ASHISH KUMAR

KINARA BY VIKAS KHANNA ELLORA BY VIKAS KHANNA DUBAI

Growing up in a military family in India, Ashish Kumar experienced life across many different parts of the country as his father was posted to various locations with the national army. This helped Ashish develop a profound understanding of the diversity of regional Indian cuisine and a hunger for international culinary exploration. Coming from a family of accomplished cooks, his mother famously began a tradition of mastering the signature cuisine of each area the family were posted to. After graduating in Hospitality and Hotel Administration, he then spent 18 months in a Kitchen Executive Training Management training program with ITC Hotels in Gurgaon, and from 2006 onwards, his restaurant experiences began – from Kolkata to Mumbai, New Delhi, Agra, Bangalore, and then he moved to Abu Dhabi in 2014 to become an Etihad Airways In-Flight Chef. In 2015, he was appointed as Chef de Cuisine for Atul Kochhar’s Benares in Madrid and moved in 2017 to open Zahira in Dubai. In 2019, Ashish took on the role as Chef de Cuisine of Kinara by Vikas Khanna. As Vikas Khanna’s chosen protégé and with the success Kinara, Ashish was assigned the task to open Ellora by Vikas Khanna at JA The Resort and that would be the only restaurant in the whole world to be opened during a pandemic. Within three months of operation Ellora was awarded with best Indian restaurant in Dubai by Hospitality Excellence Awards 2021.

PANEER CARROT KOFTA

Cottage Cheese Dumplings, Cashew Gravy and Coriander Oil

INGREDIENTS Kofta

200g grated cottage cheese / 1 tsp deghi mirch powder / 300g refined flour / ½ tsp turmeric powder 50g grated carrots / 1 tsp ginger, chopped / ½ tsp green chilies, chopped / 1tbsp coriander / ½ tsp cardamom powder / salt for seasoning / 1l frying oil

Gravy

300g onions / 100g cashew nut paste / 2 tbsp ghee, clarified butter / ½ tsp royal cumin / 1 cinnamon stick / 4 cloves / 30g ginger garlic paste / 1 tsp white pepper powder / 2 tbsp coriander powder 1 tbsp deghi mirch powder / 40ml cream / 15ml evaporated milk / Salt for seasoning / 1 tsp garam masala powder / 1 tsp sugar / tsp cardamom powder / 5 saffron strands

Carrot raita

40g carrot purée / 100g labneh, hung yoghurt / salt for seasoning

Coriander oil

200g fresh coriander / 50ml cooking oil

Garnish

2 sheets gold leaf

Method

Slice the onions and boil it till it become translucent and soft. Drain the water and make a fine paste. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the royal cumin, cinnamon stick and cloves. Once it starts crackling add ginger garlic paste. Cook it for around 1 minute. Add coriander powder, deghi mirch powder and white pepper powder after diluting these with little water. Cook it for another 3 minutes and add boiled onion paste. Sauté for some time but do not let the onion brown. Add cashew nut paste and let it cook on low flame. Add salt to taste and add evaporated milk and cream. Finish the gravy with garam masala powder and cardamom powder. Pass the gravy through a strainer for a smooth texture. After straining put that back on flame and add saffron. Cook it for another 2 to 3 minutes and the gravy is ready. For the kofta, boil the grated carrots in salt water for 1 minute and then squeeze all the excess water straining. Mix it with rest of the kofta ingredients and shape it like small cylinders after portioning the mix for 40 to 50 grams per balls. The kofta in hot oil until it gets a light golden colour. Strain it on tissue paper to absorb the excess oil. Or even, you can bake it in the oven at 175C for 6 minutes. Mix the carrot purée with the yoghurt and adjust the seasoning. Store this in a squeeze bottle or piping bag as later it will be used for plating. The coriander oil, put the fresh coriander leaves in hot boiling water for 10 seconds and shock them in ice cold water. Strain all water and blend it with Oil. Strain it through a muslin cloth to get a fine green colour oil. Do not disturb the mix and let it drip slowly. Store the green oil in the squeeze bottle and discard the left over on the muslin cloth. Place the fried koftas in the serving bowl. Place the gold leaf carefully on top of the kofta. Squeeze few drops carrot raita around the kofta. Pour the gravy on the top and then drizzle it with coriander oil.

by ASHISH KUMAR