BENGALURU : Food has always been a medium of creative expression for me. Growing up in a small town called Asansol, I was fascinated by Armenian food, which not known to many, has a strong influence on Bengali cuisine. Therefore, ingredients such as Gondhoraj lemons, local cheese, jaggery and a particular variety of bitter gourd are very close to my heart and help me exhibit the story of Armenian culture to people across the globe.
During my culinary journey, I came across multiple ingredients that helped me showcase the rich heritage of Armenian food. However, walnuts are one such ingredient that has always been an integral part of my recipes. The walnuts I use across my restaurants in India come from the orchards of United States.
I love working with walnuts as they add amazing crunch, flavour and texture to my recipes. US walnuts are fresh, creamy and sweet to taste which is a pre-requisite in Armenian food.
Walnuts are an extremely versatile ingredient. I used it to make Lavaash, an Armenian bread, which turned out so well that it became a signature dish at my restaurant. People enjoy having it as an appetiser, with main course or simply as an accompaniment with drinks.Walnuts are crunchy, sweet and creamy, all at the same time. That’s exactly why I love adding it to most of my recipes.
I have made multiple dishes from walnuts such as Cottage Cheese Balls in Walnut Sauce, Prawn Casserole with Walnuts and Eggplant and Walnut Tolma.While I enjoy experimenting, preparing Cottage Cheese Balls in Walnut Sauce was a bit challenging as the recipe included multiple ingredients. Balancing flavours in such recipes is difficult. However, the versatility of walnuts added great value to the dish and helped bind the flavours together. I got it right the third time.
Working with quality ingredients has always been inspiring for me as a chef. My journey has been thrilling so far, where I got to work with food enthusiasts from across the world. The joy of serving a soul satisfying meal is all I live for.