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CORINNE PARKES
C
hefJessiSingh’stakeonIndian
food is light, bright and perfect
for summer. After several years
cookingtoravereviewsinNewYork,
Singh is preparing to open his first-ever
Sydney restaurant.
Three years ago, while flitting around
theUS,IdinedatSingh’sBabuJiin
Manhattan’sEastVillage.Itwas
memorable because it was my first
exposure to the zinging fare of the
Indian-Australian chef, whose signature
is an exuberant melange of street food,
regional curries and tandoori specialties.
The New York Times described the dishes
at Babu Ji as “elegantly feral plates”, and
Ialsofoundthemtobewildlydelicious.
Thechef,whoonceoperatedatrioof
popular Melbourne venues, describes his
newSydneyrestaurant,Don’tTellAunty,
inSurryHillsas“aninauthenticIndian”
eatery. “I try to bring vibrancy, colour
andsimplicitytothecuisine,”saysSingh,
who jettisons traditional ingredients suchA much-missed star of the Melbourne
dining scene,Jessi Singhis back
inAustraliaaftertakingtheUSby
storm,butthistimeit’sSydneydiners
who’ll benefit as he brings his vibrant
Indian cooking to the Harbour City.as ghee and focuses on market-fresh
produce. The recipes on these pages,
from seared prawns to a mango lassi,
illustrate his approach.
Earlierthisyear,Singhreturnedto
hisoriginalhaunt,HornPleasein
Melbourne’s Fitzroy North, this time as
a consulting chef. “I was delighted to see
howmanyofourregularsarestillcoming
in,” he says. Being back in Victoria
allowed him to reconnect with growers
andsuppliers,whichherarelyhadthe
chance to do in the US. “I’m enjoying
making similar connections in Sydney,”
hesays.“TherearesuchbigSoutheast
Asian and Indian communities and a
widevariety of ingredients.”
Singh and his wife, Jennifer, still own
theirNewYorkrestaurant,aswellasone
intheCaliforniacityofSantaBarbara.
“Itwastheeaseandqualityoflifethat
broughtmebackhome,”heexplains,
though it sounds as though he will be
plenty busy with his new projects.MARKET BASKET
•MANGOis popular worldwide,
andhasitsrootsinthetropical
climateofIndia.Perfectontheir
ownoraddedtoeitherdessertsor
savoury dishes, mangos add a pop
of sweetness and bold colour to
salads, salsas, cakes and chutneys.
Aussie mangos are in abundance,
andbestenjoyed,fromNovember
through the summer months.
•SWEETCORNis grown
throughout most of Australia,
withthecropthrivinginthewarm,
sunny weather of spring and
summer. Whether barbecued,
souped-upormadeintofritters,
sweetcornistheidealwarm-
weatheringredient. Store in
the fridge to keep cobs sweet
and juicy.- PRAWNSare abundant in
Australia, with 15 large fisheries
harvesting four main species around
our coastline. Nothing says summer
likeabigbowloffreshprawns,but
thispopularcrustaceanalsooffers
massiveflavourwhengrilled,or
addedtopastadishes,saladsand
noodles. The king prawn is one of
themostcommonvarieties,andis
available year-round. - CHICKENis, not surprisingly,
themostwidelyconsumedmeat
in Australia. Whether fried, made
into soup or roasted, this popular
poultryisacomfort-foodfavourite,
whilebeingtheidealadditionto
bulk up summer salads. High in
proteinandlowinfat,itsversatility
makesitafavouriteingredientboth
among home cooks preparing a
quickmealandtopchefsusingit
asastaringredient.
•ORANGESadd a citrus zing to the
warmer months. Valencia oranges
are the most readily available variety
fromnowuntilFebruary.Theyare
idealforjuicing,butalsoshinewhen
added to sauces, marinades,
desserts and cocktails.
@jesssi_singhBRIGHT
SPARK
delicious.com.au 23