Chef Hemant Oberoi may have travelled to all corners of the world and dined at the fanciest of restaurants, but it’s the meat curry and dal served in the dhabas of Punjab that are his favourites till date. “A simple meal consisting of dal chawal and sabzi or fish is what I enjoy eating,” says Oberoi, who’s created scrumptious meals for a host of celebrity clientèle, right from the Obamas and Margaret Thatcher to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.
The former chef, with over 40 years of experience with the Taj group of hotels, now has a television show titled Food Memoirs on Living Foodz. Each episode sees him talk about his food memories. “The show gives me an opportunity to revisit some past experiences and dishes I have cooked for such personalities over the years,” he says.
Oberoi has been in the profession for years now and says this was his destiny. Over the years, he has seen various food trends come in; while some stayed, many fizzled out. Good and delicious natural food, well-presented in a neat and perfect manner, is something that will never go out of fashion, he believes.
Food Memoirs with Chef Hemant Oberoi airs on Wednesday and Thursday night at 8 pm on Living Foodz.
Here’s a recipe that he had created for Barack and Michelle Obama.
Varqi Crab with Prawn
Ingredients:
Pepper crabs
1 packet phyllo sheet/pastry
300 gm clarified butter
250 gm crab meat
5-8 gm cumin powder
30 gm madras curry powder
2 gm red chilli powder
2 tbsp onions chopped
Crushed tellicherry peppercorn
8 curry leaves
Salt to taste
15 ml oil
100 gm coconut milk powder
1 sheet golden varq
2 prawns with tail
Toothpick/skewer
Prawn marination
15 ml chilli paste
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp degi mirch powder
A pinch of garam masala
Salt
Lime juice
For presentation
4 red chillies
1 cherry tomato
200 ml balsamic reduction
Bake: 10-12 mins at 150 C.
Method
For the peppered crab, heat the oil; add green chillies, curry leaves, pepper powder, madras curry powder and sauté for a while. Add crab meat and cook. Add coconut cream, sprinkle garam masala and mix well.
For the prawns, make a marination with the ingredients listed above and add it to the prawns. Cook the prawns tail up.
For the pastry sheets, brush 3 sheets with clarified butter. Cut into 7 cm x 7 cm and bake at 150 degrees Celsius for 12-15 minutes, between parchment paper and with a weight on it, or till golden yellow. Interlayer the phyllo sheets with crab meat and finish with prawns on top layer. Serve garnished with red chilli flower and cherry tomato, covered with golden varq.
