Going Dutch

Food entrepreneur Raymond Wasser devises a new menu at Shalom.

It’s a particularly hot, sultry afternoon and car drivers are crazier than ever in Delhi’s Vasant Vihar. I am almost killed while trying to park in front of Shalom by an angry driver. I escape unscathed and walk into the restaurant, where waiting for me is Raymond Wasser who has devised a new menu for Shalom. Wasser is Dutch and came to India almost 16 years ago. “I and my wife came to India with a couple of suitcases. We wanted to see if we could make it here”, he says.

The start wasn’t that promising. The first couple of years in India, Wasser spent running a leather garment factory for exports. That went belly up and Wasser decided to try his hand at food. “I worked in the IT sector for 10 years in Holland. I had had enough of it and I wanted to do something different”, says Wasser. Doing something with food had always been on his mind. And after his leather garment business didn’t work out, he grabbed an opportunity when a MNC bank was hosting a party for 200 people.

“I asked them to let me cater for that party”, says Wasser. Surprisingly the bank agreed and everything went off well. “I had worked in a cafe when I was 19. So I knew how to cook and how much quantity you need to cook for a party”, says Wasser. For five years Wasser ran this catering business with a friend and after his partner’s untimely demise, continued on his own. “I got the lunch order for the French School and the British School. And I have to be careful that the food has to be palatable across a large age group.” There is also the matter about differing palates and tolerance to spices. Says Wasser, “The French turn red when they see pepper. I have be careful about these things. I have also tried to introduce Indian and Oriental food in their lunches because food is also part of one’s educational process.”

From functioning from his home, Wasser’s catering business has expanded and now he runs a professional kitchen in the NCR and till recently he would be in the kitchen cooking himself. Which is why, when we request him to cook, he insists on wearing his chef’s uniform. And with the ease of a thorough professional, albeit one who came late in life to cooking, Wasser whips up a dish that is as good looking as it is tasty to eat.

FAVOURITE RECIPE

Vegetarian moussaka
450 gm aubergines, sliced
115 gm moong sprouts
600 ml vegetarian stock
45 ml olive oil
1 bay leaf
1 onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
400 gm chickpea, rinsed and drained
225 gm mushrooms, sliced
400 gm tomatoes,
chopped
30 ml tomato puree
2 tsp herbes de provence
45 ml water
50 gm Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Parsley to garnish

Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and place in a colander. Cover and leave for 30 minutes to allow the bitterness to be extracted. Meanwhile, place the moong, stock and bay leaf in a saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil and then let it simmer for 20 minutes. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and cook for five minutes, stirring it constantly. Then add the moong, mushrooms, chickpea, tomato puree, tomatoes, herbs and water. Bring to a boil and then lower the flame.

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Rinse the aubergine slices, drain and pat dry. Grill the slices. Season the moong with salt and pepper. Arrange a layer of aubergine slices in an ovenproof dish. Spoon a layer of the seasoned moong on these slices. Continue to do that till both are finished. Make some white sauce and pour into the dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 15 minutes.