In this month’s edition of The Pass Chef Lina Gautam from Monty’s of Kathmandu shares her favourite ingredient and alerts us to a trend worth noting.
Favourite ingredient
Schezwan pepper.
Favourite recipe
Mustard and tomato fish curry.
Trick of the trade
Cook with love and passion.
Food Hero
My mother and aunty.
Food memory
When I was about 9 or 10 we were in lake town Pokhara from where you can see the whole range of Annapurna mountain range. Every weekend fishermen used to sell fresh water fish (similar to river trout). My mother used to fry cleaned whole fish (size of teaspoon) which was amazing.
Wish I’d known…
How to fillet a fish
Overrated
Souffle.
Trend worth noting
Fermented vegetables.
Best meal
When I was a young girl, we were travelling to attend a religious festival on some river bank. There I had flat rice with fresh mustard shoots stir fry, very simple yet the most satisfying dish – hunger is the best spice.
Indulgence
Maple pecan Plait with a nice cup of Barry’s tea.
Food Bible
Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe cooking school cookbook.
Fav. instagram account
Unlikely pairing
Chicory and pear with blue cheese.
Utensil of choice
Wok with lid.
Table for two
Candle lit dinner at home with Monty’s takeaway.
Monty’s of Kathmandu is at 28 Eustace Street, Temple Bar
