<p>It’s been about 25 years since I entered the culinary world. It seems like a long time back but I feel there’s still so much more to learn and explore in this field. I was raised in Amritsar and the place and cuisine hold a special place in my heart. <br /><br />I was exposed to some great food and culture there; many food lovers claim that Amritsari cuisine is the best and I might just have to agree (laughs).<br /><br />I first attended a culinary course many years ago. I studied at Indian Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai and my first job was with The Taj Group for three years.<br /><br /> I then worked abroad for a few years, returned to India and have been working for a few hospitality groups since then. When ‘Sanchos’ came into existence in 2008, I devoted my time to developing the brand. Since then, I have explored many cuisines and recipes — it’s been a memorable journey.<br /><br />However, being the culinary director at Lounge Hospitality for ‘Sanchez’ and ‘Singkong’ is a task by itself. When I started my culinary journey, the hotel industry was very different. There was a different approach to and know-how about certain things. Being a part of the industry wasn’t something many were proud of. <br /><br />Today, things are a lot simpler and chefs are appreciated for their work. The kind of food that is dished out today has also undergone a transition. Only the future can tell what the next evolution of food flavouring will be like! <br /><br />Even though Amritsari cuisine is my all-time favourite, I have been working with Mexican cuisine for about 10 years now. <br /><br />I have to admit that I do favour the cuisine as it has so much to offer. I have travelled extensively to learn about this cuisine and each time I discover new things. <br />My latest discovery is ‘achiote’ which is commonly called the ‘lipstick tree’. I found out about this spice during my trip to San Antonio, Texas.<br /><br /> It’s a shrub, best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment used in lipstick. The achiote paste is a thick deep red seasoning popular in Mexican cuisine. It is usually rubbed on meats or tossed with vegetables. It imparts a deep red colour and warm mild flavour to the food. <br /><br />For best results, the paste needs to be mixed with orange juice before use. The paste is made of crushed annatto seeds along with garlic, cumin, salt, black pepper, <br />allspice, cloves and orange juice.<br /><br />I recommend that you try this recipe using the achiote paste. It’s truly an <br />eye-opener. <br /><br />Chef Vikas Seth<br /> (As told to Anila Kurian)<br /><br /><br />Achiote Summer Vegetable Taquitos<br /><br />Recipe<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />For the filling<br /><br />Yellow squash, cut into batons, ½ cup<br />Zucchini, cut into batons, ½ cup<br />Red, yellow and green peppers, thick juliennes, 1 cup<br />Broccoli florets, blanched, 1 cup<br />Green beans, blanched and julienned, 1 cup<br />Tomato juliennes, ½ cup<br />Onion, sliced, ½ cup<br />Garlic, chopped, 2 tbsp<br />Jalapenos, chopped, 2 tbsp<br />Olive oil, 2 tbsp<br />Achiote paste, 1 tbsp<br />Orange juice, 2 tbsp<br />Chipotle in adobo sauce, <br />1 tbsp<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />For pickled habanero onions<br /><br />Onions, sliced, ½ cup<br />Vinegar, 2 tbsp<br />Water, boiling, 1 cup<br />Habanero paste, ½ tsp<br />Sugar, 1 tsp<br />Bay leaf, 2 <br />Salt to taste<br />Black pepper, 1 tsp<br /><br />For mini corn tortillas<br /><br />Masa harina, 1 cup<br />Salt to taste<br />Warm water, ½ cup<br /><br />Method for mini corn tortillas<br /><br />Mix masa harina, salt and warm water together to form a dough. Knead for about one minute adding more water if necessary. <br /><br />Divide the dough into small walnut-sized balls. They should be about one inch in diameter. <br /><br />Press each tortilla in a tortilla press or roll out between two pieces of a plastic sheet until it is about two to three inches across and thin. <br /><br />Carefully place the tortilla on a hot griddle and cook for 30 seconds to one minute on each side. Tortillas cool quickly, so keep them warm in a tortilla warmer lined with paper towels to prevent condensation or cover them with a dish towel.<br /><br />Method to assemble<br /><br />Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, achiote paste and orange juice, cook a little, add in the chipotle. <br /><br />At this time, add in yellow squash, zucchini, mixed peppers, onion and jalapeno. Sauté lightly for a couple of minutes and to this, add the rest of the vegetables and sauté for a few more minutes. Don’t overcook and keep the vegetables crisp. Keep it warm.<br /><br />Prepare the pickled onions, mix all ingredients in a bowl and top it up with the boiling water. Keep aside for two hours to rest and then chill before using.<br /><br />To assemble, warm the mini corn tortillas over a hot plate, place the filling and top it with pickled habanero onions. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /></p>
