Japanese Cuisine: More than Sushi and Ramen

 

(This article first appeared online on 16th August 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/food-guide-japan-111692099238663.html)

The Food Dupes

 

(This article first appeared online on 2nd February 2023 in Mint Lounge, India https://lifestyle.livemint.com/food/discover/fries-topped-with-2-4-dithiapentane-anyone-111675329961526.html)

Seaweed In Indian Cuisine

 

(This article first appeared online on 20th January 2023 and then in print in the 29th January 2023 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/seaweed-is-the-latest-superfood-spicing-up-indian-fine-dining-in-dishes-from-soups-and-salads-to-jhaal-muri-and-cocktails/article66324086.ece)

Small bites, big flavours: Taste Test of Mayouchi

 

(This review appeared in 6th April 2022 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 23 https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/mumbai-food/article/small-bites-big-flavours-23221682)

10 DIY Food Kits

 

(This article first appeared online on 17th February 2022 on ZeeZest https://zeezest.com/food/mumbai-s-top-10-diy-food-kits-to-experience-restaurant-style-food-at-home-1357 )

Around the World in Savoury Cakes

(This article first appeared in the 7th September 2021 issue of Business Line newspaper's BLink section online https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/takeaway/savoury-cake-connection/article36331869.ece)

On a Roll

 

(This article appeared in the 18th June 2021 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 17 https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai-guide/mumbai-food/article/on-a-roll-23178780 )

A serving of 2020

From cakes made of sushi to frog bread and other wacky additions, the food and beverage trends that defined 2020 were as interesting as they could possibly get.

By Raul Dias

With barely a couple of days left for the year to end, I think that it is high time for us to move past the very obvious fact that 2020 was an unmitigated catastrophe of a year. But then, there was that proverbial ‘silver lining’ too. If we were to reach deep down into the depths of our remaining dregs of optimism, we would come to the realisation that there was perhaps no other year in our recollection, when creativity in all aspects of our lives was at its optimal best, as we navigated our way around the new normal. 

Thanks in large part to the social media blitzkrieg that seems to amplify things beyond control, trends abounded in the food and beverage space. A realm that somehow always manages to take a “sow's ear” of a situation and transform it into a “silk purse”. 

So, here’s my list of the most popular food and beverage trends that tried their best to take the edge off those pandemic blues.

Cloudy with a chance of frogs!

Baking bread in its myriad iterations was truly the big ticket trend of 2020. With the first half of the year dominated by an overwhelming amount of sourdough, banana and focaccia art breads holding sway in almost every home baker’s kitchen and social media accounts. However, things got a tad outré in the latter part of 2020 with the emergence of two very interesting bakery items. Resembling a fluffy, egg white meringue, no points for guessing how cloud bread got its name. Keeping the keto crowd happy, this low-carbohydrate 'bread' is a flourless confection made with stiffly beaten egg whites and cream cheese that results in a white bread-like, light-n-airy flat bun that can be coloured and flavoured either sweet (with vanilla or almond extract) or left savoury. Frog bread, on the other hand is exactly as it sounds: a bread roll fashioned in the likeness of the monsoon-loving amphibian.

Better butters?

While other nut butters like almond and cashew have become almost as passé as boring old peanut butter, 2020 saw the invasion of other, more unique preparations like watermelon seed, macadamia, soy nut and hemp seed butters that one cloud slather upon sourdough toast. But perhaps none more significant than the phenomenal rise of cookie butter—Lotus Biscoff to be more precise. Easily the 'new Nutella' this Belgian invention--that’s also known as speculoos spread--found itself in every kind of confectionery item be it cheesecakes or brownies from Mumbai to Madurai.

Sushi cakes

With over 100,000 posts on Instagram and Pinterest combined, there was no way the visually attractive sushi cake wouldn’t make this list. These quirky cakes are basically upturned versions of a rare-to-find-outside-Japan type of sushi called chirashi zushi. Roughly translated as “scattered sushi”, chirashi zushi is served in a bowl wherein a base of vinegared sushi rice is layered with raw seafood or vegetables along with the sweeter, creamier Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise and topped with blobs of wasabi, pickled gari (pink ginger) and dusted with furikake seasoning along with strips of nori seaweed. Besides home chefs, several restaurants in both Mumbai and Delhi have cottoned onto this trend with their own colourful versions (even Jain!) of the sushi cake.

