The Royal Thai Consulate, Kolkata, recently organised a series of Thai Food Week events in Kolkata to promote Thailand and its food, specifically. As a part of this, Thai food cooking demonstrations were made in several top restaurants of Kolkata, and I was invited to be a part of it. I did see and learn quite a bit from the festivals about Thai culture and food, and I dearly missed the country too! Among the events conducted, interesting ones, like Thai Fruit Carving, was conducted by Chef Ananchai Suttison from The Park Hotels, and a Thai Garland Making Class was held at Quest Mall.
The Lalit Great Eastern, Kolkata
I met Nutt Svasti-Salee from the Royal Thai Consulate, Kolkata, and Isla Stapanaseth, the director of Tourism Authority of Thailand, New Delhi. We had a rather fun session learning a vegetarian version of Thai Papaya Salad (Som Tam), and Khao Soi, a Northern Thai speciality.
Chef Suriya from The Lalit Great Eastern hails from Southern Thailand, and we had a lovely time discussing Thai cuisine. His version of Som Tam used light soy, palm sugar syrup and lemon juice and omitted fish sauce, adding extra chillies to increase the heat of the Som Tam. The result was cold and delicious on a warm summer night.
ITC Sonar, Kolkata
Chef Ratree Pirom and Chef Kluaywan Junsawat taught a bunch of enthusiasts how to make Glass Noodle Salad and Som Tam. I particularly enjoyed the Glass Noodle Salad, and was treated to a rather elaborate Thai dinner afterwards. Chef Kluaywan was a pleasure to speak with. With over 17 years of experience, she had worked in Bangkok and currently works in Pan Asian, Delhi. I especially enjoyed the Popiah Phad Thai Kai, Spring rolls stuffed with chicken and deep fried, and the Tom Som Kai, a simple clear chicken soup, slightly sour, with a hint of chillies.
The Park, Kolkata
As the man in charge of the kitchens in Zen, The Park, Ananchai Suttison showed the audience how to make Ouk Pla, Thai Fish wrapped in Banana Leaf. It was this dish that was a wonderful example, to me, of South East Asian food’s resonance in Bengali dishes, the Thai Ouk Pla, the Pais Ikan, or the Indonesian Otak Otak. The recipe is quite simple, and I will be posting it along with photos from the event, demonstrating the way the Chef made the dish and the recipe straight from his files.
Ouk Pla (for One)
Make a paste of 15 gm. lemongrass, 5 gm. yellow bean paste, 2 gm. fresh turmeric, 10 gm. galangal, 20 gm. onion, 5 gm. dry red chillies, and 2 gm. garlic. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry this paste till its slightly dry and season with salt.
Take a piece of fish (we used Kolkata Bhetki) and place it on a square of banana leaf. Put the paste on both sides of the fish, then top with 5 gm. spring onions and 1 chopped Thai red chilli. Add a couple of kaffir lime leaves, 2 gm. chopped coriander, and then wrap the banana leaf tightly around the fish, making a pouch, and secure with a bamboo stick. Steam for 10 minutes over medium heat and finish by grilling for 4-6 minutes, or until the banana leaf outside is charred.
A special mention must be made of the Thai inspired cocktails served at The Park. I rather enjoyed the Thai Spice, a cocktail with a definite hint of Thai Green Curry paste. That, along with the very soft Kao Khamoo, Five Spice flavored braised pork leg, which soothed my rather tired soul after a long day’s work.
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited to the events by The Royal Thai Consulate, The Lalit Great Eastern, ITC Sonar, and The Park Hotels.
