Mumbai chefs share experimental lychee recipes

Knowing how to not go wrong is often the handbook to getting things right In the past few weeks lychees stuffed with all kinds of sweet and savoury fillings have featured more than just a couple of times in our daily Reel browsing Watching hollow juicy arils ooze out mawa khoya gulkand pureacuteed mango crab meat or prawn and goji berries can be oddly satisfying Is it tricky to fill a tropical fruit with flavours and textures that complement its floralfruity notes Chefs say yes But fret not because they have also come up with easy suggestions to create elevating dishes with a fruit thatrsquos both sweet and tart Cooking localGaurav Gidwani chef FampB developer BrewDog IndiaIt makes me happy that people have finally begun experimenting with seasonal fruits in the main course This gives chefs an opportunity to showcase local produce While stuffing the fruit with milk products is a popular trend I feel the burst of sugar can subdue the subtle flavour of lychees I have developed a far eastern savoury curry with lychees water chestnuts and romrang berries The tart in these fruits uplifts one another The curry is sweet tangy and spicy The texture of this fruit is also important Anybody innovating with lychees shouldnrsquot overcook it or else it loses both texture and tasteSaving for laterJuliano Rodrigues chef Out of The BlueIf someone wants to whip up a novelty they should first understand the fruit Itrsquos an acidic fruit and the acidity must be balanced in the dish While developing recipes I also think of its shelf life A dish should last for a couple of days When lychees are stuffed with mawa their shelf life decreases In our ratatouille version we add some cheese to the preparation mdash just enough to hold form Retaining the fruitrsquos succulence in any combination is vital too People can deseed and freeze the fruit so that these juices donrsquot drain outDelicate as a flowerSaloni Kukreja chef and recipe developerI recently spotted lychees stuffed with cream cheese and crystalised ginger on the Internet It looked delicious I would even love to make crystalised ginger and sesame ice cream stuffed lychees someday I feel a lycheersquos delicate notes need to be preserved while experimenting The vessellike structure of the fruit makes it apt for stuffings but an overpowering and unbalanced flavour profile should be avoidedStuffed lychee with ratatouilleFor mix floret couscousIngredients 50 gm grated cauliflower 50 gm grated broccoli 1 tsp chopped parsley 1 tbsp chopped onion 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp oil Salt and pepper to tasteMethodHeat some oil in a thickbottomed pan Add the chopped onion and garlic and sauteacute Then add grated cauliflower and broccoli to the pan and cook until done Adjust the seasoning and keep it aside for laterFor stuffed lychees with ratatouilleIngredients 5 deseeded lychees 2 tbsp small diced tomatoes 1 tbsp small diced onion 2 tbsp small diced zucchini 2 tbsp small diced mixed peppers 1 tbsp small diced brinjals 14 cup tomato sauce Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp chopped garlic 1 tsp oil 14 tsp mixed herbs 1 tbsp parmesan cheeseMethodHeat oil in a pan and sauteacute the chopped garlic Now add all the ingredients except for lychees and parmesan cheese Cook the vegetables on a low flame Add cheese and season the mix when it is ready Wait for it to cool down before stuffing the deseeded lychees withthis mixFor sumac veggiesIngredients 13 cup mixed vegetables 14 cup tomato sauce 1 tbsp sumac 1 tbsp chopped onion 1 tbsp chopped garlic 1 tsp oil Salt and pepper to tasteMethodBegin with heating oil in a pan and quickly fry the chopped onion and garlic Then add the other vegetables along with the portion of tomato sauce Cook the ingredients until they gather texture Lastly add sumac salt and pepper For assemblyFirst place the couscous on the plate followed by the sumac veggies and stuffed lychees You can garnish it with some bocconcini cheese but that is optional