The fiesta at Jaypee Siddharth offered Eram Agha a taste of true latin flavours
What is famous in America, is famous worldwide,” averred Puran Miya, the F&B manager at Jaypee Siddharth’s Eggspectations. He is not the only one to notice food politics.
If Rick Baylessm, author of Mexico: One Plate at a Time is to be believed, what we eat in the name of Mexican food is ‘American-Mexican’. The latin platter covers an entire gamut that extends beyond fajitas, burritos and nachos. That is not real Mexican grub.
To acquaint inhabitants of Delhi, especially the western part, a Mexico fiesta was held last week. As I indulged in Tortilla soup, which was an unusual blend of ripe tomatoes, avocados, jalapenos and chilies with crunchy tortillas dipped in broth, the chef offered a platter with an assortment of dips and sauces. “Though there were Spanish influences initially, original Mexican cuisine retained its flavours,” said executive chef Ashish Joshi.
The cuisine is rich with influences from the Aztec empire. People worshipped nature. So their platter drew everything from fields and greens. like beans, rice and corn. But the effects of Spanish colonisation cannot be sidelined. And meats from domesticated animals were introduced by colonisers. Encalate bella salad was served before the main course. A refreshing mix of lettuce, goat cheese and orange tossed with jalapeno vinaigrette. Chef Manoj Kumar said, “Jalapeno vinaigrette perfectly complements the salad. And the olive oil and vinegar used in the vinaigrette, was infused with jalapeño, which made it both spicy and bitter.” The next offering was seafood enchiladas filled with fish, prawns and crab meat. There is plenty of variety but, “enchiladas used to be Mexican street food. Simply corn tortillas dipped in chili sauce and eaten without fillings.”
These days you distinguish them from their sauces, fillings and form. “People living in the lake region of the valley of Mexico traditionally ate corn tortillas folded or rolled around small fish,” added Kumar. The most delectable number was Polo Vera Cruz, Mexican rice topped with fish laced in spices like paprika, dried onion and garlic.
The rice is similar to the one used for risottos in Spain. like all of us, Mexicans too have their share of kheer, called arroz con leche which is infused with saffron and strawberry. The festival stayed away from sweet experiments, lemon and mascarpone cheesecake (though not from Mexico), delighted our sweet tooth.
SEA FOOD ENCHIlADA
Ingredients
Shrimp, crab meat, sole: 120 gms
Olive oil: 2 table spoon
Onion: 40 gms
Bell peppers: 25 gms
Chopped garlic: 10 gms
Flour tortillas: 3 nos
White sauce: 25 gms
Fresh cream: 5 ml
Parsley: 5 gms
Fajita seasoning: 2 gms
Roasted cumin powder: 1 tbspn
Cheese: 20 gms
Method
You need to pre-heat the oven to 280 degree F and drizzle olive oil on a flat top griddle. Get ready to sautee onion, bell pepper, garlic and seafood. Add fajita seasoning, roasted cumin powder, parsley and later pour white sauce and fresh cream.
Make a base of ranchero tomato sauce. Take flour tortillas and place the seafood mixture into it.
Top with some cheese and bake. Serve it with guacamole, sour cream and roasted tomato salsa.