Mumbai Food: Latin American delicacy ceviche, served in quirky avatars

Guest chef Edgar Hurtado u00c2u0080u00c2u0088with Atul Kochhar and head chef Jerry Thomas at Lima PicsSayyed Sameer AbediIf you have this youll feel like a tigress laughs chef Atul Kochhar egging us to try a spoonful of leche de tigre Peruvian tigers milk called so due to an old belief in Peru about drinking it and feeling like a predator Our taste buds tingle with zesty lime juice caressed by a hint of ginger garlic and onion thats part of the citrus concoction also known as a hangover cureAlso read Relish South American cuisine at this Bandra restaurantHere the milky consistency is derived from salmon fat The concoction is prepared by Peruvian chef Edgar Hurtado whose Garden restaurant and Kochhars Rang Mahal share an address mdash Dubais JW Marriott Marquis Hurtado has been roped in as guest chef to curate a ceviche seveechey special menu that goes live today at BKC restaurant LimaCeviche Classico served on a traditional Peruvian dining matA seafood appetiser that originated in the coastal regions of Latin America a ceviche is typically made using raw fish cured in citrus juices and spiced with aji or chilli peppers It is supposed to be served raw and fresh We have created many variations of it but to make a nice ceviche you need a good leche de tigre We handpound the ingredients together including fish to retain the flavours and get all the juices out Then we strain the mixture to make the marinade which needs to be freshly prepared for every service informs HurtadoSea and eatFeaturing 11 varieties of ceviches u00c2u0080u00c2u0088550 onwards the menu maps the influences of different cultures on the Peruvian cuisine through the appetiser For instance Chifero Ceviche featuring soy and sesame leche de tigre showcases the Chinese influence while a vegetarian Mushroom Ceviche with four types of the fungi and a ponzu reduction is an ode to the Nikkei cuisine a JapanesePeruvian mashup due to a large population of the Japs settled in the South American countryWatermelon CevicheKochhar who first tried a ceviche at an eponymous restaurant in London five years ago says Ceviche is similar to the Malaysian Kinilaw raw fish cubes cured with vinegarbased dressing except that they dont use tigers milk but calamansi limebased marinade Its also similar to Japanese sashimi Curing with citrus isa method of cooking because acidity provides heat and breaks the fish fibreCeviche chaat anyoneHurtado begins with Ceviche Classico where he adds a generous amount of leche de tigre to diced sea bass bhetki is perfect for the dish says Kochhar seasoned with salt and pepper in a mixing bowl Shifting the mix in a serving plate he tops it with onion sweet potato confit marinated in orange jus and finishes it with the Peruvian indigenous fried chulpe corn A burst of tangysweet flavours cut with the crunchy chakhnalike corn greet us as we dig into the dishMushroom CevicheThen Lima head chef Jerry Thomas takes over the open kitchen counter to showcase Desi Ceviche sticking to the base ingredients of fish and marinade but tweaking it with tomatobased makhni sauce Madras curry powder mix kachumber moong dal sev and three masala puris Impressed with the innovation Hurtado mimics Thomas gesture of trying it using a masala puri surface as a spoon Its technically a fish chaat smiles Kochhar as he happily digs into the dish that presents a perfect balance of tangyspicy flavours and is light on the stomach Thats the beauty Each portion includes 100 gms of fish but you will never feel full even if you finish an entire bowl informs ThomasVeggie ceviches tooThe best part about ceviche is that you can be as creative as you want I offer four vegetarian ceviches at my restaurant and guests love them says Hurtado At Lima vegetarians can try sesameinfused Mushroom Ceviche Baby Corn Ceviche or even Watermelon Ceviche that includes a balsamic reduction fresh basil and goat cheeseDesi CevicheAlso read Restaurant Review Inside international chef Atul Kochhars new eateryFor vegetarian ceviches we make leche de tigre without fish and use green chillies says Thomas as he dishes out the sweetandspicy fruit appetiser that we will gladly do an encore of paired with a new collection of Peruvian Pisco Sour cocktails that is also being introduced at the restaurant