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Cultures and curries

To test your appetite, head to The Melting Pot gala today to sample over 100 global dishes, says Sonal Ved

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Visitors enjoy the music at last year's Melting Pot at The Oberoi.
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Silken-smooth truffles from Belgium, bobotie from Africa, umami-hinted sushi from Korea and fish and chips from Australia — you can have all these dishes served on your plate without having to take a flight out.

The Oberoi, Mumbai, will host an annual gala, bringing together food from 26 countries all under one roof. Aptly titled 'The Melting Pot', this culture and cuisine hodgepodge brings together authentic fare cooked by the families of various Consulate Generals residing in or visiting India. Patrons will be able to feast on over 100 dishes today evening.

Among the diverse cuisines will be Malaysian, Korean, Chinese, Mexican and Japanese — familiar to the Indian taste buds, thanks to some restaurants in the city. There will also be some lesser-known cuisines, such as Maldivian, German, Hungarian, Irish, Canadian, Brazilian, Ecuadorian and Argentinian whose food hasn't touched our shores yet in a commercial way.

"When the event started 14 years ago, it took place in a small garden inside the hotel with only seven countries participating," says Iceland Consul-General and Melting Pot convenor Gul Kripalani. "Today, it features 26 countries and is being held in their banquet hall."

To maintain authenticity of recipes and give patrons fare that is similar to what the diplomats eat at home, each of the 26 countries' menu has been designed by the respective consulates. "We have only supplemented their efforts by providing space and supervision where necessary," says Devendra Bharma, executive vice president, The Oberoi, Mumbai.

Furthermore, some countries, such as Poland, will see the Consul General's wife donning the apron to fine tune their dishes. Russia has provided a personal chef from the consulate to take care of the nittygritties. While the Polish stall will offer pierogi, a cabbage and mushroom stuffed dumpling, the Russians will dish out portions of borscht, a traditional beetroot soup, and pirozhok, a kind of a puff.

It is interesting to note that since all ingredients cannot be procured in India, some countries have swapped flavours to suit local tastes. "We will be making a dish using paneer. Since Polish white cheese is not available in India, we replaced it with Indian cottage cheese. Though a little harder in texture, paneer fits the dish just fine," says Poland's Consul General Leszek Brenda.

Apart from food, the event will also have live music, an open dance floor, an auction and a lucky draw to keep visitors entertained through the evening. All the proceeds from the event will go to four charities.
Brazilian prawns in manioc mousseline

Ingredients: 2 kg de-veined and shelled prawns, 1 cup dried shrimp, 1.5 kg manico (tapioca), 9 large tomatoes (de-seeded), 2 large onions, 8 cloves of garlic, ¾ cup parsley, ¾ cup coriander, 4 red hot chillies (de-seeded), 1.5 litre coconut milk, ½ olive oil, ½ cup palm oil, salt and pepper

Method: Boil manico and keep aside. In a blender, blitz onions with tomatoes, dried shrimp, both the oils, garlic, parsley, coriander and coconut milk. Transfer the puree into a pan and simmer it in low flame. Add chillies to it and adjust seasoning. Tip-in the prawns and cook for 15 minutes further. Garnish with coriander and parsley leaves and serve hot with rice.

To buy a pass, call 022-66325757.—sonal.ved@dnaindia.net

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