Una verdad simulada

Sakshi asks: “So do you know a recipe that fits in that criteria - 5 spices (6 at the most)?”

An year back, P and I visited a restaurant called Basil Ikon on 100 Feet Road, Indiranagar. They claimed to serve simple dishes with fresh ingredients, which embody the concept of “Nouvelle cuisine“. In context of Indian food, this idea means a few things to me:

• No more onion-tomato gravies. My pet peeve during graduate school years was that no matter what the dish is, it would taste exactly the same: generic onion-tomato stuff with liberal use of garam masala and overcooked until all vitamins are killed.
• Blanching of veggies to reduce cooking time
• “Hot pan cold oil” idea that I got from Yan Can Cook. This reduces cooking time; although cooking temperatures are high, the oil does not smoke, nor does the food burn
• Use of good quality stainless steel or anodized pots/pans. Though, I must admit that we got both these items as gifts. I feel that sometimes nonstick spoils cooking. With steel, you need to be careful that the food does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Use a few spices that form the core of a dish. May still use spice mix, such as garam masala or Maharashtrian Goda masala. But masala should not overwhelm the dish.

So, a quick recipe: Roasted Veggies. Any hardy veggie will do: potatoes, cauliflower, carrot, asparagus. You choose. You cannot go wrong with most of the choices.

Italian seasoning: garlic, oregano, basil, red chilly flakes, red wine vinegar (optional); olive oil
Indian seasoning: garlic, cumin, sesame, coriander seeds; sunflower or olive oil
Chinese seasoning: ginger, light soy sauce, chilly vinegar; sesame oil

First step: blanch all veggies individually in salt water. To blanch, bring water to a boil, add veggies; stir for 45 seconds; remove veggies and dunk them in cold water.

Second step: If using garlic, fry in 1 tbsp oil until crisp. Remove and keep aside.

Third step: Crush any seeds with flat end of the knife. Bruise herbs. Slice ginger.

Fourth step: Heat the pan on a very high heat. Add 1-2 tsp oil. Immediately add veggies. Stir them around till they brown a little. Usually, potatoes take 2-3 minutes. Rest take about 60-90 seconds. Take the veggies out.

Fifth step: Add some more oil. Add the seasoning (results of third step). Add a little garlic. Optionally, add sliced onions and cook for 30 seconds. Add the veggies and salt. Stir till seasoning coats the veggies. Add soy/vinegar.

To serve: Dish out the veggies. Garnish with garlic from step 2.

Tags: General //