Roopali Mohanti's Book Servings Reflects The Journey Of An Inspired Home Cook

Roopali Mohanti, a hotel management graduate, worked with a leading Indian hotel chain in the early years of her career. While marriage and motherhood took precedence over a full-time job, she continued to work on projects that held her interest and needed her skillset.

Intrigued by the intricacies of the culinary arts and driven by her passion for cooking the best possible meals for her family and friends, she set out to combine her experience and kitchen skills into this collection of stories and recipes.

Here's an excerpt from Servings Simple Yet Exotic

HIGH ON THAI: ‘Sawadee’

Thailand is my go-to destination for a holiday – great hospitality, amazing food, wonderful sights and the best massages! Leave me at a spa and I can happily spend the day there, beginning with herb-infused oil hair rituals and ending with sea salt foot cleanses. All this in my endeavour to attain nirvana and stay as close to the kitchen as possible.

One of these holidays was with a very large group of friends in Koh Samui. Mama Moon, a local, taught us to cook at the villa where we were staying. A real ‘Mama’, her heart was in the food she laid out on the table. Her question was always, ‘What you want to eat?’. She conducted a fantastic cooking class where there were no measurements involved. It was cooking purely by instinct and experience. She also packed her Thai curry pastes for us to carry back home. Who doesn’t like return gifts!

Thai food is liberal in its use of spices, roots, nuts and lime with doses of coconut sugar. A big takeaway is to use your main ingredients raw, instead of cooking them the Indian way. Vegetables are never stir-fried in the paste. Instead, they are added once the pastes are cooked and the liquid, whether it is coconut milk or stock, has been added, this helps ensure their real flavour and bite is retained.

Some of these recipes are Mama Moon’s and some are from my understanding of what the cuisine is about.

THAI GREEN CURRY PEANUT BUTTER TRAY BAKE

(Serves 2)
Garnish
Coriander leaves: 35 gm chopped
Peanuts: a handful crushed
Lime wedges: 2–3 to squeeze over

Chicken Version
Boneless chicken thighs: 2–3 sliced thin
Onions: 1½ cut into wedges
Broccoli: 1 small head, florets segmented
Red bell pepper: ¼ diced
Thai red chillies: 2 chopped thick
Thai green curry paste: 2½–3 tbsp
Salt: 1 tsp
Fresh peanut butter: 3½ tbsp
Honey: 1½ tbsp
Coconut milk: 150 ml
Flat rice noodles: 60 gm
Oyster sauce: 2 tsp
Refined oil: 1tbsp + 2 tbsp

Boil flat rice noodles in hot water till cooked. Strain in a colander and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add green curry paste and cook till oil separates.
3. Put all ingredients, except for coconut milk, in a bowl and mix well with your fingers. Check seasoning.
4. Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.
5. Cover the dish with aluminium foil.
6. Preheat oven for 7–8 minutes to 200 ̊ C.
7. Bake for 20 minutes and then take out of the oven. Toss the ingredients and add
coconut milk. Cover and bake for another 10 minutes.
8. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes until the ingredients turn a light golden colour and appear moist.
9. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves, crushed peanuts and a squeeze of lime.

Vegetarian Version

• Tofu: 6 cubes
• Mushrooms: 6 halved
• Broccoli: 6 florets
• Flat rice noodles: 25 gm
• Thai green curry paste:1½–2 tbsp
• Peanut butter: 1½ tbsp
• Honey : 1 tbsp
• Oyster sauce/Hoisin sauce: 1 tsp
• Thai red chilli: 1 chopped thick
• Salt: ½ tsp
• Refined oil: 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp
• Coconut milk: 50 ml
• Salt: a pinch

Boil flat rice noodles in hot water till done. Strain in a colander and keep aside.
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan, add green curry paste and cook till oil separates.
Let tofu cubes dehydrate on a paper towel for 30 minutes.
In a non-stick pan heat 1 tbsp oil. Add tofu and sauté, add mushrooms and toss.
Transfer to a bowl and add all other ingredients except coconut milk and mix.
Transfer the mixture to a greased baking dish.
Cover the dish with aluminium foil.
Preheat oven for 7–8 minutes to 200 ̊C.
Bake for 20 minutes and then take out of the oven. Toss the ingredients and add coconut milk.
Bake uncovered for another 10 minutes until the ingredients turn a light golden colour and appear moist.
Serve immediately, garnished with coriander, crushed peanuts and a squeeze of lime.

Excerpted with permission from Servings – Simple Yet Exotiche, Roopali Mohanti; Published by Rupa Publications. You can also join SheThePeople’s Book Club on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

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