<p>It’s been about 25 years since I entered the culinary world. It seems like a long time back but I feel there’s still so much more to learn and explore in this field. I was raised in Amritsar and the place and cuisine hold a special place in my heart. <br /><br />I was exposed to some great food and culture there; many food lovers claim that Amritsari cuisine is the best and I might just have to agree (laughs).<br /><br />I first attended a culinary course many years ago. I studied at Indian Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai and my first job was with The Taj Group for three years.<br /><br /> I then worked abroad for a few years, returned to India and have been working for a few hospitality groups since then. When ‘Sanchos’ came into existence in 2008, I devoted my time to developing the brand. Since then, I have explored many cuisines and recipes — it’s been a memorable journey.<br /><br />However, being the culinary director at Lounge Hospitality for ‘Sanchez’ and ‘Singkong’ is a task by itself. When I started my culinary journey, the hotel industry was very different. There was a different approach to and know-how about certain things. Being a part of the industry wasn’t something many were proud of. <br /><br />Today, things are a lot simpler and chefs are appreciated for their work. The kind of food that is dished out today has also undergone a transition. Only the future can tell what the next evolution of food flavouring will be like! <br /><br />Even though Amritsari cuisine is my all-time favourite, I have been working with Mexican cuisine for about 10 years now. <br /><br />I have to admit that I do favour the cuisine as it has so much to offer. I have travelled extensively to learn about this cuisine and each time I discover new things. <br />My latest discovery is ‘achiote’ which is commonly called the ‘lipstick tree’. I found out about this spice during my trip to San Antonio, Texas.<br /><br /> It’s a shrub, best known as the source of annatto, a natural orange-red condiment used in lipstick. The achiote paste is a thick deep red seasoning popular in Mexican cuisine. It is usually rubbed on meats or tossed with vegetables. It imparts a deep red colour and warm mild flavour to the food. <br /><br />For best results, the paste needs to be mixed with orange juice before use. The paste is made of crushed annatto seeds along with garlic, cumin, salt, black pepper, <br />allspice, cloves and orange juice.<br /><br />I recommend that you try this recipe using the achiote paste. It’s truly an <br />eye-opener. <br /><br />Chef Vikas Seth<br /> (As told to Anila Kurian)<br /><br /><br />Achiote Summer Vegetable Taquitos<br /><br />Recipe<br /><br />Ingredients<br /><br />For the filling<br /><br />Yellow squash, cut into batons, ½ cup<br />Zucchini, cut into batons, ½ cup<br />Red, yellow and green peppers, thick juliennes, 1 cup<br />Broccoli florets, blanched, 1 cup<br />Green beans, blanched and julienned, 1 cup<br />Tomato juliennes, ½ cup<br />Onion, sliced, ½ cup<br />Garlic, chopped, 2 tbsp<br />Jalapenos, chopped, 2 tbsp<br />Olive oil, 2 tbsp<br />Achiote paste, 1 tbsp<br />Orange juice, 2 tbsp<br />Chipotle in adobo sauce, <br />1 tbsp<br />Salt to taste<br /><br />For pickled habanero onions<br /><br />Onions, sliced, ½ cup<br />Vinegar, 2 tbsp<br />Water, boiling, 1 cup<br />Habanero paste, ½ tsp<br />Sugar, 1 tsp<br />Bay leaf, 2 <br />Salt to taste<br />Black pepper, 1 tsp<br /><br />For mini corn tortillas<br /><br />Masa harina, 1 cup<br />Salt to taste<br />Warm water, ½ cup<br /><br />Method for mini corn tortillas<br /><br />Mix masa harina, salt and warm water together to form a dough. Knead for about one minute adding more water if necessary. <br /><br />Divide the dough into small walnut-sized balls. They should be about one inch in diameter. <br /><br />Press each tortilla in a tortilla press or roll out between two pieces of a plastic sheet until it is about two to three inches across and thin. <br /><br />Carefully place the tortilla on a hot griddle and cook for 30 seconds to one minute on each side. Tortillas cool quickly, so keep them warm in a tortilla warmer lined with paper towels to prevent condensation or cover them with a dish towel.<br /><br />Method to assemble<br /><br />Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, achiote paste and orange juice, cook a little, add in the chipotle. <br /><br />At this time, add in yellow squash, zucchini, mixed peppers, onion and jalapeno. Sauté lightly for a couple of minutes and to this, add the rest of the vegetables and sauté for a few more minutes. Don’t overcook and keep the vegetables crisp. Keep it warm.<br /><br />Prepare the pickled onions, mix all ingredients in a bowl and top it up with the boiling water. Keep aside for two hours to rest and then chill before using.<br /><br />To assemble, warm the mini corn tortillas over a hot plate, place the filling and top it with pickled habanero onions. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /></p>