India - January 17+ 18

Be prepared for a quiz after clean up on Thursday afternoon and the final on Friday morning. The quiz will be the same format as the previous and cover Vietnam and Thailand.The final will cover Key Terms, Study Questions and Tasting Items for all units including India - so make SURE that the cold station people assemble the indian Tasting for Thursday Afternoon.

  India

HEADS UP - Indian People do NOT eat with chop sticks, they traditionally eat with their hands. Please do not put chop sticks out for service during the Indian Menu.

 ANYONE: If interested and have time, see the recipes for Mango Lhassi and Jal Jeera. They're fun and different and we can drink them with family meal.

All entrees will be served on a 12" round plate LINED WITH A BANANA LEAF CIRCLE. Let me show you how to cut the circles and be sure we have enough Banana leaves for service on Day 13. YOU MAY NEED TO ORDER EXTRA ON SUPPLEMENTAL. Traditionally, Indian diners will not eat from plates, they use banana leaves to hold the food, this presentation acknowledges that.

Everything will be in 1/2 hotel pans on the steam table except for the accompaniments. Sous Chefs - Consult with me ahead and draw a detailed diagram of where everything will go on the steam table for Day 13. There won't be enough space on the steam table for the rice - put rice in chaffing dish at end of steam table near plates.  After the chaffing dish for rice, start with the vegetables, then the Dal, then the proteins, then breads, finally the "dumplings"


As always, Sous Chefs will need to make sure we have the food picked up from Store room, Fish room, Meat room - delegate as needed to make sure the food is at the kitchen by 7:00 AM.  Also sanitation supplies, supplemental, china check in and storage and set up for in-kitchen family meal and TASTING TRAY for the Indian section of the course guide on Day 12,  and demo table set up for service on Day 13. For service on Day 13, think ahead, figure out who will be cooking and who will be serving, where everyone should be during service and how you will expedite to them-  communicate to them in advance. Ask Chef and past Sous Chef/Expediters for advice. 

  Instead of Street Food like the previous menus, we will need to set up a cold condiment plating station. The condiments will be a variety of different chutnis, spreads and pickles to serve with each main plate on  Day 13 for service. Consult with Chef on the best set up for efficient service - all items will be cool/room temp: Tamarind/Date Chutney; Coconut Chutney; Mango Chutney; Cucumber Raitha; and Vegetable Achar - Sous Chefs, .  Think about how to set up the service table with small containers for each component, I strongly suggest drawing a diagram of how you will lay this out BEFORE coming to class. Because the components do not need to be kept hot, about 20 plates may be set up just before service to speed things up at the beginning.

Students #1, #6, #7, #13 - All  Grill /Roast stations will be making Tandoori Chicken - so if that's your assignment, I want each person to individually prep and cook their own batch. If you try to short-cut and combine efforts you're cheating yourself out of an experience you may not get again for a long time - tandoori ovens are becoming more common in the west, but are still very rare. All Grill/Roast people should talk to me about sharing the experiance with the rest of the group by hooking up with some one NOT assigned and teaching THEM how to use the oven after learning how themselves. Since the meat has been marinating overnight, remove from marinade and put on skewers early in the day. The meat will cook more easily if it's not cold right out of the cooler. Skewered meat can be held on plastic lined sheet trays at room temp. Be ready to put skewered chicken in oven by 10:00 AM. Serve from steam table in 1/2 hotel pan according to the sous chef's diagram.Check out a brief demo here

 
ALSO - Tandoori Chicken Accompanyment - Work together with other stations preparing the chicken to make one batch of Onion and Cucumber Kashumber to serve with it. Chef will demonstrate plating. 

