PRATEEK SANDHU

PRATEEK SADHU

MASQUE MUMBAI

Born in Baramulla, Kashmir, in 1986, Prateek Sadhu grew up around family farms, leading him to the kitchen by his tenth birthday. His mother and aunt taught him the basics, and a passion for food soon derailed his initial plans to become a commercial pilot; instead, Prateek attended college for hotel management and began working in kitchens at Taj Hotels. Prateek went on to the Culinary Institute of America, graduating with double gold medals. After stints at several of the world’s finest kitchens including Alinea, The French Laundry, Bourbon Steak, Le Bernardin, and Noma, Prateek gradually developed a food philosophy that places local ingredients at the fore, sourcing within the region, and foraging for ‘lost’ ingredients. A move back to India connected Prateek with Aditi Dugar, who shared his vision of using purely local ingredients to create seasonal and sustainable dishes. After nearly two years of research and development, they opened Masque in the heart of Mumbai in September 2016. With Prateek at its helm, Masque ranked among the top 10 on Food Tank’s 2016 list of restaurant innovators in the world and was awarded the most innovative chef of the year by the Western Culinary Association of India. In December 2017, he was named Chef of the Year at the Conde Nast Traveller Top Restaurant Awards, where in 2018, Masque was ranked #5 among the country’s best restaurants. In August 2019, Masque was ranked on the Food & Wine and Travel + Leisure’s collaborative, inaugural list of the World’s Best Restaurants, and in 2020, the restaurant won the Miele One to Watch Award at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2021, Masque ranked #32 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants.

INGREDIENTS Goan sausage filling

250g Goan sausage or chorizo

Method

Remove meat from the casing. Cook over low heat to render the fat; strain excess fat. Break up meat into smaller pieces and return to pan until cooked through.

Sesame yoghurt dip

100g hung curd/Greek yoghurt 25g pickled onion and a little pickling liquid 25g pickled cucumber 20g tahini 2g toasted sesame seeds Salt for seasoning

Method

Whisk yoghurt till smooth. Stir in tahini and a little pickling liquid (this is for colour). Add the pickles and salt, to taste. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Gujia dough and assembly

250g flour 50g ghee, clarified butter 80g water Pinch of salt

Method

Stir together the flour, salt, and ghee to make a crumbly dough. Add water and knead until firm and cohesive. Feed the dough through a pasta machine, or roll by hand, until about 0.5 cm thick. Using a cookie cutter or overturned bowl, cut 8cm rounds of dough. Place a spoonful of sausage in the centre of each circle. Using your finger or a pastry brush, apply water all along the edge of the dough; fold one side over the other in the shape of a crescent, and gently press edges to seal. Make sure the edges are well sealed, or the filling will leak out while frying – you can also crimp the sides with a fork or do the more traditional fold-and-twist. In a pot, heat neutral oil to deep fry. Start with warm oil at around 75C, and gently lower the gujias into the pot; work in batches if necessary, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Gradually increase heat until oil is around 160C, turning the gujias when golden brown on one side. You can keep turning them gently as needed until evenly browned on both sides. Drain excess oil off the gujias on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot with sesame yoghurt dip. Note: if you can’t find Goan sausages, any spicy chorizo will do the trick.

GOAN SAUSAGE GUJIAS WITH A SESAME YOGHURT DIP

by PRATEEK SADHU