Relish treats from Thailand this weekend at a two-day food festival

Crispy fried betel leaves by Nara Tha

With a bounty of fresh produce, quirky street-style iterations and a thriving export industry, Thailand has often been dubbed as the Kitchen of the World. No wonder then, that the fare from the Southeast Asian country has a considerable following among Indians, too, claims Supatra Sawaengsri, Consul (Commercial) and Director, Thai Trade Centre, Mumbai. "We're aware that there are many food lovers who want to visit Thailand to relish its food but can't do so due to the pandemic. So, we decided to bring the authentic flavors of Thailand to them in Mumbai," Sawengsri shares about the upcoming Thai Food Bazaar 2021.

The two-day festival is put together by Thai Trade Centre, Mumbai, in collaboration with the Thailand Consulate-Mumbai, Tourism Authority of Thailand and Four Monkeys, a culinary experiences company by chef Seefah Ketchaiyo, Karan Bane, Rohan Mangalorkar and Dhanraj Shinde. Sawaengsri tells us the festival aims to support Thai food, fruit and produce importers and distributors in India. "As India is our strategic trade partner, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, Jurin Laksanawisit, has been promoting Thai products in India and has made it a priority to boost trade between the two countries." Sawengsri assures us that all safety precautions will be followed. "Ensuring temperature checks, sanitisation and keeping the capacity to a minimum to avoid crowding will be our priority."

Durian by Anusaya Fresh

From a culinary contest to live food stalls, here are our Top 3 picks from the festival:

1 Take a culinary tour: The festival boasts of authentic Thai fare from popular restaurants including Seefah Hill Road, Nara Thai and Lotus Blossom. "Their menus will feature favorites like satays, pork skewers, curries served with fragrant jasmine rice, phad Thai noodles and more," she claims. Also on the table are farm finds and fresh Thai produce that pop-up stalls will retail. This includes fruits and vegetables like rambutan, longan, Thai mango, mangosteen, durian, Thai pomelo, etc and packed items such as jasmine rice, fish sauce, bean vermicelli, red curry paste, peanut satay sauce, seafood, meat and more. You can pick up Thai snacks, condiments and crockery, too.

2 Cheer for your favorite chef: On Sunday, the festival will host the finale of a Thai cooking competition.

3 Soak in the music: The bazaar will come alive with live music. The line-up features Chickeen Masala by drummer Vivaan Kapoor and percussionist-visual jockey Shreya Naik, and an acoustic session by singer-songwriter Mellissa Dessa.

On September 4 and 5
Time 12 pm to 8 pm
At Blue Sea Banquets, 11, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan Road, Worli Sea Face.

Supatra Sawengsri

Tofu satay with peanut sauce

Chef Seefah Ketchaiyo, owner, Seefah Hill Road, Bandra, tells us she'll be serving up vegetarian and meat versions of satay. "Satay is a popular street-style food item found across Southeast Asia. It's made with thinly sliced meat marinated in a flavourful combination, and then poked onto skewers and grilled over charcoal. I'm excited to bring this favourite to Thai Food Bazaar 2021."

Ingredients
For the tofu satay:
. 2 solid yellow tofu cubes
. 1 tsp ground coriander leaves
. 1/2 tsp ground cumin
. 1 tbsp finely chopped galangal
. 1/4 cup minced lemongrass
. 1/2 cup coconut milk
. 1 tsp turmeric powder
. 1 tsp sugar. 1/2 tsp salt
. 1/4 tsp ground pepper

For the peanut sauce:
. 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
. 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
. 1 cup coconut milk
. 3-4 tbsp tamarind juice
. 3 tbsp sugar
. 1/2 tsp salt

Method
Pound coriander, cumin, galangal, lemongrass, turmeric powder and pepper together. Mix with coconut milk, salt and sugar together, and set aside. Cut the tofu into pieces, about two-mm thick, and skewer and mix with the pound spices thoroughly; refrigerate and marinate for an hour. Grill the marinated tofu in a Teflon pan or grill over medium heat until fragrant and slightly scorched. For the sauce, divide the coconut milk into half. Bring one half to a boil on medium heat. Add curry paste and stir to combine; now pour the remaining coconut milk. Season with granulated sugar, tamarind juice and salt. Add the crushed peanuts and simmer over low heat to thicken. Take the sauce off fire, and serve at room temperature.