Student #2 - Lamb shorba - Review method with chef before starting. The broth should have been made on Day 11 and shoulder cooked already - soup itself is simple, make it in a large wok and check flavor with me before serving. Cooked meat should be quickly shredded and put into the strained soup, let it cook as long as possible so the meat shreds are falling apart. For day 12 make a full recipe of the Shorba Base, but only enough garnish for family meal. Be sure to save at least 6 liters of soup for Day 13, and on Day 13 be sure to have enough garnish for about 40 portions. Also on Day 12, make 6 cups of saffron rice pilaf - make sure you understand the pilaf method; on Day 13 make 12 cups. Serve from a chaffing dish in shallow, full hotel pan.

Student #3 - Make 1/2 recipe of Lamb Korma for Day 12 and a full recipe for Day 13. On Day 12, make sure you have enough lamb for Day 13. Don't forget to have garnishes ready for service on both days. Start early, braise in small rondo on top of stove - keep covered, stir often, don't scorch.  Cashew paste is made by soaking cashews in hot water and then pureeing in food processor. Serve from steam table in 1/2 hotel pan. Ask Sous Chefs where to put everything on the steam table - they should have a map.


Student #4 - I'd like you to prepare 2x the recipe for Naan and, once you've had some practice, I'll put you in charge of coaching the rest of the class and allowing each person to bake one or more pieces
Everyone should watch this demo before class on Day 12. You can make the naan dough a day ahead for Day 13 but if you do, you have to use ICE WATER for the liquid to retard the yeast fermentation. If you do this, remember that in baking you WEIGH the water, and that frozen water (ice) weighs as much as liquid water. So, when measuring the water, weigh out 1/4 of it as ice. If you are making it on the same day as you intend to use it, you want it to rise faster, use luke warm tap water and start the dough for naan early - it needs to rise, be divided, and rise again. If it's already been made from the day before, remove from cooler and divide and let rise. Naan should go into the tandoori oven between 10:30-11:00. Watch the video so that you are familiar with the set up and make sure you know which tools to use on your station for a demo by 10:30.

Student #5 - You are primarily responsible for preparing and coordinating the plating of the accompaniments to the Breads and main dishes, so be prepared to make Mango Chutney, Cucumber Raitha, and Vegetable Achar and to get the Tamarind -Date Chutney and Coconut Chutney from the stations preparing them. All of these will be served together on 6" round plates to each customer. Since all components are served at room temp, it's fine to pre- plate and hold them for service. Ask several people to help plate and prepare 16 plates for day 12 + 50 for Day 13. Because we need to serve lentils with Indian Food and we have no one assigned for this you, are also responsible for making 1 recipe of Dal Sambal on Day 12 and 1.5x the recipe on Day 13. Dal are easy to make, but consider starting very early. Toasting the spices for this can be tricky - get chef to help you start so you don't burn them. Bring to the steam table in a 1/2 hotel pan and place it according to the sous chef's diagrams.

Student #6 - See Tandoori Chicken instructions for Station #1, above.

Student #7 -  See Tandoori Chicken instructions for Station #1, above.

Student #8 - Tomato Dal Rassam and Saffron Rice Pilaf. Prepare 1/2 recipe of Dal Rassam on Day 12 and 1/2 recipe on Day 13. Speak to the Chef about seasoning before serving. For Pilaf, prepare 6 cups of rice on Day 12 and 10 cups on Day 13. Read recipe carefully, understand the pilaf method completely, and confirm with chef before beginning to cook. Serve rice from a chaffing dish in shallow, full hotel pan.

Student #9 - Pork Vindaloo should be marinating for both days, check tracking schedule to see who made it and where it was stored. Take 1/3 of the marinated pork and other MEP for day 12 and 2/3 for day 13 and let chef help you get started early with this.. You can make it in a large wok, but you have to be very careful about heat control and evaporation - keep the flame low and keep the wok covered. Serve from steam table in 1/2 hotel pan - see sous chef's diagram for where to place it.

