Former MasterChef Australia Contestant Chef Sandeep Pandit Shares His Favourite Barbeque Recipes
“MasterChef (Australia) taught me humility in cooking,” says celebrity chef Sandeep Pandit, who participated in the 11th season of the internationally beloved reality cooking show, “Heading into the show, I was super confident about my ability and knowledge, but when I reached there, I realised how much more there is to learn about world cuisine.”
Pandit counts getting one of the famed aprons on the reality show as one of his fondest food memories and says cooking is spiritual to him. “I believe that if I treat food and produce with respect and positive energy, I’m passing that energy to whoever is eating my food. For me, cooking is my way of showing my gratitude to God, the universe, and nature.”
The chef, who is known for his barbeque recipes, recently launched his own line of spices called ‘The Spice Angel’ and has been travelling across Goa and Mumbai wowing people with his take on the Australian BBQ.
So what is the key to a successful barbeque? “Patience!,” he says, “You cannot rush food on a bbq. It takes time to cook on it and if the food is rushed, it remains uncooked or burns.”
Along with his hard-learned kitchen hack (“Seasoning in stages. Whenever you season a dish with salt, you should always do it in stages!”), Pandit also shared the recipe for his ‘Tandoor Style Lamb Chops’ and his go-to ‘Tandoor marinade’ that you can try the next time you host a barbeque…
Chef Sandeep Pandit's Tandoori Style Lamb Chops
Tandoori Style Lamb Chops
Ingredients:
2 tbsps Refined Sunflower Oil or Extra Virgin Olive oil
20 g Ginger, peeled, grated
4 cloves of Garlic, peeled, grated
1 tsp whole Cumin Seeds
3 tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder/ Smoked Paprika
3 tsps Garam Masala (You can go for The Spice Angel variant)
2 tsps Coriander Powder
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tsp zest of a Lemon
Salt, to taste
12 Lamb cutlets, fat slightly trimmed
Method:
1) In a large mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients (except the lamb cutlets), creating a marinade.
2) Add the Lamb cutlets into the bowl and coat them well with the marinade. Refrigerate for an hour (or more) to allow marination.
3)Prepare a BBQ or place a grill pan on the stove.
4) Cook the chops on the BBQ or the grill pan for two minutes on each side. Remove from the heat and place them back into the marination bowl.
5) Rest the chops in the bowl for about two-three minutes then toss the chops to coat in the juices in the bowl.
6) Return the chops to the heat and cook for a further one-two minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Turn the chops on their side edge to a crisp. Remove from the heat and set aside.
7) Serve with some Toasted Sourdough, Yogurt and a fresh salad.
Chef Sandeep Pandit's Tandoori Marinade
Tandoori Marinade (makes more than needed, can be stored)
Ingredients:
150 gms Red Onions
2 tsp Salt
An inch (small piece) Ginger
2 tsp chopped Garlic
3 Green Chillies (de-seeded)
1 cup of mixed Coriander (with stalks) and Mint leaves
4-5 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Oil
4 tsp Kashmiri Red Chillies
2 ½ tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Coriander Powder
Method:
1) In a chopper (or mixer), add the onions and salt. Pulse it so that the onions get chopped and mixed with the salt.
2) Squeeze out the excess liquid from the onions and put it back in the chopper/mixer jar.
3) Add all the other ingredients into the chopper/mixer jar and blitz to form the Tandoori paste. Season a bit more if needed. Use as desired and store the rest in an airtight container in a fridge (can store for up to 2 weeks).
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