TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 2024
Dolcy D’Cruz
Goan Chicken Ros Pao competed against more than 200 tasty entries and with the best public ratings at the Wellington on a Plate, emerged as the winner of Burger Wellington. Created by Executive Chef Chetan Pangam of One80 Restaurant in Wellington, Goan Chicken Ros Pao was his celebration of Goa.
Visa Wellington on a Plate is the largest culinary festival in the southern hemisphere, and from 2023 will be held in both May and August. Started back in 2010 with just over 30 burgers for people to try, the festival has grown tremendously becoming a key event for people across the Wellington region, and New Zealand.
Living in New Zealand for 22 years and in Wellington for 12 years with his wife, 13-year-old son and six-year-old daughter, Chef Chetan Pangam was in Goa to visit his family in March. While his father is from Karwar and worked in the Police force across the country, his mother Ratna Narvekar Pangam from Margao kept him closer to Goa. “We used to visit Goa very often for holidays as a child and I still am very close to my relatives in Goa. I have family members in Margao, Panjim, Ponda and Mapusa. This March, I visited Goa with my family after nearly four years since Covid-19 postponed our plans. I love visiting the old places that we used to as kids. As a chef, these are the places that inspire me, the fish market, catching the sight of a poder with a hand-held horn and of course, the street food,” reminisces Chef Chetan.
When Visa Wellington on a Plate was announced this year with the theme, Breaking the Mould, the first thought that crossed Chef Chetan’s mind was the Ros Omlete, one of Goa’s favourite dishes. But it was not just any gravy that would make the cut. He loves his aunty, Sharmila Korgaonkar’s chicken xacuti, a recipe that he truly cherishes. “We love eating her xacuti gravy and I wrote all the Goan recipes from my mother and aunts. I thought of taking this humble street food and elevating it to fine dining as I have very vivid memories of that dish,” says Chef Chetan, who participated for the first time since the pandemic in the competition.
Speaking about the different elements that went into the dish, Chef Chetan explains, “I wanted to give the authentic flavours of the Ros omelette without dumbing down the spices. Instead of using fresh onion on top of the ross like how we do, I pickled the onions and added chilli and coriander to fry the omelette. The spice level was still high. I also collaborated with my friend Michael Kloeg, owner of the renowned The Clareville Bakery as the most important ingredient to make the burger work is the poiee. It would only work if the look and taste is the same. Most of the wheat in New Zealand comes from Australia but we sourced the wheat from Timaru in New Zealand and gave it the very authentic flavour with the husk on top. The poiee kept the burger really juicy. The burger was served with Vindalho Chips, prepared with malt vinegar and salt and ros in a jug with a slice of lemon.
Are there enough sources for Indian ingredients? “There are many Indian food stores in Wellington and there is no shortage of ingredients. My kitchen team was well prepped. The festival had 17 days for public voting where the burger would be served to the public and they would vote for it. We were competing against over 200 entries and we had to create a burger based on the theme. The Top 5 burgers would be put up for a few more days where the judges would decide on the best burger,” explains Chef Chetan.
Besides the festival, Chef Chetan was also working in his restaurant, One80° Restaurant, which is on the seventh floor of a 118-rooms hotel, Copthorne Hotel Wellington, Oriental Bay. “The team for the festival worked very hard to see that right from the first to the last, every burger went out the same. There was consistency and without the team’s planning, it would not be the same. The burger was trending from the start and that automatically pushed us ahead in the race. A reporter from New Zealand also featured a piece on The Spinoff on Indian inspired burgers on which Goan Chicken Ros Pao was on the top,” adds Chef Chetan.
Post the announcement of the burger winning the competition, the restaurant lines have been buzzing as they have already received over a 100 reservations just to try the burger. The prize for Burger Wellington presented by Garage Project includes free festival entry for 2024, and a special collaboration brew with craft beer icons, Garage Project. “I get to brew my own beer and I was thinking of doing something closer to home. I was toying with the idea of kokum, feni and cashews but it’s too early to decide,” says Chef Chetan Pangam, as he enjoys his moment of victory
