Parallels in Thai & Indian Cuisine

This time when Thai Pavillion at Vivanta by Taj invited me, I was not very sure if they would have anything new to offer. Then they said, Chef is going to explain the similarities between Indian and Thai Food and there I was there to understand it.

They started by showing us some exotic raw ingredients that included the following:

 

Pumpkin- Small dark green pumpkin that looks like a baby pumpkin but is a full-grown punmpkin.

Kewra Leaves – Yes, the same Kewra that is sprinkled on Indian Mithais

Lemon Grass

Krachai or Finger Ginger – a long finger shaped Ginger – reddish brown in color

Galangal

Jumbo Red Chilly

Makroot

As we ate the sumptuous food, Chef Benjamin, who hails from Mizoram expained the parallels between various Indian and Thai Dishes and here is the list that I gathered

Tom Yum Soup cab ne equated with Tamatar Shorba

Massaman Curry, whose name comes from Musalman curry from the Muslim communities living in Southern Thailand, can be compared with Rogan Josh and both of these are traditionally made with lamb.

Stir Fry, but for the difference in bater used can be our very own Bhajji or pakoras

Water Chestnut in Coconut curry is inspired from Payasam that is also based in Coconut milk. In fact chef told us that coconut milk got added to Thai curries when portusuese came to Thailand and could not take the spice levels there and they used coconut milk to make it milder.

In fact when Chef was narrating the five elements of Thai food i.e. Sweet, Sour, Salt, Spicy, Bitter, it reminded of six tastes that Ayurveda talks of in a complete meal, and are traditionally a part of Indian Thali.

Comparative Cuisine can be an interesting study in itself.