Once Upon A Spice

Octopus Carpaccio - Sous Vide Octopus, Yuzu, Pear Crudo, Truffle Oil, Ittar.

We worked on another dish with the Octopus taking inspiration from the Octopus Carpaccio we ate at .nyc . In our version we decided to compliment flavors and add a hint of spice. To achieve that we Sous Vide our Octopus te****le which kept it tender and made sure it was cooked. We Poached our pear for the Crudo with some spices and acid from Kokum (see our last post). The Crudo was laid down as the base and the Octopus Carpaccio was laid up on top. Next we infused our Yuzu with the Truffle Oil and drizzled it on top. Finally for some nose/aromat for the dish we spritzed with our house made edible Ittar - a combination of rose, kewra and saffron.

Plated on Indus plate collection as well the Mirage collection where you see the Ittar being spritzed.

How would you feel about diving into this version of ours? The flavors worked great and we can't wait to come up with more variations of this.

Dhungar (Smoked) Octopus - Tandoori Spice Rub Te****le, Lilac Buerre Blanc, Meyer Lemon Curry Leaf Gastrique.

Cooking Octopus is always a challenging and overwhelming task, but if you get it right, then the results can be fantastic! We started with a sous vide Octopus te****le, then marinated it with a spice rub overnight. Since the sous vide had already cooked the octopus, we pan fried the octopus to provide some char, color and crust. In addition we also smoked (dhungar) the octopus with cloves and ghee. Finally, we made a Lilac Buerre Blanc to pair with and a Meyer Lemon Curry Leaf Gastrique for some acidity. Garnished with some micro greens, amaranth, lilac and flowers.

We also decide to switch up our plating using the beautiful Mirage collection by for that we picked up on our recent trip to India.

Have you tried Octopus? What are some of the ways you make yours? Let us know in the comments below.

Chukandar Gosht (Beetroot Goat) - Goat Shoulder, Beetroot Coulis, Turnip & Horseradish Puree, Pickled Beetroot Threads.

This has got to be one of those dishes that always surprises people when they are served. The combination of beetroot with spiced goat meat creates a perfectly balanced dish (sweet & spicy). Since we started serving this on our private dining menu, it has been specially requested many times. A vegetarian version of this can also be made however the goat shoulder cooked in just elevates this dish to a whole new level.

For our neo-indian plating, we take some beetroot coulis and smash it with the back of the spoon, creating a blood splatter effect, as if the goat was killed on the plate. We add some more coulis, then the goat meat with a piece of bone and marrow, chopped cilantro with stems, some pickled beetroot threads (shaved) and finally a turnip & horseradish puree. While just the beetroot and goat meat on its own is plenty when served, adding all of these extra elements creates magic on the plate.

Have you tried this or something similar? What do you think of our take on this not so familiar or common dish?