Indonesian: Very Goodo Goodo!

Ashvina Vakil

The menu that arrived in the mail was largely unpronounceable but you can’t disqualify a meal just because you can’t quite get your tongue around the names of the dishes. It’s how the dishes actually affect your tongue and taste buds that matters after all. And Indonesian cuisine leaves a lasting and quite fiery impression!

Meeting after a long gap, PGC members drifted into Silk Route with no great regard to punctuality, which sort of set the mood for a long and leisurely lunch that went way into tea time. Rita Sawhney’s team at Silk Route had taken on the bulk of the cooking, leaving only a few new members with culinary tasks for the day. The rest had only to settle in at the tables and await a meal that surprisingly didn’t feature a single satay.

Most of us don’t know much about Indonesian food apart from the ubiquitous satay (which incidentally is not exclusively Indonesian) and the Gado Gado and Nasi Goreng that features on the menus of South East Asian eateries. Indonesian cuisine is a mélange of food native to the thousands of islands that form the country, and various foreign influences, ranging from Indian and Middle Eastern to Chinese and European.

Rice is a staple across Indonesia, eaten plain (nasi putih) with side dishes, or fried (nasi goreng). Coconut milk finds its way into most dishes including desserts; while peanut sauce is used across the cuisine, either as a dipping sauce or applied to meat or vegetables. Indonesia is a spice hub and not surprisingly its cuisine is redolent with spices ranging from coriander, pepper, turmeric to cassia, cardamom, and bay leaf. Additional flavour comes from ingredients like tamarind, galangal, lemon grass, dried anchovies, and prawns. Not surprisingly, the cuisine is very distinctively flavoured.

With that little tutorial out of the way let’s get on with the meal. For starters we had Ikan Goreng (fried fish in tamarind sauce with dried prawn sambal) and Pergedel Djawa (lamb mince balls with spicy sauce) accompanied by Sula’s Riesling 2008. The gentle wine was a soothing contrast to the burst of flavours that assailed the tongue from the very first bite. We awaited the Paria Isi with some trepidation – the thought of bitter gourd rings stuffed with chicken (or tofu for the vegetarians) didn’t exactly send the taste buds into a clamour – but Cyrus Vaghaiwalla and Vishal Pipraiya needn’t have looked so anxious. The rings were a revelation, the chicken and tofu complementing the not-so-bitter-anymore gourd, and the efforts of the duo were suitably lauded. Meghna Desai served up Mushrooms in a packet, a Madhur Jaffrey recipe adapted from the renowned Indonesian chef Sri Owen.

And then there it was – the familiar Gado Gado (vegetables with crunchy peanut sauce), along with Asinan Jakarta (hot, salty, sour and sweet fruit and vegetable salad). At 2.30 pm we were still lingering over the salads and Sula’s Viognier 2008, seemingly in no hurry to reach the main course. Meanwhile Preeti Devnani, whose family has Indonesian connections, was letting us into the secrets of making authentic Nasi Goreng.

“I learnt how to make it from an Indonesian maid,” she assured us, laying the ground for the fried rice with shrimp and chicken that was to follow. Mom Naina was quick to add that her daughter was solely responsible for the huge quantities of Nasi Goreng, a declaration that had Preeti looking a little worried! “I’ve never made it for so many people before!” She was needlessly anxious, since the spicy rice disappeared in a flash, even as Preeti instructed us on how to eat it with the right accompaniments – Ketcap Manis (a sweetish soy based spicy ketchup) drizzled over prawn wafers, and fried onions.

The succulent Balinese Lamb Chops in a mild coconut milk gravy were a welcome respite after the fiery rice. Steamed rice followed with Young Jackfruit Lodeh (Curry) adapted from a recipe of Gary Tyson, chef at the Amandari, Bali and Pindang Sarani or Fish in Turmeric Sauce, both bearing characteristically Oriental flavours. Anita Gosal’s Sala Lobak (cabbage stir fried with red pepper paste) provided some crunch at his stage.

Rohan Mankani was pouring out Reveilo’s Chardonnay 2008 by now and those of us still alert after this monumental meal made sure to get our glasses filled. There’s something to be said for chilled white wine on a hot afternoon, especially after experimenting with a variety of sizzling creations. Dessert was Pisang Goreng (ripe banana slices dipped in rice flour and coconut milk and deep fried) with Shankar’s Coconut Milk Saffron Ice Cream. A great way to cool down before staggering out into the hot afternoon indeed!

PGC VIDEOS

2ND ANN. MEET - SEPT. 2008

DECCAN PLATEAU WINERY
VISIT - MARCH 2008

PUNE WINE TASTING FESTIVAL
DECEMBER 2007

PUNE WINE TASTING FESTIVAL
COVERAGE ON TV NEWS CHANNELS

PGC 1ST ANNIVERSARY MEET
SEPT. 2007

PGC CAJUN MEET-AUGUST 2007

1st Ann Meet Sept 30, 2007

Expressly Orient!

