Chef Mural’s cooking demo on modern indian cuisine

Blogging has widened up my horizon and introduced me to many new learning opportunities. Last Sat, I was invited to a cooking demonstration which I learnt more about contemporary modern indian cuisine from Chef Mural, Executive Chef of Song of India. Chef Mural mentioned that coming to Singapore in 2006 changed his perceptions on food and allows him to be more creative by marrying traditional cuisine with the rich cultures in Singapore.During the hour long  demonstration, we saw demonstrations of 2 modern indian dishes which can be easily prepared at home. Chef Mural also shared useful cooking tips such as the technique of removing the stem of the kaffir leaves to get the aroma from the leaves and cumin seeds can be used to replace mustard seed. Chef Mural started off with the Summer Vegetable Soup followed by a Spiced Chicken Roulade Stuffed with Baby Spinach, Laksa Infused Sauce.

Summer Vegetable Soup (Serve 4)
50g Green Zucchini (Finely Chopped)
50g Yellow Zucchini (Finely Chopped)
50g Snow Beans (Finely Chopped)
50g Carrot (Finely Chopped)
10 – 15 nos Elible Flower
2tbsp Olive Oil
20g peeled garlic
50g White Onion
1/2 tsp Crush pepper or Yellow Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric
2 tbsp Lime Juice
Pinch of salt

1. Chop the vegetable and make a quick stock using the remaining vegetables.
2. Heat up the olive, add in the chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds.
3. Add in the onion and saute it till transparent.
4. Add in the turmeric and the vegetable stock.
5. Bring it to boil, add in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper
6. Distribute the finely chopped zucchini, carrot and snow beans in each bowl.
7. Pour the soup into the bowls and garnish with edible flowers.

Just like what the Song of India promotes, during the cooking demonstration, the dishes cooked has a more refined touch as compared to traditional indian cuisine. The remnants of the vegetable stock as well as the laksa infused sauce were strained off. Spiced Chicken Roulade Stuffed with Baby Spinach, Laksa Infused Sauce
1kg Boneless Chiken Leg
100g Baby Spinach
20g Ginger Strips
20g Garlic Strips
2nos Green Chilli (Chopped)
5g Cloves
1 Tsp White Pepper Powder
Salt to Taste

Laksa Infused Sauce
200ml Coconut Cream
2 Tsp Laksa Sauce
50g Onion
50g Tomato
3 – 4 leaves Kaffir Lim Leaf
2 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds or Cumin Seeds
1/2 Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Garam Masala Powder
Salt to Taste

1. Flatten the chicken with a tenderizer and spread it out like a sheet of paper.
2. Apply ginger garlic paste, salt and pepper.
3. Arrange baby spinach, ginger strips and garlic strips on the flatten chicken.
4. Roll it up tightly and tighten it with a silver foil.
5. Blanch in the water for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
7. Heat the oil in a sauce pan, add in mustard seeds, kaffir lime leaves, onion slices and tomato slices.
8. Saute the ingredients for a few seconds and add in chilli powder and coconut cream.
9. Add in the Garum Masala and season the sauce with salt.
10. Simmer for 8 – 10 minutes and remove from heat.
11. Strain the sauce and take out the cooked roulade.
12. Remove the silver foil and cut them into small roundels.
13. Serve the chicken roulade with the sauce.

Thank you Jenny for the cooking demonstration invitation and Chef Mural for revealing the secret to modern Indian cuisine.