Kitchen Adventures 9: Chef Deva Kumar

Chef Deva Kumar

2012 will always be a very significant year in my life, as it will in Chef Deva Kumar’s. For him: Park Hyatt Chennai opened on October 1^st. For me: my fist single author book – the Times Food Guide – was released.

Significantly this blog post is about Chef Deva Kumar. 

I met him intermittently during his Park Hyatt Chennai days, and more frequently when he took over as Executive Chef at Crowne Plaza Chennai Adyar Park, moving closer home from the IHG chain’s Ahmedabad hotel.

Every time we meet, our conversations always revolve around food. Chef Deva’s knowledge and his intense interest in learning more impress me immensely. Food is such a vast subject with so many variations. Like me, he also believes food is a whole undiscovered universe. There really is no right or wrong way to cook, we decided over a long discussion during a meal at Dakshin in Crowne Plaza Chennai.

“It all depends on what you put on the table,” I concluded that day. Deva agreed. 

The (in)famous Rossogollas that did not quite cut it

Our next memorable discussion for me, was one about the perfect Rossogollas during the Chowringhee festival at Crowne Plaza. We decided even Bengalis can go wrong at the perfect ones, just like a Gujarati can go wrong with Dhokla.

Chef Deva Kumar and I have a selfie tradition. Here's one we took when we met last at Hyatt Regency Chennai

 “Accidents happen to the best of us, me included,” a smile in his voice, as he tells me about a latest discovery.

“I was about to make a fish napped (lightly coated) with white miso paste. I did not even realize I was reaching out for tamarind pulp instead of miso. They are so alike in looks and consistency. Happily, I began marinating my fish fillet in it, and like a bolt of lightning, it struck me that this pulp was not miso. A quick taste confirmed it certainly wasn’t miso.”

In a heartbeat, he decided to go with the flow. Deva decided to try it with a crisp lentil crust. Because the fish was already wallowing in tamarind pulp, he avoided lemon juice.

Voila! It turned out to be a fantastic dish.

As it now stands, Chef Deva Kumar’s fish dish has been recorded and standardized and is offered to guests looking for something different on the menu.  

Here it is: 

 TAMARIND LENTIL CURSTED SEA BASS WITH CARROT COULIS AND GREENS

Ingredients:

Seabass Fillet                                                    - 180 Grams

Tamarind Pulp                                                  - 10 Grams

Roasted Red Lentil                                           - 20 Grams

Olive oil                                                            - 08 Ml

Unsalted Butter                                                 - 10 Grams

Assortment of greens                                        - 60 Grams

Salt and Pepper                                                 - To taste

Zucchini crisp                                                   - 20 Grams

Lemon Tuile (recipe included below)              - 01 No

Caramelized lemon                                           - 01 No

Cherry tomato                                                   - a few

Carrot coulis                                                     - 20 Ml

Caramelized lemon                                          - 01 Slice

Roasted Sesame                                               - 05 Grams

Lemon Tuile

Ingredients

Refined Flour                                                   - 30 Grams

Cooking Oil                                                     - 100 Ml

Water                                                               - 200 Ml

Salt                                                                   - To taste

Lemon Zest                                                      - a few

Lemon essence                                                - a few drops

Method for the Lemon Tuile

Mix all the ingredients together and whisk well, pour it in non-stick pan as thin crepe, cook till crisp and gently remove.

Method for the fish

·         Marinate the fish with salt, pepper and tamarind pulp for about 15 to 20 minutes.

·         Broil red lentils and pound coarsely, curst the lentil over the fish and sear it in nonstick pan with olive oil and butter.

·         Cook it in the oven for 06 mins at 180*C.

·         Toss the greens and season with salt and pepper.

·         Blanch the carrot and puree, reduce till coulis consistency finish with butter.

·         Assemble the fish, vegetable and garnish it with edible flower and lemon tuile.