CaLDRON February 2014 - Valentine's Day Special | Page 78

by the kilo! I’ll sell 20 kilos in a day and
see them grow. It’s all about growth
be done.
of the establishment and not the 50
individuals involved in the kitchen. The
PPS: But there are some establishments
whole scene is a bit hollow.
like that, even now, in Purani Dilli!
AB: Sure they are. This is what I would
PPS: So does that mean that a finelike to do with Kashmiri food persondine experience is still better in a
standalone than a 5 star, because chefs ally. I have a repertoire of 300 regional
have better control there, rather than recipes to draw from, but that is why I
said that I am confused. I want to select
giving into purchase managers?
AB: Absolutely! See in Indian cuisine, some of these dishes and then add a few
there are no shortcuts. The best food I pahari dishes in my catering business.
have eaten was cooked on wood and in I have some handwritten recipes that
I jotted down when I watched people
big handis from start to finish. This is
what I find fundamentally wrong with cook for me. And I am tempted to add
those to my repertoire too. But I am
the Indian restaurant system. Most
places have the 4-gravy system includ- trying to resist this temptation because
if I put them all out there, I would not
ing Makhanwala, Jalfriezi and Kolhabe able to focus on quality. Maybe I
puri on their menu. If I see these on a
menu, I won’t eat in that restaurant. The will just have 100 odd dishes at a time,
best food I have eaten is where time has and prepare them on a rotation basis. I
seriously have not decided on out that
been taken to think, plan and prepare
part yet.
it. I’d like to do that – find some space
in Gurgaon where I cook in handis on
wood for a couple of hours. I just need PPS: Sounds good!
that open space and I will sell the food AB: I have been contemplating that

one should have a menu every week and
keep it cyclic. I’m planning to evolve
slowly and do different things. Globally,
everyone is returning to traditional cuisine and is culling out forgotten recipes.
Look at Masterchef Australia; it is all so
simple and gorgeous, but still natural
looking.
PPS: So besides Masterchef Australia,
which other cooking shows do you
enjoy watching on the TV?
AB: I enjoy watching Kylie Kwong,
Jamie at Home and Jamie’s 15 minute
meals. Cooking for me is not about ‘not
having time’; it’s about using the time
you have well. I suggest that we should
cook at home often; not just because it’s
healthier but because it’s more reasonable.

Butter Fried Scampi / Prawns flavoured with a homemade spice paste, baked in butter with a squeeze of lime.
Ingredients:
For berry burry masala
• 2 onions julienned
• 12 cloves of garlic
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 ½ tsp cumin
• 1 ½ tsp peppercorns

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For the butter fried scampi
• 4 tiger prawns
• Berry burry masala

• 4 dollops of butter
• 1 lemon, squeezed

1 ½ tsp coriander seeds
1 star anise
2 cloves
½ tsp fennel seeds
Salt, to taste

Method:
For berry burry masala:
and sauté the spices.
1. Heat a pan. Add onion and garlic and
sweat them a little. Add red chillies, cin- 2. Add salt and roast it all together.
namon, cumin, peppercorns, coriander 3. Transfer the mixture into a blender and
seeds, star anise, cloves and fennel seeds
add turmeric and chili powder. Drizzle
For butter fried scampi:
4. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
and expose the flesh.
5. Cut the tiger prawns from the middle
7. Flavour the prawns with berry burry
and take out the tail end.
masala and place in an oven dish.
6. Cut the back shell, remove the intestine 8. Add butter and squeeze half a lemon.

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1 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 cup red wine vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
50 ml oil

• Handful of coriander leaves, chopped

red wine vinegar, sugar and 3 tbsp of oil
and grind it to a fine paste.

Cook it preheated oven for 7-8 minutes.
9. Take it out and garnish with chopped
coriander leaves and serve warm.

Recipe courtesy: Aditya Bal
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CaLDRON February 2014