a large salad of tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and olives.  Hmm…

So sorry, you were not invited, (or could not come because of other commitments) but those who were there, went into foodorgasms, devouring each dish with relish and a selfie….my mouth was flooded with nutritious taste…loved every dish…every dish cooked with love and passion

My friends cooked….

1. Ananya - Speca Me Glize ( Stuffed Pepper & Rice casserole ) NV
2. Saloni - Cheese and pepper salad
3. Pushpa - Qofte Dë Fërguara NV
4. Avni -
5. Dhvani –Buffalo Feta Cheese, green Olive tapanade, with salad leaves and pita bread
6. Aruna - Albanian Salad With Feta cheese With Bread
7. Anahita - Albanian Wheat Pudding
8. Moumita - Griddled Boneless chicken & Corn On The Cob Salad NV
& Basbousa Eggless Semolina Cake with Nuts
9. Shilpa - 3 Milk Cake Trilace & Low Cal Ice Cream
10. Rummy - Gjelle Me Mish E àPatate With Bread & Gjize NV
11. Muskan - Byrek Me Mish (Meat Pie) NV
12. Hemali -
13. Samir -Fresh Strawberry and dark chocolate ice cream
14. Anjali - Perime Ne Zgare (Grilled Vegetables)
15. Indrani - Flijia (Dessert)
16. Shital - Qifqi With Ajvar Sauce & Tahini Helva
17. Shivani - Shendetlie (Walnut Cake)
18. Sunita -
19. Nupur - Qumeshtor (Milk Pie)
20. Marcellus Baptista
21. Faizia -Tave Kosi
22. Simmi - Pispili (Spinach Cornbread)
23. Meeta - Tulumbe
24. Bimba - Leek & Rice Bake
25. Gauri -Shendetlie
26. Priya Pathian
27. Ritu - Kunafa (dessert) eggless
28. Aarthi Basrur : Baklava
29. Roopa - Khuduar Stuffed Vegetable With Mutton Mince
30. Sunita-Tave me presh ska Mish.

I decided to make Qofte dë Fërguara (don’t ask me to pronounce, I have an Indian Accent)

In Albania, qofte can look very different from restaurant to restaurant. Sometimes they are grilled, others are fried and sometimes they come baked with tomato sauce. Even the shape varies, more rounded at times or more cylinderical others. I decided to make Vegetarian version on the bed of loaf of bread topped with aioli and mint leaves.

Qofte was made from the mixture of

4 cloves of Garlic,

5 boiled potatoes,

200 gms Vegetarian BBQ meat, (got from Thailand),

1 green capsicum, 

100 gms feta cheese,

small bunch of mint leaves,

1 vegetarian cube,

2 green chilies and

mixed herbs.

Aioli was made by blending 5 tbsp mayonaise with 2 cloves garlic, olive oil and 100 gms feta cheese.

Small patties are made from the mixture, dipped in pool of beaten egg and then coated with bread crumbs and roasted on hot plate with unsalted butter.

I know it tasted good, because my friends said so…..

Also those friends who were sipping the fruit punch made with orange juice and Scottish leader

And those who ate those coffee flavoured ice creams, delicious and low calorie. Do find it at #thebrooklyncreamry
@brooklyncreamry …Thank you so much

We have such vibrant group of foodie friends, that in-between the laughter and the food, there were selfies and amazing camera clicks, the hours went ticking off, with nature playing a mischievous game, with red hot glowing ball, glaring over the bridge, under the bridge, and finally falling into the sea, leaving behind an orange glow in the sky that later disappeared into a dark sky. a quarter moon and a star. appeared, hinting that it is time for us to go home.

The Sri Lankan Cuisine at #WildAsparagusTable – Episode Four

The romance with #WildAsparagusTable continues

Sometimes I feel I am sailing in a cruise called #WildAsparagusTable, stopping at one city to try the cuisine of that place. Our captains, our guides…Ananya Banerjee and Saloni Malkani…steer the ship towards one destination every month, and we learn not just about food, but culture, dress style and sometimes pick up few language skills too. We have covered France, Mexico, Germany and this month it was SriLanka.

We are inspired and encouraged to swim into unknown waters, experimenting cuisines that we have never tried before. One month we spent sailing through net, googling-reading different food blogs, admiring food pictures, watching videos and hoping that we are able to match the ethnic taste of the natives.

During this month I learnt that #SriLankancuisine is the mixture of many cuisines (Indian, Indonesian, Singaporean, Asian) with different curries, flatbreads, rice. The ingredients popularly used are coconut (in different forms) tamarind, curry leaves, caramelised onions, chilies and spices.

What I didn’t know was that it has such a big variety of curries and desserts….my foodie friends surprised me when I finally saw the menu. Yes it’s a potluck. Each member prepares one speciality of the place, it may be tried and tasted, or just an experiment with new ingredients to explore new cuisine.

Eyes opened wide when the menu is made

And the eyes opened wider when The food is cooked…..we stand drooling, wondering what to start with, how much to eat. Everybody takes great effort to make a dish, so it will not be fair if we are too full to skip any dish. The trick is to skip dinner and breakfast and concentrate on only one lunch, savour each dish slowly, enjoy the fragrance, the textures, and the flavours of each dish.Take your own sweet time….

Our hostess, Rummy (Inderpreet Nagpal) had taken utmost care in setting the long dinning table with beautiful serving dishes and cutlery, a big spread of jasmine flowers surrounded the rows of burning lamps, Great selection of books lined neatly over the shelf, drinks were served from revolving turn table at the bar and the centre table  in the living room displayed assortments of Vegetarian thali, Non-vegetarian thali and great variety of desserts. The beauty was that every dish was cooked with love and interest and every dish tasted awesome.

To add to the zest of the feast, some were dressed in typical Sinhalese sarees. Common ice-breaker was “So, what did you cook?” Discussion was mainly around, (what else?) Food and recipes….

Throughout the afternoon there was uproar of happy laughter, as different jokes did their rounds in-between mouthful of tasty bites.

Ananya cooked the traditional dish Lamparis.

“The Lamprais, an influence of the Dutch Burgher community. It's rice that's been cooked in meat stock, stuffed with curry, meatballs and brinjal. This is wrapped in a banana leaf packet that's then steamed.”-She said. It was  Delicious!

During my research, I discovered that Wambatu mojo is the favourite dish prepared in every Sri Lankan home. It’s a kind of Brinjal pickle, it had interesting recipes and I decided to experiment on this dish

It was a simple recipe.

1. Half kg of brinjals are cut into thick strip, salt and turmeric is added to it and is kept for some time and then deep fried in small batches till dark brown.

2. Half kg of shallots, slit and deep fried

3. 100gms of green chillies, slit and deep fried.

4. 50gms curry leaves washed and deep fried

5. Pound together into a smooth paste

1tbsp mustard seeds

4 cloves of garlic

1inch ginger

1tbsp sugar

1tsp red chilli powder

salt to taste

6. Add vinegar

combine and it should be sweet sour and hot.

7. Mix in with deep fried brinjals, shallots, green chillies and curry leaves.

8. Keep it for few hours to mature.

Enjoyed meeting all the home chefs and came home with the tastiest SriLankan pickle made specially for all by our most gracious hostess. 

Thank you so much!!

A special thank you to our afternoon refreshment courtesy 

#moonshinemeadery !