Ghosting galore

Cloud kitchens, ghost kitchens or virtual restaurants—call them what you may, the lockdown showed us that in 2020, these specimens could easily replace their brick and mortar counterparts. A whole slew of delivery- and pick up-only restaurants sprung up across the country, offering diners everything from boxed, gourmet meals to DIY food and cocktail kits sent over to be enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home. What this also resulted in is the much-needed democratisation of 'fancy' food. We saw upmarket, five star hotels willing to send their chefs over to cook up a feast in your home’s kitchen. While snooty, fine dining restaurants didn’t think twice before hosting American tailgate-style, weekend only dining experiences in their parking lots. These entailing diners enjoying a multi-course, socially distant meal laid out in the boot of their own vehicles.

Foods that heal

Riding on the coattails of 2019’s biggest food and beverage trend of fermentation and probiotics--that saw the dominance of the 'triple threat' of kombucha, kefir and kimchi—is 2020’s ‘food as medicine' trend aimed at promoting digestive wellness. Ubiquitous turmeric-imbued drinks like golden lattes (a fancy term for good old haldi doodh!) and herbal teas laced with ashwagandha (Indian ginseng) and mulethi (liquorice root) upped their status as alleged immunity boosters in the war against Covid-19.

Plant milk

To put it in millennialspeak, the ‘takedown’ of milk as we know it, has been going on for a while now in hipster circles with the rise of plant-based substitutes like soy, oat, almond, rice and coconut milks. But speaking of coconut milk, 2020 saw not one, but three Indian companies launch their own brands of coconut milk yogurt that’s a boon to the lactose intolerant and vegans among us. However, the latest salvo comes to us in the form of the nutrient-rich milk derived from the split yellow pea. Yes, pea milk, anyone?

(A differently edited version of this article first appeared in the 27th December issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/food-and-beverage-trends-of-2020/article33411350.ece)

Raw Beauties!

Showing us that there’s a whole lot more to raw fish dishes than plain old Japanese sashimi are a host of interesting and exotic preparations from as far as Peru to the Philippines. Smart Life introduces you to a few such edible wonders.  

By Raul Dias

It’s safe to say that most of the world’s love affair with raw fish is rather recent. And one that is in its embryonic stages as far the average Indian diner is concerned. Once looked upon as freakishly alien and best left to where it belonged, the raw fish wonder that is Japanese sashimi has ensnared the entire world with its fresh, clean taste and healthy diet appeal. 

Today, sushi bars are an ubiquitous site the world over, with patrons hungry for a piece of that freshly sliced amberjack or for a portion of those gossamer thin slivers of yellowfin tuna—all anointed with a dab of wasabi and a splash of shoyu (soy sauce). And while smoked salmon too has made its way around the world via Scandinavia in the form of gravlax and New York (where it is known as lox), our notion of raw fish preparations is still woefully confined to the above-mentioned two. Not anymore! 

Digging a little deeper into the vast sphere of world cuisine shows us the existence of a whole smorgasbord (pun intended!) of raw fish dish iterations from a diverse number of places that have been enjoyed for centuries in various forms and styles.

Here are a few such raw revelations: 

Poké from Hawaii

Pronounced poh-kay and meaning to “cut crosswise into pieces” this supremely healthy and tasty one bowl Hawaiian origin dish is a very simple preparation that sees short grain sushi rice that has been pre-vinegared as the base. This rice is then topped with diced raw fish and other seafood that can range from salmon and tuna to octopus and sea urchin. A splash of soy, a squirt of Japanese mayonnaise, a dusting of the Japanese spice blend called furikake, sesame seeds and dried flakes of nori (seaweed) finish off this dish that is criminally addictive and clean tasting. Interestingly, very similar to poké is the Korean dish called hoedeopbap that consists of marinated raw tuna served over rice.

Ceviche from Peru

Over the last decade or so the popularity of this paradoxically raw, yet ‘cooked’ fish dish from Peru has reached dizzying heights. This seemingly simple dish is a complex preparation made from fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají chillies and other seasonings including chopped onions, salt, and coriander. It is the all-important citrus that cooks the fish, turning its translucent flesh into a milky opaque. Ceviche is usually accompanied by side dishes that complement its flavours such as sweet potato, lettuce, roasted corn kernels called cancha and the current hipster chic craze—avocado!

