Put Pen(Pa) to Paper

Chinese Whispers

Ever wonder why restaurant-made Chinese food tastes so much better than the soya-sauced hakka noodles you (barely) manage to whip up in your kitchen? We don’t either. But you can hear it straight from the horse’s mouth at Sampan’s first cooking class, presided over by head chef Penpa, taking place on Wednesday at the Novotel Hotel poolside.

Don’t be a Dumbling

Participants will be taught how to prepare a three course meal, including soup, starters and one of the restaurant’s most popular mains – the Clay Pot rice. In addition, chef Penpa will spill his deepest, darkest culinary secrets, and will also send you home with a Sampan apron and a surprise souvenir from his kitchen.

Trail(or) Blaze

To whet your appetite, we got you one of the chef’s most prized recipes, exclusively for bpb! Try these at home, and you can kiss hakka noodles goodbye forever. Bon appetite!

Vegetable Dumplings

Recipe by Chef Penpa from Sampan Restaurant, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach

For the stuffing:
50 gms each of beans, cauliflower, carrot, cabbage, celery
15 gms of ginger/garlic
10 gms spring onions
2 gms white pepper powder
10 gms Maggi seasoning
10 ml rice wine
10 ml sesame oil
Salt to taste

Cut all the vegetables in small sizes and boil them. Make sure to drain out all the water by squeezing tightly. Sauté ginger and garlic in a pan, add in vegetables and seasoning and cook for a couple of minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the pastry:
100 gms refined flour
Salt to taste
Water as needed

Prepare a soft dough with flour, salt and water. Roll it out thin and cut into round shapes about 3 inches in diameter. Put the cooled vegetable mixture in the centre, fold the pastry and crimp it in the centre to form a tower. Use a dim sum basket to steam for 10 minutes. Serve with soy or sweet chilli or any sauce of your choice.

Note: Don’t panic if your kitchen doesn’t have a dim sum basket – your good old idli steamer will do the trick.

Getting there: Pool side, Novotel Mumbai Juhu Beach, Juhu. Culinary class on Wednesday, March 31 from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm, to register call 66934444, Rs 750.