There is something about Indian food that people from all corners of the world find hard to resist. And to see Indian cuisine getting appreciated at the global front is gratifying. Taking our desi flavours global recently is the Indian pastry chef Zareen Shaukat who stood fourth in the World Tapas Competition 2023 held in Spain. She gave an Indian twist with her pastry skills to the Spanish delicacy of Tapa and made Murgh Makhani Mille Feuille.
Zareen opted for Murgh Makhani aka Butter Chicken as the main dish for the competition as it perfectly represents India's taste, colour and vibrancy. Elaborating more about her dish, Zareen said, “Since it was a Tapa-making competition, the dish had to be bite-sized. I added a burst of flavour to it by incorporating components like mint caviar, onion and beetroot viel & papadums”.
Zareen gave a Spanish-Indian fusion touch to the dish by making smoked saffron labneh as saffron is also a culinary favourite in the Spanish cuisine as an ode to both the cultures. She added puff pastry as the base of the dish.
The global competition had top chefs from 16 countries. “The platform was huge and it was an amazing experience to represent your country at a global level and to show your talent.” She also wishes that more people apply to such competitions as they make for a lifetime experience.
