A Sumptuous Food Trail

Froma top woman chef looking for more sustainable produce, an Indian making an impact in Paris with childhood favourites, to a master from Bangkok changing the way Indians eat Thai food, a sneak peek into some epicurean journeys.

- PRIYA KUMARI RANA

CHEF ANA ROS

Fresh Off The Farm

Three-Michelin star chef Ana Ros, who grew up in Slovenia, is all about using creativity and hyper-local ingredients to create memorable dishes from wild herbs, and mushrooms, to fishes and vegetables from local farmers. Chef Ana has the coveted Three Michelin Stars for her restaurant Hiša Franko in Slovenia (she’s also the recipient of a Michelin Green Star). She was in Delhi and Mumbai recently, to do pop-ups at the Taj Mahal and Taj Mahal Palace hotels. Both her dinners were paired with Suntory Toki and Ardmore whisky.

Two signature dishes from Hiša Franko that embody chef Ana’s lifelong oeuvre include the Corn Beignet filled with fermented cottage cheese (for vegetarians), or trout roe, topped with corn and roasted polenta flour. The other is Potato with Hay Crust, Sour Butter with Indian spices, and fermented pumpkin. “We call it the €1 potato. It’s bio-dynamically produced, and cooked in a hay crust,” she says. “You enjoy the potato with whatever we serve it in that season, usually with sour butter. Then we combine that with whatever’s in season.”

The Hiša Franko Harvest, another dish, is an assemblage of the best ingredients chef Ana could find in the market, transformed by special techniques in the kitchen. She uses pumpkin juice, while fermenting another vegetable. Another Hiša Franko specialty is her risotto that’s made with barley, and not rice. “I use hydrated watermelon, with cauliflower and hazelnuts for the crunch,” she says. The liquid used is young coconut water with coconut flesh, all procured locally, in Delhi and Mumbai.

CHEF JITIN JOSHI

Indian Childhood Favourites in Paris