If you’re looking for authentic flavours in regional cuisines, Varq, Taj Mahal Hotel’s modern Indian gourmet restaurant in Delhi, is the place to check out. You can expect the presentation of traditional Indian dishes to be stylish and edgy. So, the Palak Patta Chaat, a classic Indian street food, will be served on Thomas Keller designed Limoges porcelain dinnerware, garnished with two crisp spinach leaves topped with silver varq.

Says sous chef Ankit Sharma: “A lot of emphasis is on the presentation, besides of course the taste.”

Sharma, who has a degree from the Institute of Hotel Management in Aurangabad, started out as an executive trainee at JW Marriott, Mumbai, in 2003. He then moved to the hotel’s coffee shop, Lotus Café, as chef de partie. He joined the Taj Mahal Hotel in 2005 as a senior chef de partie at Machan and Haveli before being enlisted for Varq.

He shares the recipes of three modern Indian dishes that are a part of the new menu at Varq.

Avocado and shrimp chaat

Ingredients 4 golgappas 1 avocado 50gm peeled shrimps 10gm onions, chopped 10gm tomatoes, chopped 5gm green chillies, chopped 5gm coriander leaves, chopped 10gm chaat masala 5gm salt 50ml green chilli chutney For the golgappa water 300ml amchoor chutney 10gm spicy mango chutney Lemon juice to taste 5gm black salt 250ml water 5gm coriander leaves, chopped 5gm amchoor powder 5gm boondi

method Cut the avocado into small pieces. Chop the shrimps and then blanch them. Cut the onion and tomatoes very finely. Mix the shrimps, avocado, onion, tomatoes, green chilli, finely chopped coriander leaves, salt, chaat masala and green chilli chutney. For golgappa water: Mix ice and amchoor chutney. Then add water, spicy mango chutney, black salt, amchoor powder, lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and boondi. Put the avocado and shrimp mixture in the golgappa. Pour golgappa water in shot glasses and then place the golgappa on top of that. Plate and serve.

Mustard prawns

Ingredients 180gm headless prawns 5gm turmeric powder Salt to taste 30ml oil 10gm ginger paste 10gm garlic paste 50gm boiled onion paste 10gm poppy seed paste 10gm mustard seed paste 100gm white rice 5gm chilli flakes 5gm coriander leaves 10gm edamame beans (young soybeans in pods) 2gm yellow chilli powder 15ml ghee

method De-shell and clean the prawns. Marinate them with salt, turmeric powder and some of the oil. Soak the mustard seeds and grind to a paste. Soak the poppy seeds and then grind to a paste as well. Boil the onions and add turmeric while it’s boiling and then grind the mixture to a paste. Heat oil in a pan and add the ginger garlic paste. Sauté and then add the mustard and poppy seed paste. Keep on sautéing. Sear prawns separately and then cook them in this gravy. Heat ghee in a pan, add chilli flakes and finally salt and rice. Toss this into the prawn gravy. Finish the dish with chopped coriander leaves. Sauté edamame beans separately and then while plating, put a layer of chilli rice, followed by the prawns and garnish with edamame beans on top.

Kalakand potli

Ingredients For the potli or pouch: 30gm refined flour 50ml milk 10gm jaggery 10gm coconut milk powder 5gm sugar 2gm fennel powder 2gm green cardamom powder
For the filling: 80gm kalakand 3gm pistachio powder 3gm green cardamom powder For the Crème Anglaise: 15gm milk 15gm cream 5gm castor sugar 5gm rabri ½ vanilla pod 2 egg yolks

method

For the pouch: Make a batter with refined flour, milk, jaggery, coconut milk powder, sugar, fennel powder and green cardamom powder. Then strain it. Pour the mixture on a flat pan to make a pancake.
For the filling: Crumble the kalakand and then add pistachio and green cardamom powder. Mix it well.
For the Crème Anglaise: Boil the milk and while it boils add the vanilla pod. Then add cream and mix it well. Whisk egg yolks and sugar separately on a double boiler. Finally, add the hot milk and cream mixture to the egg yolk mixture.
Plating: On a sweet pancake, stuff the kalakand mixture and tie it into a gunny bag shape. Bake it in the oven for 10-12 minutes at 180°C. Pour the Crème Anglaise on a plate, add the kalakand pouch and garnish it as shown in the photograph.

As told to Susmita Saha
Photographs by Rupinder Sharma