Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Thais conquer curry country
|
The Thais came and won over businessmen and ordinary consumers alike during an exhibition in the City.
|
"SAWADEE!" SAYS Chachaya Raktakanishta, with a radiant smile, her hands joined in greeting. All around her are containers with shredded kaffir lime leaves, sliced galangal ginger, lemongrass, quartered button mushrooms, diced boneless chicken, and verdant green chillies. She's the manager of Bangkok's Suan Dusit International Culinary School.
A simmering pot on the stove combines coconut milk and water. "Let's put the lime leaves in now, with the galangal, lemongrass, and chicken," adds Dr. Naruemon Nantaragsa, the institute's petite director, in an orange-buttoned, double-breasted black pantsuit, topped by a black chef's hat. "The mushroom goes in next." The aroma that emanates from the bubbling soup is mouth-watering.
"Now, it's finished," Chachaya stresses with a flourish, as she turns off the flame, pouring in fish sauce and lime juice. Eager hands reach out to sample the tom kha kai or chicken in galangal-infused soup. Its sour and piquant notes meld exquisitely with the tender chicken and mushroom. Soon, most ask for more — and not just because Thai cuisine is the flavour of the moment on the global circuit.
Chachaya and Naruemon are culinary experts who brought a tongue-teasing aspect to the Thailand exhibition, presented by the Royal Thai Consulate at the Kanteerava Stadium from July 11 to 13. Their twice-daily live demonstrations drew dozens of people, with a yen for the Thai platter.
"Is there anything vegetarian?" asks a persistent old grandfather, his spectacles curry-stained and askew, carting around wood-topped glass jars, and carrot-haired stuffed toys from the trade-hungry stalls around. "Not today, but you can cook the same dishes by substituting the prawns or chicken with tofu, and the fish sauce with light Thai soya sauce," explains Chachaya patiently, as she concentrates on deep frying grated raw plantain for a herbal snack.
A peek into Thai culture and cuisine - Photos: K. Gopinathan
"What's in that bowl?" asks a catering student, deftly tossing roasted cashewnuts into his mouth. "Just a minute," Naruemon intervenes, transferring the remaining nuts out of reach, stirring them into fried lemongrass, plantain, shallots, and peanuts in what looks like a crunchy Indian tea mixture.
"How can you use coriander roots in that paste with garlic and black pepper?" asks an Andhra maami. "We only use the leaves."
"You're making it smell so good. When can we taste it?" asks the never-say-die grandfather. He's gently persuaded to take another round of the stalls until the dish is ready, tossed in a delicate sauce. "But that's got fish sauce in it," moans the elderly returnee, seated on the stage steps in hunger-fuelled despair. He refuses to meet the cooks' gaze any longer.
Were the Thai experts from the 68-year-old institute aware of Indian vegetarian concerns? "We were going to demonstrate each dish in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variants," apologises Chachaya, as she settles down to a late lunch of Pad Thai, the stir-fried noodles they have just demonstrated. "But we got some wires crossed and couldn't do it."
As she sets out the diced water chestnuts, pomegranate syrup, tapioca flour, and coconut milk required for the Tab Tim Krob or Mock Pomegranate Seeds, a syrupy "kanom" or dessert normally served on a bed of crushed ice, Chachaya says: "Thai cuisine stands out because we use herbs such as kaffir lime leaves, coriander root, and lemongrass. We use fish sauce as commonly as the Chinese use soya sauce."
Naruemon smiles, grating raw banana into a large stainless steel bowl, recalling how her engineer husband often rustles up a meal after her daylong tryst with cookery students in Bangkok. On stage, she coaxes Rysma Kumar, a partner at the Magnolia restaurant in Koramangala, to stir fry a phad Thai under her expert guidance.
As these expert chefs introduce Bangaloreans to true Thai flavours with grace, the business potential of 91 top-notch product stalls win over interested locals, though perhaps joint venture targets flagged below potential. What was on display? A galaxy from stainless steel sinks to herbal beauty products, herb wine to kitchen trolleys, gas regulators to Cinderella-bright footwear, wooden toys to fluorescent safety vests. And more.
In their midst was black-suited Jai Pumtae, who sells exquisite filigreed jewellery, a tradition inherited from his forefathers. "Take this ngain kamrai or silver bracelet," he coaxes, as a customer tries one on. "It costs Rs. 780, but I'll make it Rs. 600 for you." Who needs persuasion after that? The billing over, he confides that his great-grandfather, a cloth merchant from Bengal, relocated to Thailand. Today, his 10-year-old daughter is keen to storm a male bastion, to create jewellery adorned with fish, elephants and flowers, just like her father.
Whether triggered by plum-favoured tamarind or mangosteen juice, Indian visitors could not help smiling at this pleasant invasion on home turf. A restaurateur picks up a set of wooden platters and salad bowls. A pregnant woman invests in baby blue overalls with ergonomically-designed feeding bottles. A small-time shop-owner stocks up on herbal shampoos and authentic sauces. The Thais have turned graciousness into a fine art, admits a shopper.
This was evident from the notes of the ornate Sabadchai drum on the opening day, an instrument historically used by the northern Launa people to proclaim victory in war. Performing Drums of Victory, an exquisite prima donna in a silk skirt waves her long-nailed fingers delicately through the air in time to the rhythm, worshipping holy spirits. Her golden headdress cascades over her shoulder, enhancing her smile. Mauve-costumed dancers follow her in perfect synchronisation, amethyst streamers trailing the orchids in their hair. Those who watch this dance will be blessed with prosperity, says a spokesperson for the Thai Embassy.
Be it in cuisine or dance or trade, Thailand comes across as an attractive partner. Wreathed in smiles, the exposition appealed to hard-headed businessmen and strollers-by alike. Because, basically, it proved to be as smooth as silk, exquisite as an orchid.
A.D.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
|
