Summer-ready recipes with international influences from a chef at Oi, Mumbai.
Strawberry Gazpacho
Serves: 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes + chilling time
Calorie count: 279 calories (per serving)
Ingredients:
20 ml apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp pepper
12 g salt
40 g breadcrumbs for thickening
150 ml extra virgin olive oil
500 ml mineral water
80 g cucumber, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 clove garlic
60 g capsicum, deseeded and cut into chunks
50 g red bell pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
400 g strawberries (or watermelon), cut into chunks
600 g ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
Method:
- Blend together the strawberries (or watermelon), cucumber, garlic, capsicum, red bell pepper, tomatoes, and water to a smooth puree.
- Using a fine sieve, strain the puree well twice or thrice.
- Add the extra virgin olive oil to the strained puree, and blend well.
- Add the breadcrumbs to thicken, and blend again.
- Season with apple cider vinegar, white pepper, and salt.
- Chill before serving.
Tip: Serve this Gazpacho cold, garnished with strawberries (or cubes of watermelon) and micro greens.
Burrata with Bell Pepper Coulis, Walnuts and Seasonal Fruit Jam
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Calorie count: 351 calories (per serving)
Ingredients:
5 walnuts, toasted
4 tsp fig or strawberry jam
4 baby burratas
To prepare the bell pepper coulis:
40 g breadcrumbs, to thicken
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
10 ml lemon juice
Sugar, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
2 cloves garlic
500 g bell pepper
To prepare the charred pepper salsa:
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
Powdered sugar, to taste
1 tsp lemon juice
6 tsp basil leaves, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
250 g mixed yellow, green and red bell peppers, deseeded and finely chopped
Method:
- To prepare the bell pepper coulis, roast the bell peppers over the fire on a fork.
- Remove the skin, seeds and pith. Blend the peppers to a fine paste with the breadcrumbs, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, pepper, salt, and garlic.
- To prepare the charred pepper salsa, heat a non-stick pan over medium flame, and saute the garlic and peppers until slightly charred. Remove from the flame and cool.
- Add powdered sugar, pepper, salt, lemon juice and basil.
- Divide the bell pepper coulis between four serving dishes.
- Place a baby burrata on top of the coulis, and sprinkle generously with the bell pepper salsa.
- Place a teaspoon of fig or strawberry jam on the side, alongside a toasted walnut.
Tip: Burrata can be found in gourmet food stores and online.
Cottage Cheese A La Plancha
Serves: 2
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Calorie count: 847 calories (per serving)
Ingredients:
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
½ avocado, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
50 g baby spinach, blanched
50 g bok choy, blanched
250 g cottage cheese, cut into roundels
4 tbsp butter (divided usage)
6 tsp extra virgin olive oil
To prepare the mushroom truffle sauce:
5 drops truffle oil
Pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste
50 ml vegetable stock
200 ml fresh cream
250 g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
6 tsp sunflower oil
Method:
- To prepare the mushroom truffle sauce, heat the oil in a pan over a medium flame.
- Saute the onion and garlic for a minute, before adding the mushrooms, and cook on a high flame until soft.
- Add the vegetable stock and cream, and cook till a creamy consistency is achieved.
- Season with pepper, salt, and truffle oil.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil and one tablespoon butter in a pan over medium heat.
- Fry the cottage cheese on all sides until golden. Set aside.
- Heat a pan and heat one tablespoon butter. Saute the bok choy and baby spinach with the garlic. Season with pepper and salt.
- Grill the avocado slightly on the pan.
- Spread the mushroom truffle sauce on a serving platter.
- Place the grilled cottage cheese roundels on top.
- Place the avocado, spinach, and bok choy on one side.
Tip: Garnish the dish generously with truffle oil and a few micro herbs.
