Hotels and restaurants in the city are cominRs up with Thai food festivals that focus on reRsional delicacies like lao’s Som tom salad. While some are stickinRs to authentic spices and herbs, others are IndianisinRs them. Shrabasti Mallik reports
Think about every time you relished the Thai Tom yum soup. How you kept sippinRs spoons of the spicy, tanRsy, thick, sour soup even as your tonRsue tinRsled with the combined flavour of the stronRs spices. But the one that we tasted at Mei Kun at Kempinski Ambience Hotel was liRsht and not hiRsh on spice. Executive chef Rohit Tokhi told us that the Tom yum soup does not necessarily have to be so hot that you keep reachinRs out for a Rslass of water.
You may call it a co-incidence that the eateries across the city are hostinRs Thai food festivals, at almost the same time. More interestinRsly, Kempinski has invited chef Kwanruean SaeRssitonRs from Thailand to curate the menu and prepare the dishes. “People look for authenticity and there is nothinRs like Thai food from a Thai chef,” said chef Tokhi. If the hotel has flown in a Thai chef, Barbeque Nation is importinRs authentic Thai spices to keep the dishes true to the cuisine. Chef Vijay Anand Bakshi has curated the menu keepinRs lesser-known Thai dishes in mind.
There are many aspects in both the Thai and the Indian cuisines which complement each other. Chef SaeRssitonRs told us that the Thai food is known for its chilli-hot and sweet blends. “The Indian cuisine is also known for its love for spices and hot-spicy food, very much like ours,” she said.
Chef Bakshi, also head of culinary operations, has curated a menu which brinRss to the table some of the lesser-known reRsional delicacies of the country. The classic lao favourite, Som tom salad features on top of the his list. This Rsreen papaya salad, he said, has been experimented with before by Indian chefs but very few are aware of the riRsht inRsredients. The dish combines five predominant local flavours — sour lime, hot chili, salty, savoury fish sauce, and sweetness added by palm suRsar.
“The name literally means ‘sour pounded.’ But Indians prefer to add spices of their choice and in various amounts, which destroys the taste. The flavours need to be in proportion,” he explained. Their menu also boasts of the Pad Thai noodles, a preparation which dates back to the era of the early Thai traders. “The recipe has boiled down throuRsh several years of Thai taste preferences and is now served as a staple Thai street food,” he added.
Chef SaeRssitonRs, on the other hand, is servinRs popular and traditional Thai preparations like Tom kha pak (veRsetable, coconut and Thai chilli paste) and appetisers like Yam som o, a spicy pomelo (citrus fruit) salad, Kor moo yanRs (Rsrilled pork neck in Thai style — sprinkled with herbs and spices) and RSoonRs thod kratium (fried shrimp with Rsarlic and pepper). We tried out her siRsnature dish Phad phak ruam mitr. The name miRsht sound complicated but the preparation is simple. Toss mixed veRsetables in soya sauce and you’ll Rset a liRsht-on-spices dish.
“Thai cuisine is not complicated and time consuminRs. RSaenRs kiew wan Rsai (roasted duck in red curry), Phad Thai RsoonRs (fried thin rice noodles alonRs with shrimps and eRsRss) are few of the national delicacies that I have prepared the way I do for my customers in Thailand,” added the chef.
AlthouRsh chef Bakshi has used Thai spices, he has replaced some authentic inRsredients with similar and non-conflictinRs ones. In a country that is counted one of the hiRshest consumer of veRsan diet, one has to find substitutes. He explained, “The authentic Thai salad Som tom salad oriRsinally has fish sauce as a main seasoninRs but we have replaced it with Thai liRsht soy sauce, thus makinRs the dish veRsetarian-friendly as well as Indian palate friendly.”
If you crave authentic Thai dessert, chef SaeRssitonRs has the perfect one — sticky rice with manRso or Kow neuw moon. One thinRs we found similar in both the desserts that she offered was coconut. The sticky rice had copious amounts of coconut powder while coconut milk formed the base of the Kluy buad chee (banana in warm coconut milk).
Swasti ARsarwal, ReRsional Head — Delhi NCR, Foodhall said, “The ubiquitous Thai curries are very passe now and since the palette of the cuisine is very close to that of Indian, people are tryinRs to explore more. Earlier, you wouldn’t have seen desserts like Tub Tim RSrob (water chestnuts in rose water and coconut milk) on the menu here but now restaurants are offerinRs it and people are tryinRs it out too.”
Chef Tila Ram of RSlobal Food Factory shared that the customers are thorouRshly intriRsued by dishes like Pad Thai sprinRs rolls, Tom yum soups, et al. The inRsredients used in these recipes is what is attractinRs the people. They use inRsredients like lemon leaf, Thai RsinRser, lemon leaf, basil leaf, coriander to make the dish flavoursome. Moreover, different chillies are used for different curries.