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| Australia with an Indian Accent |
| By Ritu and Rajiv Singhal |
| The Honourable Gladys Berejiklian MP, Premier of New South Wales, Australia, was in Mumbai and New Delhi recently for her first official visit to India. To build on ties and promote her region, she chose to be a gastro-diplomat and hosted an exclusive evening of Food & Conversations to showcase Australian-grown ingredients in the finest of Indian cuisine with some wines from the region. |
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Gladys Berejiklian MP, Premier of New South Wales |
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| New South Wales is home to a diverse range of food and beverage products and services that are renowned in the global marketplace for their exceptional quality. Australian produce like lamb were presented as part of a special menu crafted by acclaimed culinary icon Chef Manish Mehrotra at the award-winning restaurant Indian Accent, New Delhi. And, complementing the food, a selection of wines from de Bertoli (from the Riverina region) a welcome relief from the usual offer. The wines were described as a celebration of Italian roots planted in Australian soil and nurtured by four generations of the De Bortoli family. |
| To set the tone, the amuse bouche was a local street delicacy aloo tikki chaat and a shorba. Premier Berejiklian could immediately trace a connect with Armenia (where her ancestors were from) and she remarked that in the Armenian language also shorba had the same meaning soup! The opening course five waters puchkas pudina (mint), imli (tamarind), ananas (pineapple), anaar (pomegranate) and chaach (buttermilk) kept the table rather occupied as Chef Manish guided the guests on the rigour required to get the mouthful right. |
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Five waters puchkas |
| For the next course, the Australian lamb was presented in a newspaper wrapped mini cornetto cone with herb yoghurt and chilli chutney on a bed of moong dal. Alongwith the baked Australian barramundi with Amritsari masala butter and mint boondi. The Semillon Chardonnay was well matched with the fish (without the masala butter). |
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Australian lamb in a newspaper wrapped mini cornetto cone |
| The palate cleansing nimbu paani sorbet was served in a mini pressure cooker. |
| For the mains, the slow cooked Australian lamb with fresh fenugreek and potato chilla was served alongside a rice crusted Australian John Dory with beans foogath and coconut curry. The traditional black dairy dal, anaar and avocado raita and the famous Indian Accent kulchas completed the course. The Shiraz Cabernet complemented the lamb well for the fish one had to reach out for the Semillion Chardonnay. |
| The meal was wrapped up with the desserts the signature warm doda burfi treacle tart with homemade vanilla bean ice cream served alongside aamras, summer berries and bitter chocolate. If there was a pairing that evening, it was the Botrytis Semillon with the mango and berries! The doda was in good company with the Shiraz Cabernet. |
| The wines |
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DB Family Selection Sparkling Brut NV
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend.
Very pale straw colour.
Effusive bubbles that die down rapidly.
Light.
Bready notes yield some citrus.
A bit sharp.
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De Bertoli Harvest Diary, Semillon Chardonnay Reserve, Riverina 2016
Pale straw with greenish tinges.
Fresh.
Lemon zest and tropical fruits tempered with some oak.
Rounded.
Reasonable finish and balance of acidity. |
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De Bertoli Harvest Diary, Shiraz Cabernet, Riverina 2016
Dark cherry red.
Juicy.
Plums with spicy notes and underlying vanilla from the oak.
Soft tannins allow the flavours to be revealed.
Medium to long finish.
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De Bertolli Noble One, Botrytis Semillon, Riverina
Bright gold.
Charming bouquet continues on the palate.
Ripe nectarines, apricots and some exotic mango coated with the vanilla from the oak.
Well balanced sweetness.
Brilliant. |
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| Rajiv and Ritu Singhal were invited to this special dinner by the New South Wales representation in India. |
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