Kokoda from Fiji

Coming to us straight from the swaying coconut trees and cool waters of the lush Fijian islands, this raw fish dish celebrates two of the island’s greatest resources—coconuts and its abundant seafood. Pronounced ko-kon-da, kokoda is a refreshing salad-appetizer that’s perfect after a day swimming the cerulean ocean. Just like a ceviche, cubed white fish like snapper, walu or mahi mahi is first marinated in a citrus mixture so that it cures and cooks and then a splash of cooling coconut cream is added to give the dish its creamy consistency. Diced tomatoes and a few fronds of coriander finish off this dish that is always served in a hollowed-out coconut shell.  

Crudo and Carpaccio from Italy

Literally meaning ‘crude’ or ‘raw’ in Italian, crudo is a super popular and versatile raw fish dish from Italy that can be anything from slices of raw fish drizzled over with olive oil and seasoning, to a chopped version just like a steak tartare that’s always topped with an egg yolk. Similarly, fish carpaccio is the pescatarian version of the thinly sliced raw beef dish of the same name that was invented in 1950 by Giuseppe Cipriani, founder of Harry’s Bar in Venice and named in honour of Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian painter known for his characteristic red and white tones.  

Yusheng from China

Literally meaning “raw fish” the dish is basically a Cantonese-style raw fish salad consisting of strips of raw fish mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. Also known as the “prosperity toss”, yusheng has been a Cantonese favourite for decades with the most common form being the qicai yusheng (seven-coloured raw fish salad) served in local restaurants during the Chinese New Year period. And although versions of it are thought to have existed in ancient China, the contemporary version was created and popularised in the 1960s.

Kinilaw from the Philippines

An interesting raw fish dish that is closely related to not one but two dishes on this list, kinilaw from the Philippines borrows elements from both a ceviche and a kokoda. Hailing from the Visayan region of the archipelago, the name kinilaw is derived from the word, “kilaw”, which means raw or uncooked. Just like a ceviche, the seafood is ‘cooked’ without the application of heat but is rather cured in vinegar. Additional souring agents like the native calamansi (a lime-orange like fruit), tamarind, or green mangoes are added to enhance its tartness. To complete the dish, black pepper, onions, ginger, seaweed and sliced chilies are also added. And in some parts of the country, just like a kokoda, a dash of coconut milk or cream is added to give the dish a creamy, sweetish send-off! 

(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the November 2020 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)

Sushi 2.0

Today, on International Sushi Day, we liberate all you sushi fans from the shackles of boring, old, run-of-the-mill iterations and introduce you to six of the most unusual and odd ball interpretations of sushi available in the city.

By Raul Dias

Prawns and Edamame Sushi Pizza
If there’s one aspect of sushi that’s truly remarkable, then that would have to be its ability to experiment with both ingredients and presentation styles. Take this innovative sushi pizza for example. Locally sourced prawns and that quintessential Japanese ingredient, edamame are combined with a honey, chilli and fresh mango sauce and shaped to resemble a slice of pizza. “Sushi and pizza are perhaps two the most loved comfort foods and there couldn’t have been a better occasion than International Sushi Day to celebrate the confluence of the two,” says Chef Paul Kinny, Culinary Director, Shizusan Shophouse & Bar.  
At Shizusan Shophouse & Bar, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
Call 62373536
Cost Rs 375 (per slice)

BLT Sushi Sandwich
Pushing the boundary even further, this sushi variant gets a top score on the innovation charts! Taking the classic all-American bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich and giving it a far eastern fillip as a sushi are the guys at The Fatty Bao. Here, bacon, lettuce and roasted tomato are layered in vinegared-rice and a nori sheet for the ultimate sushi sandwich hybrid. “This sandwich sushi is inspired by the onigirazu sushi, where sushi rice and nori sheets are used to make sandwich shapes with various fillings,” says Chef Prashanth, Executive Chef, The Fatty Bao.
At The Fatty Bao, G1, 108, Morya Classic, Off New Link Road, Andheri West.
Call 62366323/7738008460
Cost Rs 490 (4 pieces)

