In a relationship with food

Polishborn Dominika Patalas lets us in on her secret weapon in the kitchenmdashher Indian fianceacute Pulkit Kalra If he hadnt been excited about trying out traditional dishes of Central Europe she wouldnt have pushed through learning how to use a knife In return he is the sounding board for new ideas Both of us havent learned to cook professionally whatever little we know is from observing our parents and grandparents says Patalas a 27yearold modelThe couple met during one of her assignments in 2018 After a degree in Global Economy and International Business I started working as a professional model Pulkit on the other hand joined the modelling industry after finishing a Bachelors in Journalism and Mass Communication Patalas shares In 2019 they launched a YouTube channel Discover Genix There are a lot of taboos in the world about intercultural relationships Through Discover Genix we show people how beautifully two countries religions and cultures can meet to create extremely entertaining content adds Kalra 25Their common love for food made Dominika introduce Kalra to Polish cuisine while she cooked in his South Delhi home kitchen Polish dishes are not very complicated and everyone can prepare them by using ingredients from local Indian markets His reactions after he tastes the dishes is my favourite bit Patalas saysA couple of months ago Kalra made her cook an Indian dish We posted a fun video of her a Polish girl making shahi paneer for her Indian boyfriend And we hit gold the Polish Institute New Delhi saw it and approached us to do an online series for them Kalra recallsThe couple made a list of 15 traditional Polish dishes of which the Polish Institute New Delhi finalised 10 The first video in the series titled Polish dishes in the Indian kitchen was released on YouTube on June 26 We recorded all the videos during the lockdown before Dominika left for Poland Till now we have published two videos from our series and many more lip smacking recipes are to come every FridayPolish cuisine has evolved over the centuries to become eclectic thanks to Polands history and the commonalities it shares with neighbouring German Czech Slovak and Silesian culinary traditions Patalas says Unlike Indian cuisine we dont use so much green red chilli or garam masala But I somehow feel the two cuisine cultures have similarities In the first episode we made potato pancakes which are not very different from aloo tikkiThey have a giveaway for all viewers who prepare the Polish dishes they demonstrate send in the final pictures and share a note on the taste In return the Polish Institute New Delhi has promised to send them exciting giftsZapiekankaHistory A zapiekanka is an openface sandwich made of half a baguette or other long roll of bread topped with sauteacuteed white mushrooms cheese and sometimes other ingredients and toasted until the cheese melts Served hot with ketchup it is a popular street food in Poland With its origin dating back to the 1970s the zapiekanka is associated with the austere times of Polands Communist regime but it has enjoyed renewed demand recently which has also brought a wider range of varieties and qualityDuration 25 minutesIngredients1 baguetteMozzarella cheese1520 mushrooms1 onionMethodFinely chop mushrooms and onion To cook the onions and mushrooms take a nonstick pan and put some butter on it Once the butter is melted put the finelychopped mushrooms and onion and cook it until the onions turn brown and water in the mushrooms is completely dried Add salt pepper and herbs as per taste Now cut the baguette in half and put butter on it then place the pan fried mushrooms and onion mix on it and top it with mozzarella cheese Bake it for about 1015 minutes at 180 degrees C in an oven Garnish it with fresh black olives and tomato ketchup Zapiekanka is ready to be servedPotato pancakes placki ziemniaczaneHistory Potatobased dishes are relatively new to Polish cuisine In the 19th century in the territory of the Greater Poland people started making a dish called bambrzok It was made of grated potatoes mixed with wheat flour eggs and seasonings Nowadays there are special festivals dedicated to the lovers and growers of the potato For example the celebration of Potato Day in MoAringu00c2u0084ki Podlaskie Voivodeship called the Potato Day Festival started in 1975Yield Approx 7 pancakesDuration 20 minutesIngredientsfrac12 kg potatoes1 egg12 tablespoons of flourSalt as per tasteMethodGrate raw potatoes on the grater Then leave them for a few minutes so the water can separate from potatoes After this strain out extra water from potatoes When the potatoes are dry add egg flour and salt also pepper for better taste Mix all the ingredients together Add 67 big tablespoons of olive oil on the pan and put big spoon of ready batter to pan fry the potato pancakes Once pancakes are golden and crisp from both the sides take them out from the pan You can garnish with sour cream and green onionsEmail at newdelhiipsekretariatmszgovplYoutube httpswwwyoutubecomchannelUCTOm6CrZdnrTCvH5R97EjFgCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news