He graduated in economics from an American college, but Nikhil Chib discovered his real passion lay in food

Secrets from SE Asia

He graduated in economics from an American college, but Nikhil Chib discovered his real passion lay in food. His first venture was a seaside restaurant in Goa, which was a precursor for his true calling in life. He opened Busaba in Mumbai more than a decade ago, introducing South East Asian cuisine in India at a time when nobody had thought of going beyond Chinese. He loves the subtlety of Thai food, and we have a yen for it too because it gives us many healthy options with its light cooking techniques. Here, Chef Chib shares a couple of his well-loved light fish recipes: Steamed fish “I discovered this dish in a soi (gully) in Thailand, stumbling on it at a roadside eatery run by a Thai mama (fat woman). It was extremely tasty. Unofficially one could say that it’s practically the national dish of Thailand. It also happens to be one of the top draws at my Colaba restaurant.” Ingredients l Fish baiki, 1 filet (200 gm)l Garlic, 50 gml Fish sauce, 100 mll Lemons, 10 (extract juice)l Red Chili, chopped 50 gml A dab of sugar Method l Chop the garlic and chili in a bowl. Add fish sauce, lime juice, and a dash of sugar.lApply salt, celery leaf, pepper, garlic on both sides of the fish and steam for ten minutes. lHeat the sauce in a pan for 15 seconds and pour over the fish. Garnish with coriander leaves. Pan-seared red snapper “Celebrating summer, this dish is perfect for a Sunday brunch: fresh, light and flavourful.” Ingredients Marinade:l Red Snapper fishl80g garlic (minced)l30g fresh red and green chiliesl120ml olive oill40g corianderl60ml lemon juicel10g pepperl10g salt Garnish: l12 baby carrotsl12 asparagusl6 limes l12 mint sprigsl12 coriander sprigs l120g butter Method lFillet red snapper fish and remove any pin bones l Marinade the fish and refrigerate for 2-3 hourslPeel and scrub baby carrots and steam all vegetables lToss in butter and season well lWipe off the excess marinade from the fillets and pat dry, reserving the excess marinadel Add olive oil to a skillet over high heat. Then introduce the fillets of fish skin side downlCook on either side for 2 minuteslPlace the fish on paper towel to remove excess grease l In another pan, heat the marinade and whisk in butter. Hold warml Pour sauce over fish. Garnish plate with mint sprigs, coriander sprigs and halved limes.