Break Your Food Down

Sweet MoleculesIt's not just the main courses that have come under the deconstruction assault. At the newly opened Sassy Spoon at Nariman Point, it is the Tiramisu that has been broken down into its core elements -- mascarpone, biscuit and of course, bitter coffee. Chef Rachel Goenka remembers how when she was 12, she had forced a chef in a hotel in Italy to give her the recipe of authentic Italian tiramisu. "But at Sassy Spoon, we have opened up the tiramisu. We want people to relish the individual flavours of this dish which are so humble, but when combined, become divine. The mascarpone is slightly sweetened to cut the bitterness of the espresso and the lady fingers are crisp and light yet absorb the coffee brilliantly," says Goenka.And no, unlike breaking a glass or a bottle, taking apart a dish takes time. "Each sub-set element has to taste beautiful and stand complete on its own," says Seth, adding that the main idea behind deconstructing an item is to elevate the experience of a classic dish. "It plays with the diner's taste buds to trigger a happy memory," he concludes. 
Deconstructed Guacamole

Ingredients for avocado mix

>> 200 gm ripe avocado
>> 2 ml lemon juice
>> 2 ml olive oil
>> Salt to taste

Ingredients for Pico De Gallo>> 50 gm tomatoes, seeds & pulp removed, chopped
>> 20 gm onion, chopped
>> 2 to 4 gm cilantro or coriander leaves, chopped
>> 2 gm jalapeno, chopped
>> 2 ml lemon juice
>> 2 ml olive oil
>> Salt to tasteMethod:>> For the avocado mix, cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl.>> Using a fork, mash the avocado, but keep it chunky. Add rest of the ingredients and mix.>> Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it.>> Refrigerate until ready to served.>> For the Pico De Gallo, mix all the ingredients and refrigerate for 20 minutes before using.
Deconstruct a 'Vada Pav' at homeIngredients:>> 2 pao
>> 1 tbsp butter
>> I boiled potato
>> 1 pinch of cumin seeds
>> Green chillies, finely chopped
>> 1 pinch of mustard seeds
>> 5-6 cury leaves
>> 1/3 tsp ginger garlic paste
>> 1 tbsp chopped onion paste
>> 1 pinch turmeric powder
>> Coriander leaves, finely chopped
>> 1 tsp oil
>> 5 tbsp coconut oil
>> 2 red chillies, crushed
>> 4 garlic pods, finely chopped
>> 3 tbsp rock salt
>> 2 cloves garlic
>> 2-3 green chillies
>> Salt to taste

Method:>> Butter pavs, slice and grill on low heat in oven till hard and crisp like rusk. Grind to a powder>> For the vada, heat oil, add mustard seeds and jeera, allow it to crackle.>> Add green chillies, ginger garlic paste and saute for a few minutes.>> Add onions and saute till it turns lightly browned.>> Add mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, required salt and mix well Allow it to cool and
mash into a smooth paste with a little oil.>> Add chopped coriander leaves, mix well.>> For the red garlic chutney oil, heat the coconut oil and add red chillies, garlic and salt.>> Stir fry, strain and reserve.>> For the Thencha Salt, heat a pan and dry roast salt with garlic and chillies on a low flame until dry and crisp.>> In four shot glasses, add 1 tbsp breadcrumbs, pipe in a large swirl of vada mash, pour a little chilli garlic oil, top with a little boondi, sprinkle in a pinch of thencha salt. Serve.