Peru... a new interest ?

Off late I have been getting a lot of queries and interesting questions for Peruvian and other South American cuisines and their prospects in India. I have always believed that South America has a lot to offer in terms of its cuisine and culture. Having lived in the States, I have worked with chefs of and tasted the cuisine of almost all major countries of the continent of which Peruvian Chillean and Venezuelan are personal favorites. I have always believed that cuisine has blossomed in Peruvian struggle for Independence and Inca Identity and their varied topography makes the cuisine interesting for all chefs and food lovers. There's a striking difference in the climate, produce and palate perception between North and south coasts making it more intense and put the large amazonian Peru in the mix and the subject become very research worthy not to mention the "chifu" Cuisine , a unique variant of chinese cuisine as it has evolved over centuries in an Asian populace rich country. Well, now lets d'o some (actually a lot of ) myth busting for all of us who think that our Interest In Peru and its cuisine is new found. Some Indus Valley seals have an animal remarkably akin to the Peruvian Ilama, found nowhere else in the world. There's now a school which has established this Indian Peruvian connection. Words common between Sanskrit and the Arya language of Peru are only the beginning. Elephants are not found in the new world yet there are "Ganesha" like elephant Idols in Old Mayan and Inca cities not to mention Shhiva Images and shivlings.the portrait of the last Inca ruler shows him wearing a turban with a lotus in it . The Ayar Incas of Peru wore a sacred Brahminical thread. This does raise the question as to who really
discovered Americas. Dr Barry Fell, president of the Epigraphical Society, San Diego found a Javan inscription mentioning an Indian Merchant "Vusulana" had paid a visit in 923 AD. This was 569 years before Columbus. This (kind of) explains the presence of food like purple yams, pineapple and maize in India Much before the new world was discovered, doesn't it? It also exemplifies that we are continuously rediscovering ourselves in our food and our roots and both run way deeper than we can Imagine. No wonder we like Peru so much, after all there's a little bit of us there.

Peruvian Potato Cakes with Vegetable Cheviche

Ingredients:

2 kg Purple Potatoes

5 egg yolks each

120 gms butter

1 cup Parmesan cheese

¼ cup herbs chopped (fresh coriander leaves)

¼ cup heavy cream

½ tablespoon black pepper

1½ tablespoon salt

Method

Boil large purple potatoes in boiling water until fork tender. Carefully peel the potateos while warm, discarding the skins and placing the meat of the potato in a food mill or kitchen aid with the paddle attachment. Warm the cream and butter and add to the potatoes and add all ingredients. Set the eggs aside. Completely blend all the ingredients until the potatoes are smooth and then add the egg yolks one at a time until incorporated. Spread the potatoes out on a cookie sheet or a one-inch sheet pan and spread smooth. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent from hardening and cool overnight in the refrigerator. Cut out desired size of potato with a cookie cutter or ring. Set up a breading station of AP flour, whisked eggs and coarse bread crumbs. Bread them by placing in flour first, brush off excess flour and completely coat with egg and then transfer to bread crumbs. Repeat this process for a double breading. Fry the potato cake in oil until golden brown and finishing in the oven until hot and serve.

For vegetable cheviche

Ingredients
½ cup, fresh water chestnuts shavings
¼ cup, sliced onion
½ cup, blanched lotus root shavings
1 tsp lime juice
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp coriander, chopped
Salt to taste
Rice paper cups

Method
In a bowl make the dressing of lime juice, orange juice, chopped coriander and salt. Keep aside. In another bowl add shavings of water chestnuts, lotus roots and onions. Toss well in dressing and serve in a rice paper cup.