SURJAN “CHEF JOLLY” SINGH

JOLLY GOOD HOSPITALITY LONDON RIYASAT DOHA

Fondly known as Chef Jolly, Surjan Singh’s love and passion for culinary has increased his knowledge for ingredients and excites him to travel on endless expeditions to explore the nuances of authentic and traditional cuisines. His achievements over two decades of being in the hospitality industry include having his own culinary shows on Indian food channels. His longstanding career started at the famed The Taj Palace, New Delhi as the chef de partie in 1993. Later in 2000, he joined the Marriott Group of Hotels in as a sous chef at Goa Marriott Resort and headed the award-winning Indian Specialty restaurant Saffron at JW Marriott, Mumbai. Was the head chef at Starwood Hotels and Resorts in Dubai and lent his expertise at London Marriott West India Quay Hotel & Executive Apartments as the Executive Chef for 5 years; and the Renaissance Mumbai, one of the largest Convention Centre Hotel in India. He opened JW Marriott Bengaluru as an Executive chef and then moved up as an F&B Director at JW Marriott Sahar, Mumbai. A recipient of the prestigious Global Marriott Hotels & Resorts ‘Chef of the Year Award for Culinary Excellence’. Jolly travels annually to Nova Scotia, Canada as part of the Culinary Tourism Board to spread awareness on adding Indian flavours to their local and seasonal produce.

MURGH MUSSALLEM, KESAR PISTA KUSHKA PULAO, BATER ANDAY

by SURJAN ‘CHEF JOLLY’ SINGH

INGREDIENTS Murgh mussallem

1kg whole chicken, skin off / 250g yoghurt / 10g Kashmiri chili paste 15g ginger / 15g garlic / 30g lemon / 10g fried onion paste / 20g fried cashew paste / 3g turmeric powder / 10g mint leaves /5g spice mix, green cardamom, mace, cinnamon, nutmeg, rose petals / 15g refined oil / 5g salt for seasoning 20g unsalted butter

Method

Wash the chicken and marinate it with salt, ginger and garlic paste, keep aside for 30 minutes. Mix all except the butter in a bowl. Gently squeeze the chicken off the moisture and retain the chicken to marinade it with the blended mixture. Marinade the chicken with the mix and reserve for 1 hour. In a preheated oven of 200C, place the chicken in a roasting tray and roast it evenly whilst basting the chicken with melted butter occasionally. Once the chicken starts to get golden to dark brown, cover the chicken with an aluminium foil and reduce the oven heat to 175C to cook the chicken through without burning it. Keep basting it later if required. If using a temperature probe, the internal temperature of the chicken next to the thigh bone should be over 75C. Continue roasting for another 5 minutes till it is well roasted and juicy. Add 5 minute 6 to 7 boiled quail eggs to the mussallem pulao to enhance the dining experience. You may toss it in a hot pan with butter if you wish or just on top it on the rice alongside the murgh mussallem

Saffron basmati pulao

500g basmati long grain rice / 3g biryani spice, green cardamom, mace, rose petals, cinnamon and nutmeg 50ml saffron cream, ½ g saffron stigma + 50ml single cream / 10g salt / 100g milk / 75g butter

Method

Soak the long grain rice for about 45 minutes in cold running water. In a pan heat the milk and butter together to make a butter-milk emulsion. In a pot, boil 4 folds water, season it with salt and add the drained rice to it. Boil for about 8 to 9 minutes or till almost cooked with a tiny bite feel. Strain the rice using a colander and spread the rice in the lagan/large thick base pot immediately. On top of the par boiled drained rice, evenly pour the mix of; saffron cream, butter and milk emulsion, and the finely ground biryani spices, immediately cover with a lid or seal it. Steam it over a slow flame for 5 to 8 minutes. Once the rice gets dum/steam, remove the lid and open up the rice gently with help of the slicer. Serve the rice on a large platter and serve the whole roasted bird on top.

Garnish

Garnish with toasted pine nuts, almonds, cashew nuts, fried onion and mint sprig. Serve the roasted reserved juices of the chicken on side or a bowl of minted-garlic-lime-yogurt with it.