Exploring the source to all flavours while having fun and burning fingers occasionally, Chef Mukesh Sharma, Executive Sous Chef at The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace, turned his passion for cooking into a career.
The 36-year-old chef confesses that he always adds a touch of Indian flavours to his dishes. The Bharwan Karela (stuffed bitter gourd) is the chef’s signature dish that he first tried during his internship. He says, it also got him into the good books of his senior chef. Mukesh, who followed his mother’s home cooked recipes and techniques to impress clients initially, now specialises in Asian and Mediterranean cuisine. “After a tiring day in the kitchen filled with various spices and cuisines, I prefer a simple dal and roti with buttermilk at home,” he says.
.jpg?w=640&auto=format%2Ccompress)
The chef shares his recipe for Wok fried wintergreens with water chestnut and tofu (serve 2 portions).
Ingredients:
Sliced carrots 1/4 cup |
French beans 1/2 cup |
Assorted pepper dices 1/2 cup |
Diced onion 1/4 cup |
White pepper powder 1/2 tsp |
Oil (refined) 100 ml |
Vegetable broth powder 1 tsp |
Chopped garlic 2 tsp |
Bok Choy 1/2 cup |
Vegetable stock 1/2 cup |
Salt 1/2 tsp |
Tofu (fried) 30 gm |
Chopped celery 1 tbsp |
Chopped spring onion 1/4 cup |
Vinegar (white) 1/4 tbsp |
Sesame oil 1/2 tsp |
Napa Cabbage 1/2 cup |
Broccoli 1/2 cup |
Assorted mushroom 1/4 cup |
Water chestnut 2 tbsp |
Cooking wine 1/4 tbsp |
Asparagus 4 no |
Snow peas 6 no |
Sesame seeds (black & white) 1 tsp
Method:
■ Clean all the vegetables and cut them into different shapes (dices or slices).
■ Blanch all of them (root vegetables, beans, leafy vegetables) in boiling water. After blanching, bathe them in chilled water and then keep them aside.
■ Heat a pan on medium and add oil, garlic and celery. Sauté it for few minutes and then add vegetable stock. Cook it for a few minutes.
■ Add seasoning (salt, sugar, vegetable broth) and cooking rice wine (Shao wang wine).
■ Add the blanched vegetables and water chestnut with a dash of cornstarch.
■ Finish with scallion and sesame oil and garnish with sprouts and sesame seeds.