Vegetarianism is a subject which many people have strong feeling about, and Bobby Chinn being Bobby, his feelings are stronger than most. In this show, we explore three famous vegetarian dishes and look at the cultural and spiritual reasons for this growing culinary movement.
We find Bobby in the heart of a Muslim area. With a beautiful gold domed mosque as his backdrop, the first dish Bobby cooks is Vegetarian Koftas with a Curried Spinach Sauce. The kofta originated in the Middle East and as it spread through Southern Asia and India has developed into a popular vegetarian dish.
Next, we explore the history of vegetarianism in India, then Bobby dives straight into his second dish: Eggplant Glazed in Miso. During this preparation, Bobby discusses the importance of presentation in Japanese cuisine. In this dish, he also highlights an unusual technique he uses for cooking eggplant by charring it in the heart of the flame and then cooking it inside a plastic bag in its own juices, using a condensation process.
Next off, we take a break from the location kitchen as Bobby takes us around one of his favourite cookware shops where he explains various types of woks and steaming utensils available - an intrinsically important part of vegetarian cooking.
Then, it's back to the stove for his final dish of Stir-Fried Tofu with Roasted Peanuts. Having just looked at some woks, Bobby puts one to good use here as he explains the intricacies of stir frying. This show is rounded off with a sequence of tourists and locals alike tasting the dishes Bobby has jjust prepared and... giving him the thumbs up! |
