The French food god makes a dosa

There is no reason why the name Paul Bocuse should mean anything to you It didnt mean anything to me in 1978 when Vinod Mehta then editor of the late Debonair magazine asked me if I could do a story on a chef whom the Taj Hotels group had invited It seemed Bocuse was the father of something called nouvelle cuisineNouvelle cuisine I was told was light minimalistic emphasised regional recipes and fresh local produce Portions were small Bocuses family restaurant outside Lyons the Auberge du Pont de Collonges better known now as Paul Bocuse was legendary as the throbbing heart of nouvelle cuisine More than half a century ago it became one of 28 restaurants in the world to hold three Michelin starsHere Bocuse and his team created a neverending stream of creative entreeacutes all of which broke with the heavy sauces and excesses of classic French cuisineWhen the god passed away at age 91 in 2018 it was as though a French monument had crumbled overnight It was a moment of such national bereavement that it was announced by the French interior ministerLast week the unthinkable happened The Michelin Guide stripped the Paul Bocuse restaurant of its third star 55 years after awarding it leaving it now with only two Outraged chefs and critics screamed that it was near sacrilege while the Michelin Guide said the food remained excellent just no longer worthy of three starsMy mind flew back to that day 42 years ago when I had met Bocuse I had contacted the Taj Hotels group and they had kindly agreed to let me spend time with himAt first Bocuse struck me as an unremarkable mdash a heavy jowled overweight Frenchman who served miniature entreacutees on giant plates at exorbitant prices and called them a breakthrough which struck me as a canny marketing gimmick Within minutes of meeting him though I was under the spell of this passionate exuberant and inventive chefFood is like sex he once famously said He made no secret of his love for both and openly kept two mistresses in addition to his wife having children from all and revelling in his polygamy by proudly pointing to the friendship between his women who apparently didnt mind sharing him with each otherYou say local produce and regional cuisines are important for nouvelle cuisine I saidOui oui cest ccedila he saidWe have a local crepelike thing called dosa I said which we stuff with potatoesEt alors he saidWhat would nouvelle cuisine do to a dosaBocuse and I visited streetside dosa vendors around Victoria Terminus We browsed through the vegetable and meat stalls of Crawford He touched smelled nibbled and savouredThings he chose went into a bagLater that day in the kitchen of the Taj Hotel the god of French cuisine made a shrimp stuffing for the dosa using ingredients no dosa has ever seen I have never eaten anything as unexpected as the nouvelle dosaHere in full is Bocuses recipeNouvelle Masala Dosa aacute la BocuseIngredientsGarlic 1 clove finely choppedShallots 45 mincedGreen chillies choppedCurry leaves 34 shreddedSmall mustard seeds 14 tsp1 teaspoon Madras curry powderDouble cream for cooking 3 tbspsCold pressed coconut oil 2 tbspsSmall prawns shelled deveined cleaned and patted dry 250 gmsSalt to tasteMethod1 In a mediumsized frying pan heat the coconut oil over medium heat Add the mustard seeds before the oil starts smoking and let it splutter2 As the spluttering reduces add the garlic minced shallots curry leaves and chillies Stir for a minute or so till the shallots start becoming translucent3 Add the prawns and stir until they start becoming opaque and the colour turns into a shade of pink4 Add the double cream give it a stir and add the Madras curry powder and salt5 Cook on low heat until the prawns are cooked and the gravy is thick enough6 Make dosas and fold about four tablespoons of the stuffing into each oneYou might ask rightly whats so French or nouvelle about this recipe mdash other than perhaps the double creamThe secret French ingredient in Bocuses recipe unknown to you is Madras curry powder which is powder all right but has nothing to do with Madras and cant be found in any Tamilians kitchen The original recipe for Madras Curry powder was proposed by a Frenchman called Beauvilliers at the Universal Paris Exhibition in 1889Thats what makes this dosa French I suppose And the fact that it was made by an exuberant lifeloving Frenchman who was a genuine god in his kitchenHere viewed from there C Y Gopinath in Bangkok throws unique light and shadows on Mumbai the city that raised him You can reach him at cygopigmailcom Send your feedback to mailbagmiddaycomThe views expressed in this column are the individuals and dont represent those of the paperCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates