He redefines street food

It’s been 20 years since I joined the culinary industry, but my association with food began 30 years ago.

My earliest memory of working with food was when my mother and I experimenting with various ingredients. My siblings, of course, were our guinea pigs. Over a period of time, the interest in creating something out of nothing grew. But even then, I never thought I would take this up as a career.

I come from a family of entrepreneurs, engineers and MPhil graduates. But somewhere down the line, I realised that I wasn’t cut out to do anything of that sort. Joining a hotel management course was an awakening for me.

It was my internship period that helped me confirm the decision. I didn’t want to leave the kitchen! I was among the top three in college when it came to food production.

Gaurav Gidwani

Over a period of time, I worked with various hotels in India and moved to Saudi Arabia where I cooked for the royal family. Working in the Middle East many years after that gave me the opportunity to work in some of the best kitchens and grow as a chef. I even cooked for the Sheiks there.

After coming back to India, I helped set up a number of restaurants and conceptualise their menu. Now, I am the director, F&B of Corum Hospitality at Bar Stock Exchange on MG Road.

As a chef, I think I have the responsibility to introduce new dishes to food enthusiasts. Whenever I travel, I make sure that I wish the most interior parts of the country and learn about their food culture. I, then, come back to the city and introduce that to my customers. My speciality is gourmet in street food, after all. But of course, the authenticity and sticking to the roots of the dish is maintained when presenting the dish.

I believe this is an important move in the culinary world as most of us eat out regularly. Whether it is to come to the restaurant and dine or order in at home, we are working round the clock for foodies across the world. So when we have such an opportunity, why not take advantage of that and present more options for one to enjoy? Chefs are the culinary custodians to foodies.

That’s why the recipe of ‘Misal Pav Fondue’ is shared today. We’ve added our own flavours and techniques to the dish and given it a new avatar. It’s wholesome, fun and just what you need to have a great time.

Chef Gaurav Gidwani

Misal Pav Fondue​

Ingredients

• Mixed sprouts, 2 cups
• Chopped tomatoes, 100 gm
• Mustard seeds, 2 tsp
• A dash of hing
• Curry leaves, about 7 to 8
• Red chilli powder, 2 tsp
• Chicken cubes, sauteed, ½ cup
• Fresh homemade Kolhapuri masala

Ingredients for Kolhapuri Masala

• Kashmiri dry red chilli, 100 gm
• Red chilli powder, 450 gm
• Cumin seeds, 75 gm
• Dry coconut wati, 300 gm
• Sesame seeds, 50 gm
• Saunf, 12.5 gm
• Nutmeg, 10 gm
• Poppy seeds, 25 gm
• Bay leaf, 12 pieces
• Black peppercorn, 50 gm
• Cinnamon, 2 pieces
• Laung, 10 pieces
• Coriander seeds,500 gm

Method

• In a pan, heat oil, then add the mustard seeds and let them crackle.
• Add hing and curry leaves.
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and green chillies, sauté till tomatoes soften up.
• Add to this, the Kolhapuri masala and red chilli powder.
• Cook the masala and add the sprouts, sauté them together with the masala.
• Then add stock water and let cook.
• Once the sprouts are fully cooked, cool the entire mixture completely.
• Blend the cooled mixture to a fine paste consistency.
• Now start the process of making the fondue.
• In a pan pour the pureed missal and add cream and cheese.
• Cook the cheese and cream mixture for about 7 to 8 minutes.
• Finally, add the chicken cubes that are tossed in masala to the fondue mix.
• Add a little more of the Kolhapuri masala and adjust seasonings.
• Cut the pav in croutons shape and apply butter to the same and crisp it in the oven for about a couple minutes.
• Serve the missal fondue mix in a fondue pot, garnish with chopped onion, farsan and chopped coriander.
• Top it with a lemon wedge and serve the crispy pav croutons on the side with fondue sticks.