Kitchen Adventures 16: two Radisson Blu Temple Bay Chefs battle it out

Chef V Vijayakumar

Chef Owaize Ahmed Khan

Where: Wharf 2.0: a Radisson Blu Temple Bay signature restaurant.

Who: Chef Vijayakumar (showcased his recipes from the past) and Chef Owaize Ahmed Khan (created contemporary recipes)

What: a battle of Chefs. Past met present. 

As far as battle strategies go, there was only one thing both Chef Vijayakumar and Chef Owaize Ahmed Khan wanted. And that was diner joy.

Intrigued, I went to witness this battle of the greats. My first 'real' outing in 8 months. Felt strange to step out of the car and visit two of Radisson Blu Temple Bay's restaurants.

A little about the two chefs. I’ve known Vijayakumar for years. He is a chef at heart but is now Director Food & Beverage at Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay (I’ll never figure out why hotels, especially resorts have such long names). Vijay passed out of IHM Chennai and amassed a few other qualifications along the way.

Chef Owaize, also from IHM Chennai has over 15 years of experience with several brands of hotels, including Michelin star restaurants, in Australia, Dubai and India. Currently, Executive Chef with Radisson Blu Temple Bay, this Master has found his niche. Needless to say, his food / plating is impeccable, and Owaize took on the challenge without a flicker of doubt.

The battle was fierce. But, I got some inside information:

·        Wharf 2.0 had a score board at the entrance. One side belonged to Chef Vijayakumar, and the other to Chef Owaize. Diners didn't know which item on the menu belonged to which chef. 

·         An enthusiastic restaurant manager kept tabs on the score and announces it hour on hour.

·         At the end of the day, the scores were tallied according to the dishes ordered.

·         Diners got their food on two different types of plates. One set was completely white, the other was coloured, differentiating between the two Chefs.

Both Chefs did a stellar job. 

Chef Owaize’s story

Chef Owaize tried many permutations and combinations for vegetarians. Of course, paneer is the alternative to some meats. However, it is a difficult ingredient because of its texture. After several attempts to crack it, he found cottage cheese cooked in banana leaves turns out best.

“Paneer cooks in no time at all, just like fish. I packed the paneer along with all the spices and masalas, onion and tomato, tightly into the banana leaf. Then it is subtly roasted, absorbing all the flavors, including those from the banana leaf,” he says.

This recipe is an Owaize original. 

Plantain Leaf Wrapped Cottage Cheese

Ingredients

For Marinating/Cooking Paneer

• 200grams Paneer/Cottage Cheese
• 1tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 1/4tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1/2tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2tsp Cumin Powder
• 1/4tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1tbsp Lemon juice
• 2tsp Oil
•  Salt as needed 

For Masala 

• 2 Large Onions Finely Chopped
• 3 Large Tomatoes Finely Chopped
• 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• ¼ tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
• 1 tbsp Oil
•  Salt as needed
•  Few Fresh Curry Leaves

 

For Paneer Wrap

•  Two Banana Leaves
• 1-2tsp Oil
•  Tomato Slices optional
•  Few Curry Leaves optional

 Method 

1. In a mixing bowl, add all the spice powders to marinate the paneer – Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and salt.
2. Add lemon juice and make a thick paste out of it.
3. Cut Paneer in half breadth-wise and coat the masala paste on it nicely.
4. Let them marinate for 20-30 mins.
5. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan or a heavy bottomed pan and add 2 tsp of oil.
6. Carefully place the paneer slices and cook them on both sides for 2-3 mins on medium flame until they are golden brown.
7. Remove the paneer slices and in the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add fresh curry leaves and finely chopped onions.
8. Fry until translucent on medium flame and then add ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute.
9. Next add finely chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 mins.
10. Add spice powders – red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt as needed.
11. Cook until the tomatoes are mushy and oil starts to leave from the sides.
12. Prepare the banana leaves by removing the thick vein that runs in the center (don’t discard, can be used to tie the leaves) and show them to mild heat so that they become soft.
13. Place 2-3 tbsp of prepared masala on the banana leaf.
14. Place a slice of paneer on top.
15. Now add the masala again on top of the paneer and coat it nicely. You can also place 1-2 slices on tomatoes and fresh curry leaves/slit green chillies on top.
16. Carefully fold the banana leaf in such a way that the paneer is wrapped well.
17. Use the banana vein or a thread to tie the banana leaf parcel carefully. Repeat this with the other half of the paneer too.
18. Place the banana leaf parcels on a medium hot cast iron pan (I used the same where I made the masala) or on a heavy bottomed pan. Keep them covered and cook for 7-8 mins on low flame. Turn them to the other side after half-cook time.
19. Unwrap the banana leaf parcel and serve hot with a side of dosai, roti or even rice/pulao.

Chef Vijayakumar’s Story

Experimenting and innovating within a particular cuisine – or out of it – has been a passion with Chef Vijayakumar. Nothing excites him more than the joy on his guests faces when they try his recipe. This recipe was arrived at after a lot of thought and trials. Suddenly, one day, Chef realized something he already knew could be used to the chicken dish’s advantage. More so because chicken breast is not the most sought-after part of a chicken. So, he tried using organic pineapple to play a dual role: that of a natural tenderizer and to add sweet, fruity juiciness.  

The recipe:

 Organic Pineapple Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 Chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp of cream cheese
• 1 tbsp of ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 tbsp of double cream
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 3 tbsp of plain yogurt
• 1/2 tbsp of ginger paste
• 1/2 tbsp of garlic paste 
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds, ground
• 1/2 tsp black cumin 
• 1 tbsp of coriander stem, chopped
• Walnut 50 gms
• Organic baby pineapple peeled and sliced thick marinated with house spices and grilled.

Method

Cut each chicken breast into 2-3 equal sized chunks, trimming off any excess.

Wash and leave to drain.

Coat the chicken in the lime juice, ginger and garlic paste and salt. Mix well and leave to marinate in the fridge for as long as you wish - the longer you leave it the more intense the flavor will be.

In a bowl, add the yogurt, cream cheese, double cream, coriander stems, ginger, green chilies, black cumin and cardamom powder and mix well until combined.

Add the marinated chicken, mix again and leave in the fridge for approximately 1 hour before grilling.

Marinate the organic pineapple in chili powder, ground spices and walnut powder.  

To cook, thread the chicken and pineapple slices onto skewers and grill in a medium-hot tandoor or over a barbecue for approximately 4 minutes. Turnover and grill for a further 3 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Before serving, sprinkle with chaat masala and lemon juice.

Serve skewers with mint chutney, papad and pomegranate.