Gluten-free Goan Spiced Bruschetta

Introduce

Chef :

Cindy Nguyen

Gluten-free Goan Spiced Bruschetta

I was inspired by The Terrace Kitchen, who is always creative when she revisits classic recipes to add her twist to it, whether she is reinterpreting Indian classics, or adding an Indian twist to timeless Western recipes.

Ingredient

2 slices

rice bread

100 g

tomatoes

25 g

onions

1/2 teaspoon

goan spice mix

25 g

violife cheese

10 g

Italian basil

Cooking instructions

* Step 1

I had homemade homemade rice bread. Some goan spice mix — totally expired but still fragrant! Violife vegan cheese because I don’t consume dairy.

* Step 2

I wanted to use the veg’ cheese as warm component, so I layered that on top of the bread slices to toast in the oven while I prepare the fresh goan tomato topping.

* Step 3

Like a lot of spices, the fragrance awakens when it has a bit of contact with heat. I slightly roasted a good 1/2 teaspoon of goan spice mix (whole spices go a long way) until I heard 1 or 2 pops and put the contents in my mortar and pestle to grind. I set that aside to prepare my tomatoes.

* Step 4

For my cold and fresh topping, I diced my tomatoes and onions. Check that your knife is sharp and cut safely. Put the mixture in a mixing bowl and add your goan mix and balsamic dressing to toss it all together. By now your toasted bread slices should be ready and you can prepare the basil.

* Step 5

I had a lot of Italian basil left, so I was very generous and determined to use it all in this dish. I used some to chiffonade in the mixture, the baby leaves to decorate, and some of the large ones as a resting spot for my tomato mixture.

* Step 6

The most difficult part of the recipe was toasting the spice mix, because I used whole spices. Feel free to use pre-ground if this is your comfortable option. It’s my attempt at marrying Indian and Italian flavours, and it turned out delicious.

* Step 7

To me, fusion cuisine isn’t offensive as long as you respect the key components of the recipes. For instance, I chose Indian spices to marry with an Italian base, because by default, tomatoes are key ingredients in some of the most beautiful curry gravies.