Like rajma? You will then love Thai’

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Like rajma? You will then love Thai’

Friday, 27 September 2019 | Team Viva

Like rajma? You will then love Thai’

Thai chef Jatsalid Sirimongkolthong prepares his delicacies for the Masters of Culinaire Sunday Brunches at The Westin Gurgaon. He tells Team Viva that he doesn’t find much of a difference between the Indian palate and its Thai counterpart

Thai food places emphasis on lightly-prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and spices. How have you blended new ingredients to match it with the current palate and preferences of Indian people?

Thai cuisine is known for stimulating a minimum of three or sometimes even five major tastes in each dish. While it may look simple, it packs a fusion of diverse ingredients to create a palatable harmony. The Indian palate is not very different from its Thai counterpart. Incorporation of local ingredients, seasonal vegetables, home-made fresh pastes, traditional cooking styles, authentic spices — all symbiotically are an integral part of both the cuisines. Indians today are well aware of texture, flavour and aroma, which is exactly why traditional Thai cuisine is a hit among them. They also have a special place for signature classics and are loyal to them. A well-made fresh Thai curry is just like a steaming bowl of Rajma — evergreen — no tampering with the taste and ingredients. It’s always a hit.

What are the pillars of this cuisine?

As I understand it, every Thai food needs at least two of the five major flavour pillars to taste right. It’s a ‘yin and yang’. First, sweet — we use palm sugar, which is made from boiled palm sap. An authentic Thai dish uses a spoonful of sugar to balance its flavours. Second, sour — galangal is one of the most important ingredients in Thai cuisine. In fact, I often call it one of the holy trinities of Thai food (the other two being lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves). Third, spicy — fiery hot Thai ‘bird’ chilies are a must have in sauces and stir-fries. They pack a fiery punch accompanied by a bit of fruitiness. Four, salty — fish sauce, or ‘nampla’ in Thai. It is one of the basic ingredients in Thai cooking. It has a rich, translucent reddish-brown colour and is added liberally to nearly all the Thai dishes. It is the perfect substitute for salt in various dishes. Five, bitter — Thai recipe for stir-fried bitter melon is enjoyed by people world over.

What is your signature dish and how did you come up with such an experiment?

I think Pad Krapow Gai is something that I love to make and eat. It was one of the first few dishes that I learnt to cook as a professional chef and is the perfect ode to the stir-frying cooking style, adapted from the Chinese. The aroma of basil pairs perfectly with succulent chicken in a rich, savoury sauce infused with traditional Thai flavours. Served over steamed jasmine rice, topped with a fried egg with a slightly runny yolk and sliced Thai bird chilli for some spice, the dish is the ultimate Thai comfort food. For me, this dish would not be complete without that fried-egg on the top. The edges are crispy and the yolk is slightly runny, which adds even more flavour and texture to it.

How have you explored the changes in the cuisine over the years?

Yes, I have. But my food is nothing like that. My aim is to keep the authenticity and tradition of Thai cuisine alive. In fact, my food is very similar to how dishes are prepped and cooked in the most traditional kitchens across Thailand. I ensure my food is smoked with lychee wood, coconut husks and coconut peat just like back at home so that the original flavours, contrasting textures and a memorable culinary affair is offered to our guests. We, at The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi, take pride in presenting dishes that remain true to their origins with bespoke flavours that strike a deep chord. It evokes not just a sense of culture but also comfort.

How do you think such festivals promote such regional cuisines and bring it to the global culture?

In the past couple of years, food festivals in India have come a long way. An exciting line-up of food festivals leaves the customers spoilt for choice and makes them keep coming back. Our recent regional cuisine-based food festival like Shaam-e-Awadh brought back the lost flavours of the Awadh region. We also had Sri Lankan and Sardinian food festival — complete with a themed décor and live entertainment. Our hotel sees a healthy mix of Indian and foreign resident guests and such events are an incredible opportunity for them and us to interact, indulge and break the monotony.

What shaped your food logic while growing up? What are your inspirations? Any anecdotes to share...

My food logic is to always keep myself inspired. Inspiration gives birth to ideas. Ideas enable you to first and foremost revisit the basics in order to make a strong foundation. A strong foundation provides a great breeding space for creativity. We need to evolve each day and with every moment because any good place remains in the race when you are part of the evolution. And to evolve, one needs to be open to change and get inspired. This is one of my first learnings in a professional kitchen and I make it a point to follow it religiously.

How do you adapt your dishes to local ingredients while travelling? Any Indian spices or dish that may have caught your fancy...

Travel always gives an opportunity to relish local delicacies, thereby inculcating a deep understanding of the cuisine. Thai is famous for the balance of five fundamental flavours — hot, sour, sweet, salty, and bitter — that leave us with a harmonious finish. When I cook, I ensure that the core ethos of each dish stays pure and authentic. Indians are able to relate to the spiciness of the chillies and the smoothness of the coconut milk, which is well complemented with the sharp taste of ginger.

Which cuisine in the world would you say comes closest to the perfect sensory and nutritional balance?

Most definitely Indian. It has the perfect amalgamation of taste, flavours, texture, tradition and most definitely, nutrition. Indian food includes an array of healthy spices and the multitude of ways of cooking helps retain the nutritional value. An Indian staple meal includes carbohydrates, proteins and fats — all the elements required to make a balanced diet.

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