Giri Singh with his Signature Dish creation of eggplant masala and crispy okra - and a smooth accompanying drink. Photo / Duncan Brown
Giri Singh with his Signature Dish creation of eggplant masala and crispy okra - and a smooth accompanying drink. Photo / Duncan Brown
A colourful and aromatic slice of authentic Indian cuisine with a sweet little Kiwi touch is what Namaskar India Restaurant's leading chef, Giri Singh, has put together for this year's Hawke's Bay Regional Signature Dish competition.
The dish is eggplant masala, which is a popular dish in India where itis known as Baigan ka Bharta - cooked with green peas, freshly ground spices and herbs.
To present something different from the menu, it was decided to line it up with another dish of crispy okra, known as Kurkuri Bhindi in India.
Singh said it was a combination that had worked perfectly. To finish the dish off there was the addition of roasted capsicum, cottage cheese and pineapple - "just for a New Zealand touch".
Singh and staff use all locally grown ingredients to suit the Indian cuisine.
Namaskar opened in Havelock North in April 2012 and has established a strong reputation for incorporating traditional classic recipes which apply authentic and contemporary flavours.
This is the second time it has entered the Signature Dish competition.
