Food Talk by Pushpesh Pant: A makeover for good old starters

Pushpesh Pant

There are some classic nibbles that never lose charm. Not only do they provide the ‘home cook’ with infinite possibilities to improvise, but also experiment with fusion. Two of our favourites are keema pav with Eggs Benedict and potato barrels. Keema pav and egg ghotala is an iconic dish in the Parsi repertoire, though some find the ghotala part a bit messy.

During a recent visit to the Pink City, we encountered a delightful variation of these. Baradari is a brilliant restaurant nestling in the lap of the historic City Palace. It attracts tourists, both Indian and foreign. The chef here plays around with this recipe creatively. The mince is spiced mildly and the ‘pav’ burdened with very little of this stuff. The egg, sunny side up, sits at the top, presenting an appealing sight. You can create a replica at home with the base of a crisp toast, buttered according to taste. You don’t have to cook the mince separately for this dish. Unless you want everyone on the table to taste it, and go wow, leftover mince can be put to good use in this recipe.

The vegetarian starters served to us included potato barrels. These instantly brought to mind the good old friend from Delhi’s chaat street — aloo ke khulle. Little did we know that there was a twist to this taste too. The first bite brought back memories of Mexican potato wedges cooked with their skin and with dollops of sour cream on top. This is what creativity in the kitchen is all about! The team at Baradari excels in this. The khulle in Delhi seldom go beyond the filling of spicy chhole, hare matar and anardana, with the ubiquitous chaat masala sprinkled over it.

These potato barrels can also be stuffed with bits of favourite vegetables, grated cheese, minced mushrooms and magical herbs and served hot. The classic is made with bacon, but due to widespread reservation over pork, we have used spinach instead.

Potato barrels

Ingredients

• Potatoes (boil till tender but not mushy) 2-3 (large)
• Processed cheddar cheese (grated) 1/4 cup
• Mushrooms 50 gm
• Sun-dried tomatoes 1/4 cup
• Black pepper (freshly ground) 1/4 tsp
• Sour cream 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• Oil to shallow fry

Method

• Slice the potatoes into 1-1/2-inch thick round slices. Using a sharp knife, create a hollow in the middle. Wipe and clean the mushrooms. Chop coarsely. Apply a thin film of oil to a non-stick pan and sauté the mushrooms. When the moisture evaporates, remove and reserve these. Chop the sun-dried tomatoes.
• Blend the grated cheese, mushrooms and tomatoes, along with salt and pepper, to prepare the filling.
• Divide in equal portions and pack the potato barrels with it. Pan-grill the barrels till these acquire a crisp skin. Top with a large blob of sour cream and serve.

Keema pav with eggs Benedict

Ingredients

• Eggs 2
• Butter 1/2 cup
• Bread 2 slices
• Vinegar 1 tsp
• Mince (cooked) 1 tbsp
• Spinach (sautéed lightly) 1 cup
• Hollandaise sauce 1/4 cup
• A pinch of black pepper
• A pinch of red chilli
• Salt to taste

Method

• Fill a large pot with about 3 inches of water. n Bring to boil. Add vinegar to the water as it will help set the eggs better.
• Crack the eggs individually.
• Reduce the flame to medium. Keep the water simmering for poaching the eggs.
• Gently stir the water to create a whirlpool. Slide one egg at a time into the water, close to the whirlpool. Cook till the egg white is set but the yolk is still soft. This will take about three to four minutes.
• Repeat the process with the other eggs.
• Toast the bread. Butter it to taste. On this base, place a portion of the mince. Top with sautéed spinach and the poached egg.
• Sprinkle red chilli, black pepper and salt.
• Serve hot with the Hollandaise sauce on the side.
• Poaching eggs perfectly requires some practice but do not be deterred if you have to settle for less than perfectly shaped ones for now.