DAYASHANKAR SHARMA

HERITAGE DULWICH

A master in subtly spiced dishes and beautifully balanced flavours, awardwinning chef Dayashankar Sharma brings over three decades of experience gleaned at the passes of Michelin-starred Indian restaurants to his latest venture, Heritage Dulwich. Growing up in the north Indian state of Rajasthan, he credits his mother for his love of cooking. The myriad traditional techniques he learnt as a child - as well as those later learnt on his travels across the diverse regions of the Indian subcontinent - formed the foundation of his signature culinary style. At Heritage Dulwich, Dayashankar’s menu takes inspiration from family recipes passed down through generations whilst celebrating the ingredients and techniques found in regional India’s micro-cuisines. The result is flavoursome, authentic dishes with subtle spicing and an elegant touch.

PANEER AUR MIRCH KA SALAN

INGREDIENTS

300g paneer 1 onion 50g melon seeds 1 plum tomato 40g ginger paste 50g garlic paste 1 tbsp tamarind paste ½ tsp mustard seeds 1 tbsp turmeric ½ tbsp coriander 3 curry leaves 10g jaggery, soaked

Marinade

½ tbsp ginger paste ½ tbsp garlic paste Salt for seasoning 1 tbsp Greek yoghurt 1 tbsp mixed pickle 1 tbsp mango chutney 25g grated paneer

Method

Paneer sauce Soak the melon seeds and once soft, blend to fine paste. Heat oil in a pot when hot add sliced onion cook till golden brown then mix in the ginger and garlic pastes, cook for 2 minutes then add the ground spices and plum tomato, cooking for a further 10 minutes. Add the melon paste and cook for another 5 minutes, then blend the sauce until smooth and set aside. To finish, heat oil in a pan and when hot add mustard seeds and curry leaves until they are just crackling and aromatic, then mix into the sauce along with the tamarind and jaggery. Marinated paneer Cut the paneer into a square and cut in the centre to make a pocket for the filling In a bowl, mix together the pickle, mango chutney, salt, grated paneer and stuff the paneer with the mixture For the marinade, mix Greek yoghurt, chilli powder, salt, ginger and garlic paste and completely cover the stuffed paneer for at least an hour. Heat the oven to 180c and cook the marinated paneer for four minutes on each side. Serve the paneer with the sauce, and rice or naan. Top with pickled green chillies for a final garnish.

by DAYASHANKAR SHARMA