Ashvina Vakil

Seven corks popped almost simultaneously and the first anniversary meet of the PGC was underway! As befits a gourmet club we have to admit to opening bottles of sparkling wine to celebrate the occasion, but while it wasn’t genuine champagne, the Vinsura Brut 2007 rose admirably to the task.

“Watch the bubbles rise,” advised Shankar and while we exclaimed over their perpendicular path, volunteers put together the first lot of starters. Unpronounceable names and uncommon ingredients are usually enough to lend a meal a gourmet touch, but that Sunday meal was certainly more than that. Weeks of behind the scenes activity had segued into what promised to be an unforgettable meet. Raw material came from as far as Singapore, and adding valuable support to the commendable efforts of our own members were the Sawhneys of Silk Route and their enthusiastic staff.

South East Asian was the theme and a record 70 people turned up to indulge in delicacies that ranged from Japanese and Korean to Thai, Balinese and Vietnamese. Rita Sawhney and Sangita Jagtap put together attractive platters of Miang Khum (betel leaves stuffed with dried shrimp, nuts and herbs). Regular paan eaters looked decidedly uncomfortable faced with the task of spreading shrimp paste on their paan, but most enjoyed the unusual concoction! Shubha Nafrey provided interesting little munchies as an aside, and dried squid and wasabi coated nuts added to the mélange of flavours already bursting on our tongues.

Each table had a designated wine bottle-in-charge, who was equipped with a corkscrew and the task of ensuring that everyone had the right wine at the right stage of the meal! Vinsura Chenin Blanc 2007 accompanied the first round of starters, which also included Shitake Nikozume (mushroom caps stuffed with ginger flavoured ground chicken) put together by Mrunmayee, Harshada and Rohan; and Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms (mushroom caps stuffed with ginger flavoured minced tofu) made by Sheel Rege. Parag Agarwal’s Kimchee (cabbage pickle) provided a pleasantly tart accompaniment to the mushrooms.

The piece de resistance of this part of the meal was undoubtedly the sushi. Created by the chefs at Silk Route, the platters were a visual delight and the salmon, prawn, and veggie sushi went down extremely well. There were some watering eyes and smoking ears from those who’d been too adventurous with the wasabi, but even they reached for seconds.

Platter number two, served with Vinsura Rose 2007, took us to Bali and Vietnam. Shalini Kagal was dispatched to the grill to watch over the Be Pasih Mepanggang (whole surmai marinated in Balinese style spices and charcoal grilled) and when the fish came to the table it rendered most of us speechless with its exquisite texture.


One bright spark likened it to a Balinese patra ni macchi but luckily there were no Parsis around to take offence. The Gai Cuon kept us all busy; stuffing the fresh cold rice paper rolls with crispy sliced roast duck or vegetables, was a delicate task. We’d left preparations for this to the experts and Silk Route did us proud. The duck was cooked to perfection and nestling in a bed of thinly grated cabbage and carrots and flavoured with Hoisin sauce, the Gai Cuon was another highlight of a meal that was growing more exotic with every course.

The Vinsura Zinfandel 2007, to be served with the main course, had been decanted in advance to allow it to breathe. Shubha Gadkari and Mabel Patwardhan had the task of marinating lamb slices in spices for the Korean Bulgogi; Shankar provided the vegetarian alternative of aubergines, both of which were destined for the grill. Accompanying the Bulgogi was Sigumchi Namul (seasoned spinach) made by Sandhya Potdar, Dipti Desai and Sharon Fernandes. Indonesian Chicken Curry (boneless chicken marinated in spices, coconut milk and slow cooked) accompanied by steamed rice came from Jaya Kibe’s kitchen, while Bok Choy a la Shanth (vegetarian offering) accompanied by steamed rice was Shanth Mannige’s contribution.

Single-mindedly eating our way through this amazing medley of flavours and textures, we arrived at the dessert stage, not sure whether we had the courage to eat one more bite! The novelty of Gauri Nafrey’s Kao Neow Dam (black and white rice pudding served with mango) had most of us succumbing to it however while Rita Sawhney’s Coconut Jelly provided the final delicate touch.

It was not all about eating and drinking and exclaiming appreciatively as every course was served. Each member also rated the wines according to appearance, taste and overall finish. We had guests from Vinsura, including the managing director Kishore Holkar, and master winemaker M.P. Sharma who fielded some questions on the winemaking process. Members made some impromptu speeches, applauding the club and the indefatigable Shankar, who looked the picture of satisfaction in his sommelier’s apron.

A truly memorable end to the past year’s incredible gastronomic journey, and one that will stir us to greater culinary exploits!