Chef Debu Saha's Nouvelle Indian Cuisine

Chef-Inspired Chicken Milijhuli

One of my originals! This dish is nutritionally balanced and can be served as an appetizer or even a light lunch; a winning combination of fresh mixed salad and flavourful chicken cubes marinated to perfection in only 3-5 hours.

Ingredients:
2 large chicken breasts diced into 1½" cubes

The marinade:
1½ tbsp yogurt
1 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
½ tbsp white pepper
½ tsp coriander
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp crushed fenugreek leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix all marinade ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and toss in the diced chicken. Set aside for 3-5 hours. Barbecue, grill or roast chicken 5-7 minutes or until fully cooked. Be careful not to overcook.

The Salad:
Mixed greens (approximately 2 cups or enough for 4 people)
1 large tomato or 20 grape tomatoes
1 small English cucumber (julienne)
1 small onion chopped

Ginger/Lemon Dressing:
¼ tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vegetable oil
½ tsp each salt and sugar
1 pinch of pepper
1 chopped green chili (seeds removed)
1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

Yogurt/Mint Sauce:
1 tsp lemon juice
1 pinch of salt
1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1 pinch black pepper
2-3 strings of fresh mint
1 pinch of sugar

Mix all salad ingredients together. Mix the Ginger/Lemon Dressing and pour the mixture over the salad. Toss in cooked chicken cubes and lightly toss. Garnish to taste with Yogurt/Mint Sauce.

Serves four.

Ingredients: Tellicherry Pepper

Pepper is the world’s most popular spice. It is an appetite stimulant and a warming spice, with a pungent taste and provocative aroma.

Pepper connoisseurs have always known that Tellicherry peppercorns from the Kannur district in India have the fullest flavor, aroma and pungency of any in the world.

Black peppercorns are the dried unripe berries of the Piper nigrum vine, a tropical perennial that can reach over 30 feet in height. Mature, unripe peppercorns are plucked from the vine when green but fully formed, about six months after flowering. Berries are sun-dried, or scalded in boiling water and dried in the sun or in a kiln.

Either process activates an enzyme in the outer shell, causing it to oxidize or turn black; at the same time, pungent principles, such as piperine, and fragrant essential oils develop, creating the characteristic pungent flavor and aroma. The volatile oils are what distinguish black peppercorns, and Tellicherry's are the most fragrant.

Tellicherry peppercorns are typically left longer on the vine until their berries turn yellow. They are unusually large and round and dark brown to black in color.

You can buy Tellicherry peppers from Penzeys Spices online store. For other pepper options, read "Pepper is the New Salt" at CHOW.com.

 

Indian Wine Consumption on the Upswing

Sommelier India, India's wine magazine, has posted some interesting statistics on wine consumption in India. It may be a surprise but the Indian wine market is booming with an annual growth rate of over 30%.

In most cities more and more people are accepting and enjoying the presence of wine at their private soirees and functions. Wine is also a definite presence at most weddings and anniversary celebrations.

Over 40% of the wine currently consumed in India is drunk in west India followed by the north at 29%. Major cities, especially New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune and Bangalore account for 80% of sales with five-star hotels and popular restaurants being the most favourite point-of-purchase.

Even Bollywood celebrities have joined in the wine craze. Legendary film director, Ram Gopal Varma recently said that God's two greatest creations were wine and women...in that order.

 

Indian Food and Wine Show

The 5th edition of the Indian Food and Wine Show (IFOWS) takes place January 18 - 20, 2007 at Uppal's Orchid Hotel in New Delhi. More than an exhibition of products, IFOWS is a comprehensive show with wine tastings and more.

A hallmark of IFOWS is the annual IFOW Culinary Cup, which features chefs from leading Indian hotels and restaurants competing for the grand first prize of a scholarship to attend a course at Le Cordon Bleu Institute in Paris, France.

Last year's winners were Avinash Handu of Le Meridien Hotel (grand prize) and Nazneen Nikhat of the Marriott Welcom Hotel (first runner-up and winner of the "Best Desert" category). Deepak Bhist of the Taj Palace was the second runner-up and winner of the "Best Main Course" category.

 

Indian Restaurant Awarded Michelin Star

Devi, an Indian-inspired restaurant in New York, has been awarded a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide New York City 2007.

A creation of Suvir Saran and Tandoori master Hemant Mathur, Devi features in the second edition of the New York restaurant and hotel guide published by Michelin. The guide's restaurant ratings, using Michelin stars, are the world's most famous and influential gastronomic ratings.

Devi is the first South Asian restaurant in the United States to receive a Michelin star. In developing the menu for Devi, Saran and co-chef Mathur departed from the standard fare found at many Indian restaurants and introduced diners to pure flavours, unusual ingredients and original preparations.

The duo have worked hard to elevate the standard of Indian cuisine and should be congratulated for their success.

 

Culinary Tour of India

Toronto-based Lemongrass Tours are offering a culture and culinary tour of India, March 3 - 18, 2007. The 15-day tour is led by Lemongrass owners, Andrea and Nora McCabe and includes stop in Delhi, Varanasi, Agra, Jaipur, and Kochi. Highlights include a visit to a spice plantation, cooking classes and dinner at a private home in Delhi. For details visit www.lemongrasstours.com.