Student #10 - Pooris (puris) bread -Make 1x recipe for dough on both Days 12 and Day 13.  Check with chef for proper consistency, let it rest, ask chef for advice on rolling and cutting. Watch demo on frying and pre-heat cast iron pans about 20 minutes before you plan to fry. These should be fried before service and held warm on paper towels to absorb extra fat. Serve from steam table in 1/2 hotel pan lined with paper towels, sous chefs will have a diagram telling you where to put them. Don't cover fried foods with foil, plastic, or metal lids when on steam table - they get soggy.
Also - Staion #10 - The recipe for Coconut Chutney may also be label "Coconut Pachadi" - This should not be made a day in advance, the raw onion will over power everything if it sits too long. Crack open fresh coconut, remove flesh, and grate. Toast in oven, stir occasionally to keep coconut from scorching. Toasting chick peas - they must be toasted until they are cooked through and REALLY crunchy - if they're soft in the center, they're not done. Check with Chef for proper doneness, you won't know until you've experienced it.

Student #11 - Mushroom and Cauliflower Curry - A braised vegetable dish. Long, slow, moist heat, covered. All MEP ready by 10, cook slowly until cauliflower is very tender. The finished dish should be wet and more like a vegetable stew.

Student #12 - CANCEL - This is a new dish for K1.Carefully analyze the recipe, write a good time line of the steps you'll take and consult with the chef before starting to cook. Make 1/2 recipe on Day 12 and 1 full recipe on Day 13. Be Aware that the size of your cooking vessel is very important, the chicken should just cover the bottom of the rondo with crowding; too much surface area and too little chicken will scorch and burn.
Both dishes served from steam table in 1/2 hotel pans.Have all ingredients and equipment ready, pre-prepared by 8:00 and ask chef to get you started with the Biryani itself, cooking onions and rice shold be done before this.

Student #13 - See Tandoori Chicken instructions for Station #1, above.

Student #14 - Samoosas and Idlis-  For Samoosas, make dough early and let rest while you prepare filling, let me help you toast the spices for the filling, they burn easily.  You should make 1 recipe for Day 12 and 1 for Day 13. The samoosas should be fried in small batches as needed for service and served from steam table in 1/2 hotel pan. Sous chefs should have a detailed diagram of where everything goes, follow 


their instructions. See demo above.

Idlis are steamed, fermented cakes which require overnight fementation and preparation. Make the initial ferment on Day 11 and be prepared to steam them on Day 12, if you made a Dosai Ferment also, we can discuss weather we should make more Idlis batter for Day 13 or use the Dosai instead. Idlis require special molds, ask Chef to supply them on Day 12. Dosai require a special griddle, ask chef for it early so that you can discuss where and how to set it up.

Student #15 - Paneer Saag - make cheese as early as possible, 7:15 or so on Day 12. You can make enough for both days on Day 12. Speak to Chef about a variation on the plain cheese which requires overnight brining - you can do this on Day 12 for Day 13 use. Anyway, after forming the curd,  let drain and firm until cool, then cut into small dice. Spinach is braised - meaning a longer, slower, moist heat method. Have all MEP near a wok and be ready to start cooking slowly by 10:00. Let simmer on low heat, covered, until spinach is very soft. Then finish with cheese and yogurt. The paneer saag is a braised veg dish, it needs to be started in a large wok no later than 10:00 in order to cook slowly and gently and should be finished no later than 10:45. Make 1/2 recipe on Day 12 and 1 full on Day 13.

Student #16 - Bondas - Make 1/2 recipe for Day 12 and 1 full recipe for Day 13. Cook potatoes early, let chef help with spices toasting. Combine cooked potatoes and spices and let chef demo how to size and shape the bondas themselves - they should be about the size of a small golf ball - a SMALL one. Dip in batter and fry only as needed for service. Serve from steam table in 1/2 hotel pan according to sous chef's diagram. Remember - don't cover fried food on a steam table. The Fermented Dosa require over night fermentation, start soaking the Dal early on Day 12 and let soak until after family meal. Have other mise en place ready for fermentation and combine before end of class. Allow to ferment overnight and finish with assistance of Chef on Day 13.