Indo-Latin taste trail

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It was passion for food along with her entrepreneurial instincts that made celebrity chef Rohini Dey start Vermilion, an Indo Latin cuisine restaurant in Chicago and then in Manhattan. Vermilion’s intellectually provocative fusion cuisine and concept borne out of Rohini’s passion to celebrate Indian cuisine in the US and from her extensive travels and vision.

Speaking at a live cook-off held at the Q’BA in the city Rohini said, “Indian and Latino cuisines use common ingredients such as beans, coriander, plantain and guava. Samosa and Latin American Empanada are similiar. Of course, there had been some historic exchanges between the two regions. Chillies went from Mexico to India while mangoes were brought to Latin America from India by the Portuguese.”
Elaborating on the format of the event, Rohini shared, “I’m not looking for the typical ‘I’ll add curry powder to everything’ kind of cook, but someone who understands international palates.”
The panel of judges saw some popular names including Sharmila Tagore, Marryam Reshii and Rocky Mohan who reviewed each participant on three criterion — taste, presentation and Indian-Latin element in the dishes that were served to them.
Actress Sharmila Tagore said, “I don’t like any one particular cuisine, I eat everything. I like experimenting with the ingredients. Also, the way chefs do food fusion is amazing. It helps in making people aware of varied cuisines and provides a new taste and flavour.”
The 26-year-old chef Himanshu Saini from Delhi, who presented a dish sarson ka saag quesadilla with buttermilk foam, beat his fellow contestants during the Delhi round of the competition.
Talking about his winning recipe, Himanshu shared, “I thought of fusing the best of Indian and the Latin cuisine. Instead of serving sarson ka saag with the makke ki roti, I presented it with the quesadilla or the corn tortilla to add a Latin touch. To make up for the sour cream, I used it with the buttermilk. I also served mango and fennel grass as the palate cleanser.”
Himanshu’s cherry tomato with habanero salsa topping on a melba toast served on a toy bicycle was an instant hit with the judges.
The judges also talked about their favourite cuisines. Chef Rocky Mohan, one of the judges at the event said, “I am a very passionate cook and I love to preserve the authentic cuisine of India.”
Gagandeep Singh, another participant presented his fusion dish Beggar’s pouch Amritsari Gosht Rara.
He said, “I added a lot of jicama salad and used Californian grape chutney to the minced lamb. Chimmichuri sauce made with chopped fresh parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and red pepper flakes added Latin touch to my Indian dish.”