World of flavours

Chef Rajib Kumar Mitra loves experimenting with food and creating innovative dishes. He learnt to fuse different cuisines and to ‘design’ new dishes from the celebrated Scottish chef, Colin Binmore. He says he was fortunate enough to work with Binmore at the Emirates flight kitchen in Dubai for five years.

Mitra, who idolises Binmore, says: “I learnt everything from him — his style of cooking, maintaining interpersonal relations in the kitchen and menu planning.”

After some serious globe-trotting on overseas assignments, Mitra returned home last year and in September took over as senior sous chef of Plush, the lounge bar at The Astor. Mitra’s forté lies in Continental, Italian and Mediterranean cuisines — which make up the menu at Plush.

Mitra loves to interact with his guests, and not just because he enjoys hearing them compliment his cooking. “I believe I can improve myself with their suggestions,” he adds.

After completing his graduation in 1995, Mitra joined the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM), Gangtok. Subsequently, he joined The Kenilworth, Kolkata, as a trainee in 1997.

From there he took off for the Emirates Flight Kitchen in Dubai where he worked with Binmore between 2001 and 2006. His careergraph includes stints at Carnival Cruise Line (from Florida to the Bahamas), Silver Sand Hotel in Muscat, Taj Sats (Taj Air Catering) in Kolkata and the Hyatt Regency, Kolkata.

Egged on by his guests, Mitra now wants to continue dishing out innovative recipes.

Mediterranean vegetables with herb paella (Serves one)

Ingredients: 30gm aubergine • 5gm thyme • 15ml olive oil • 5gm garlic • 5gm onion • 15gm yellow zucchini • 15 gm green zucchini • 5gm parsley, chopped • 15gm green bell pepper • 15gm yellow bell pepper • 45gm red bell pepper • 20gm asparagus • 20ml cream • 40gm Basmati rice, uncooked • 20gm cauliflower • 25gm Balsamic vinegar • Saffron, a pinch • 100ml vegetable stock • 10ml white wine • 3gm white pepper powder • 10gm basil • Salt to taste

Method:
For the herb paella:
Sauté the onions and garlic, add the rice, vegetable stock, chopped parsley, basil and thyme. Then, add a dash of saffron water (made by soaking the saffron in water) and season with salt and pepper. Let it cook till the rice is done.
For the Balsamic glaze:
Reduce the balsamic vinegar by one-third.
For the vegetable ragout:
Cut the vegetables into small cubes except for the aubergine. Sauté onions and garlic with olive oil, and add the green and yellow bell peppers, asparagus, cauliflower and the green and yellow zucchini. When they are cooked, add the white wine and cream. Season with salt and white pepper. Cut the aubergine in half. Scoop the flesh and deep fry. Roast the red bell peppers and in a grinder make a paste adding the salt. Put the herb paella in the centre of the plate and the vegetable ragout on the side. Take the aubergine in a cup and place it on top of the paella and garnish with Balsamic glaze and the red bell pepper coulis.

Fish shashlik (Serves one)

Ingredients: 300gm fish • 50gm green capsicum • 50gm yellow bell pepper • 50gm red bell pepper • 30gm onion • 80 gm hung curd • 10ml lemon juice • 10gm kasundi • 5gm chilli flakes • 5gm parsley • 5gm pesto sauce • 5ml oil • 5gm mint • 1gm cardamom powder • 5gm garlic paste • 3gm white pepper powder • Salt to taste

Method: Mix 60gm hung curd, mint, garlic paste, lemon juice and cardamom powder for the dressing. Now marinate the fish cubes with 20gm hung curd and the rest of the ingredients. Skewer them on bamboo sticks. Grease the pan with oil and oven bake at 180° for seven minutes. Serve with the yogurt dressing.

Grilled vegetable tian (Serves one)

Ingredients: 60gm eggplant • 50gm yellow zucchini • 50gm green zucchini • 150gm red bell pepper • 60gm yellow bell pepper • 60gm capsicum • 60gm feta cheese • 5gm glass noodles • 3gm chives • 2gm oregano • 5gm French mustard • 10ml Balsamic vinegar • 10gm leek • 10gm celery •Salt to taste • 3gm pepper powder • 20ml olive oil • 10gm basil • 50gm tomatoes

Method:
For the tomato and bell pepper coulis
Roast the tomato and red bell peppers with leek and celery and make a purée in a grinder. Add salt to taste. Marinate the vegetables (eggplant, yellow and green zucchini, red and yellow bell pepper and green capsicum) with basil, French mustard and Balsamic vinegar. Grill with olive oil, salt and pepper and set in a mould. Spread thin slices of feta cheese and sprinkle oregano over the vegetables. After demoulding, garnish with fried glass noodles and chives. Serve with tomato and bell pepper coulis.


The Personal Telegraph