Chef Sandip Narang. Photo of Vidyascooking
While
the rigorous training at culinary school lays the basic foundation for our
profession, it is our expeditions through the country and across continents
that leads our discovery of new cultures, foods, ingredients, techniques and
much more. My travels have been no different!
Sojourns
across South-east Asia have left an indelible impression, influencing both, my
style of cooking and menu planning. Interestingly, South-east Asian cuisine
comes with a whole lot of ‘unsuals’. Consider the concept of serving in bowls,
whereby the bowl serves as a complete meal in itself!
By
virtue of expediency and exquisiteness, the Vietnamese Pho, Burmese Khowsuey
and Singaporean Laksa, all bowl meals, have reached tables of leading
restaurants across the globe.
Another
lasting gastronomic influence in my life came from my five-year stint in the
beautiful Maldivian islands, where I picked up the art of contrasting flavours,
textures and temperatures. I had the pleasure of tasting a local specialty - a
yellow fish curry served with rice and crisp drumstick leaves. The taste and
texture of the meal linger on, and have, in fact, become the basis for a whole
lot of innovations.
Hu tieu Sai Gon. Photo of Wiki Travel
One
such dish on our menu, which, in the true sense is a culmination of these
learnings, is the Hu tieu Sai Gon!
Hu tieu (spiced noodle soup) is a
traditional Vietnamese dish specific to southern Vietnam. This ‘bowl meal’ is a
perfect balance of spiciness from chilies, sweetness from jaggery, sourness
from tamarind and the crunch from fried peanuts! To prepare Hu tieu Sai Gon, make a stock of fresh
veggies along with spices such as garlic, star anise, ginger, cinnamon and
chopped lemongrass and bring to a boil. Strain the broth and put back on the
boil. Add a homogenous mix of coconut milk, peanut butter, mushroom oyster
sauce, light soy to the broth.
For
the toppings, use blanched vegetables and cooked rice vermicelli in boiling
water for not more than a minute. To assemble, add boiled rice vermicelli in a
soup bowl. Top it up with the blanched vegetables, crispy onion and garlic
slices. Pour the boiling broth over this and serve alongside shredded lettuce,
sliced tomatoes, sprouts, basil leaves, chilli and lime wedges.
Like
all my journeys, thus far, I wish to continue the exploration of the myriad
nooks in this world that lead me to less travelled culinary havens and
ultimately to the discovery of life itself.
By New Indian
Express