The Art of Comfy Eating.

By: Mahmood Hossain

Bangkok is known for its vibrant array of Michelin-calibre restaurants, countless local street vendor gems, and many incredible cooks from eclectic backgrounds. One of which happens to be Prabh Singh Mutneja, an engineer turned connoisseur of Indian comfort food and the mind behind the home kitchen delight aptly named ComfiCurry. His passion for food, and cooking up a storm, is embedded into his delivery service, providing flexible and customisable set meals (or ‘thalis’) for your home. The aim is to provide a comfortable experience, without compromising the quality and freshness of the ingredients on their way to your doorstep.

ComfiCurry strives to consistently deliver a blend of restaurant-level services and the taste of home-cooked meals. This was spurred by Indian tourists or expats who yearned for meals from their hometowns. Since experimenting in the kitchen from 2014, Prabh’s dedication to serving up comfort and quality has only grown. Now with an entire staff of cooks under his leadership, ComfiCurry aspires to take things to a different level, which was recently showcased with their collaboration with Gallery Pizza. The new pizza consists of a signature slow-cooked butter chicken sauce, mozzarella, marinated chicken, and mint chutney, offering authentic Indian flavours, and will be available until 31 July.

While he spearheads a set menu of delicious items and brilliant collaborations, we had the pleasure of tasting two dishes from Prabh’s talented hands, putting the man behind the brand to the test. These two recipes, off the regular menu, are comfort food at its best, with Prabh’s twist, of course. Bon appétit!

Reach Prabh and his team on Instagram (@comficurry) to order your quality-driven desi meals, and don’t forget to try the new Comficurry pizza at Gallery Pizza.

PUMPKIN MASALA SERVED WITH HONEY-FLAVOURED WILD ROCKETS AND PAN-ROASTED POTATOES

Prep time:  10 min    Cooking time:  30 min    Serving:  2

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE PUMPKIN MASALA:

• 500g pumpkin
• 25ml desi ghee (melted)
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 medium-sized chopped tomato
• 5 red chillies, finely chopped
• 20g ginger garlic paste
• 5g cumin seeds
• 2 black cardamom seeds
• 10g cumin powder
• 10g turmeric powder
• 20g red chilli powder
• 15g chopped coriander

FOR THE POTATOES:

• 5 thin circular slices of unpeeled potatoes
• 10g spice mix

FOR THE GARNISH:

• ½ cup wild rockets
• 10g honey

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Take a pan and add some desi ghee, cumin seeds and black cardamom. Allow it to crackle.
2. Add and sauté the ginger garlic paste until fragrant and golden.
3. Add the chopped onions and sauté until golden brown.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté until brown and glazed.
5. In a different pot, pour three cups of water and allow to boil.
6. Add the peeled pumpkin pieces, cut in equal sizes.
7. Boil until pumpkin starts to semi-dissolve in water. Remove the soft pumpkin pieces, and add to the glazed sauté blend.
8. Add a bit of water to deglaze and release all the great flavours from the bottom of the pan.
9. Add the spice mix, coriander leaves, and the leftover desi ghee.
10. Slowly add a bit more water, and stir the pumpkin until it has a semi-mashed texture, with all the ingredients well incorporated.
11. Coat the potatoes with the spice mix and sprinkle oil over them, then pan-fry until golden brown.
12. Mix the honey and wild rockets, and garnish the pumpkin dish.
13. Serve the pumpkin masala and pan-roasted potatoes with hot chapatis/parathas.

TROPICAL GOAN CHICKEN CURRY WITH INFUSED APPLE SAUCE, GARNISHED WITH AUSSIE SPROUTS

Prep time:  10 min    Cooking time:  40 min    Serving:  2

INGREDIENTS
FOR THE MASALA BASE:

• 1 cup fresh coconut, grated
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 30ml oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 medium-sized tomatoes, diced
• 1 large fresh red chilli, finely sliced
• 40g garlic, finely chopped
• 1tsp mustard seeds
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 dried red chillies
• ½ pc medium-sized cinnamon stick
• 10g desi mirch powder
• 20g red chilli powder
• 4 curry leaf stems

FOR THE CARAMELISED APPLE SAUCE:

• ½ unpeeled red apple, cut into small pieces
• 10g brown sugar
• 30g butter

FOR THE CHICKEN AND MARINADE:

• 150g chicken, diced into small pieces
• 2tsp lime
• 2tsp apple cider vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE MASALA BASE:

1. Add oil to a pan, then add the mustard seeds, bay leaves and dried red chilli. Allow it to crackle.
2. Add the chopped garlic, and sauté until fragrant and golden.
3. Add the grated coconut, and sauté until golden brown.
4. Add the diced onion, diced tomatoes, and spices and sauté until brown and glazed.
5. Add the coconut milk.
6. Remove the cooked concoction and blend it in a blender until fine.

FOR THE APPLE SAUCE:

1. In the same pan, add the chopped apple, brown sugar, and butter, and cook the mixture until brown and glazed.
2. Add a little water and allow it to simmer.
3. Add the apple mix to the blender as well.

 FOR THE CURRY:

1. Add oil to the same pan, and grill the chicken until almost cooked.
2. Add the finely-blended mixture in the blender to the grilled chicken.
3. Slowly add water in steps, and stir in the mixture.
4. Add the apple cider vinegar and lemon, and slow cook for 15 minutes on low heat.
5. Garnish with freshly-sliced red chilli and Aussie sprouts, and serve with warm basmati rice.