Tsu No Maki
Just when you thought you’d seen the last mango of the season, you see it well-represented in this totally wacky maki sushi. Joining the salmon-tuna protein duo are slivers of ripe mango and vinegar-sushi rice to make a quadrant shaped piece of sushi. And this is why it is named Tsu No Maki, because in Japanese “Tsu No” means four. “Classical sushi consists of seasonal ingredients prepared using the most sophisticated methods to bring out the best natural flavour of the dish. Where as in the case of innovative versions of sushi, we use local and seasonal ingredients like mango which are much appreciated by our guests,” says Chef Yogendra Adep, Chef De Cuisine, The St. Regis Mumbai
At Yuuka, Level 37, The St. Regis Mumbai, 462, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel West.
Call 61628422
Cost Rs 2,100 (8 pieces)

Gobo Nigiri
As one of Japanese cuisine’s most popular ingredients, the burdock root or gobo is a herb that not just detoxifies the blood, but it is also great for the lymphatic system and skin. Distilling the goodness of this ingredient that we very rarely see in Indian Japanese restaurants is Pa Pa Ya’s all veg Gobo Nigiri. Here, gobo root is combined with carrot, cucumber and avocado that are rolled in a nori sheet, resulting in a sweet, yet pungent sushi roll. “Gobo has a high percentage of irons and vitamins A and B. While creating the dish I wanted to keep the taste authentic as well as make it a healthier option for sushi with the further addition of carrots, cucumber and avocado,” says Chef Sahil Singh, Sr Executive Chef, Pa Pa Ya.
At Pa Pa Ya, Hotel Diplomat, B. K. Boman Behram Marg, Colaba.
Call 8451011174
Cost Rs 625 (8 pieces)

Battera Sushi with Salmon and Tuna
Very little is known about the Osaka-style pressed sushi called oshizushi. Introducing us, to not just this regional sushi speciality, but going one step further and topping it off with three very unusual ingredients—avocado tartare, capers and onion salsa is the Battera Sushi with salmon and tuna. “Battera sushi, that is moulded in a special wooden box, is both fun to eat and lovely to look at. And not to mention different from the usual monotony of rolled sushi, that one sees everywhere,” says Chef Vikram Khatri, Executive Chef, Hello Guppy.
At Hello Guppy, Ground Floor, Godrej-BKC, G-Block, BKC.
Call 26534720
Cost Rs 720 (8 pieces)

Mafia Roll
Never mind its rather intimidating name, this sushi roll is all about fun. How else can one explain the use of popping corn as one of its main ingredients? This uramaki (inside out) roll of corn tempura with piquillo peppers and gochujang mayonnaise that’s garnished with some popcorn and parsley has an interesting story behind its name. “The pop and bang of the Italian Mafia is carried forward into this sushi roll which has popping corn and fiery roasted piquillo peppers along with the bang of spicy gochujang mayonnaise,” says Chef Farrokh Khambata, Owner-Chef, Joss.
At Joss, Ground Floor, Savoy Chambers, Linking Road, Santacruz West.
Call 26617771
Cost Rs 850 (8 pieces)


Recipe for…
Sriracha Blush Maki Sushi

Ingredients:
15gm Avocado Cubes
15gm Cucumber Batons
10gm Shredded Carrot
15gm Jalapeño Tempura Fried
15gm Cream Cheese
10gm Black Sesame Seeds
120gm Sushi Rice (boiled)
30ml Sushi Vinegar
1 Nori Seaweed Sheet
10ml Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce
10gm Tobanjan Paste
10gm Togarashi Japanese Spice Powder
10gm Kewpie Japanese Mayonnaise

Method:
* Place the nori sheet on a sushi mat and spread the cooked and vinegar-sprinkled sushi rice on it. Sprinkle togarashi and sesame seeds on top of the rice.
* Turn over the sheet. Put cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, carrot, fried jalapeño tempura in the centre of the sheet.
* Roll it tightly and cut into eight pieces and arrange on a platter.
* Drizzle with Kewpie mayonnaise mixed with tobanjan paste and dot with sriracha sauce.

--Recipe courtesy Chef Paul Kinny, Culinary Director, Shizusan Shophouse & Bar

(An edited version of this article appeared in the 18th June 2018 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India on page 22 https://www.mid-day.com/articles/international-sushi-day-heres-six-unusual-picks-from-across-mumbais-eateries/19530158)