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Chef Ajay Chopra Reinvents Tamil Classics with an Umami-Packed Twist — 4 Recipes You Must Try

Miso, Tamari, and Koji meet Tamil cuisine for a bold fusion of umami and tradition. Dive into these four inventive recipes to experience the best of both worlds!

| Vaishnavi Rana
ajay

Umami, the mysterious fifth taste, isn’t just a flavor, it’s a feeling. It’s that rich, savoury hum that lingers on your tongue, like the final note of your favorite song. Discovered in 1908 by Japanese scientist Kikunae Ikeda, umami comes from glutamates and nucleotides hiding in ingredients like tomatoes, mushrooms, aged cheese, seaweed, and fermented goodies. 

Chef Ajay Chopra is adding a hint of Umami to Tamil cuisine and you're about to witness what happens when two great things come together. Picture this: ghee-poached crab idli, where sweet, buttery crab flirts with umami’s savoury embrace. Lamb uppu kari, braised into melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness. Tamarind-laced chicken pepper fry perched on a furikake-crusted uttapam, crispy, tangy, with a seaweed crunch. And for the finale? A Mysore Pak entremet, dripping with miso caramel. Try out these four chef-approved recipes and take a trip through Japan and South India in just a bite!

Molagapodi Ghee Poached Crab Idli

Idli

This dish takes the simple, fluffy idli and transforms it into something rich and flavorful with crab and spiced ghee. If you love seafood and bold flavours, this is for you!

Ingredients

  • Idli batter: 1/2 cup (fermented overnight)

  • Fresh mud crabs: 100g (cleaned and shelled)

  • Ghee: 1 tbsp

  • Kolambu masala powder: 1 tsp

  • Coconut flesh (pureed): 2 tbsp

  • Tamarind extract: 1 tsp

  • Onion: 2 tbsp, finely chopped

  • Tomato: 2 tbsp, finely chopped

  • Green chilies: 1, finely sliced

  • Ginger: 1 tsp, grated

  • Garlic: 1 tsp, minced

  • Curry leaves: 5–6 leaves

  • Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

  • Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp

  • Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp

  • Molagapodi spice blend: 1 tsp

  • Amaranth cress: A few sprigs (for garnish)

  • MSG: 1/5tsp ( for elevated umami)

  • Lemon juice: 1 tsp

Preparation

Step 1

Grease small moulds with little oil and pour in the idli batter. Steam for about 12-15 minutes until soft and bouncy. Remove from moulds and set aside.

Step 2

Boil water in a large pot, add salt, and drop in the crabs. Cook for about 5-7 minutes until they turn bright red. Take them out, let them cool, then remove the meat carefully. 

Step 3

In a pan, heat ghee and sauté chopped onions, garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Once fragrant, add tomatoes, cook until soft, then mix in kolambu masala, coconut puree, tamarind extract, and spices. 

Step 4

Add the crab meat to the sauce and stir well so it soaks up all the flavours.

Step 5

Place the idlis on a serving plate, spoon the crab mixture over them, sprinkle some molagapodi, and top with fresh amaranth cress. Squeeze some lemon juice over everything for a final zing.

Tamari Chicken Pepper Fry on Furikake-Crusted Uttapam with Tamarind Black Garlic Chutney

Chicken

A twist on the classic South Indian chicken fry, this version uses tamari (a type of soy sauce) for extra umami, paired with a crispy uttapam.

Ingredients

  • Boneless chicken thighs: 100g (diced)

  • Sesame oil: 1 tbsp

  • Shallots: 2 tbsp, finely sliced

  • Green chilies: 1, finely sliced

  • Curry leaves: 5-6 leaves

  • Garlic paste: 1 tsp

  • Chettinad masala: 1 tsp

  • Tamari (or regular soy sauce): 1 tsp

  • Uttapam batter: 1/2 cup

  • Furikake seasoning: 1 tsp

  • Tamarind black garlic chutney: 1 tbsp

  • Kewpie mayonnaise: 1 tbsp

  • Nasturtium leaves: A few (for garnish)

  • MSG: 1/4 tsp (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

In a bowl, mix chicken with tamari, sesame oil, and Chettinad masala. Let it sit for 4 hours in the fridge.

Step 2

Heat a pan, add a little oil, and fry the chicken until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove from heat and let it rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Step 3

Heat a non-stick pan, pour in a ladle of uttapam batter, and cook until small bubbles form on top. Sprinkle furikake seasoning over it and flip. Cook until golden brown.

Step 4

Place sliced chicken over the uttapam, drizzle with tamarind black garlic chutney, and add a squirt of kewpie mayonnaise. Garnish with fresh nasturtium leaves.

Koji-Marinated Lamb Shank Uppu Kari with Miso, Coin Parota & Curry Leaf Pesto

uppu Curry

If you want fall-of-the-bone lamb packed with deep flavours, this dish is a must-try! Slow-cooked lamb with a crispy crust and rich miso glaze will impress any guest with its mouth-watering aroma.

Ingredients

  • Lamb shanks: 1 (around 300g)

  • Shio koji (fermented rice marinade): 2 tbsp

  • Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

  • Small dry red chilies: 3-4, broken

  • Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

  • Curry leaves: 8-10 leaves

  • Miso paste: 1 tsp

  • Salt: to taste

  • Coin parota (store-bought or homemade): 2 pieces

  • Chili garlic oil: 1 tbsp

  • Curry leaf pesto: 1 tbsp

  • Crispy shallots: 1 tbsp

  • MSG: 1/4 tsp (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Rub the lamb shanks all over with shio koji and salt. Cover and let it sit in the fridge overnight (or at least 12 hours) to absorb the flavours.

Step 2

In a large pot, heat coconut oil and fry red chilies, curry leaves, and ginger-garlic paste until aromatic. Add the lamb shanks and sear on all sides.

Step 3

Pour in just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan, cover with a lid, and let it cook on low heat for about 3-4 hours, turning occasionally, until the meat is super tender.

Step 4

Once the liquid is mostly gone, increase the heat and fry the lamb in its own fat until it gets a crispy outer crust.

Step 5

Mix a little miso paste with water and brush it over the lamb.

Step 6

Plate the lamb with flaky coin parottas, drizzle with chili garlic oil, and add a dollop of curry leaf pesto. Sprinkle crispy shallots on top.

Miso Cashew Mysore Pak Entremet

Miso

A modern take on Mysore Pak, this dessert balances nutty, caramelised sweetness with miso’s deep umami notes.

Ingredients

Coffee Sablé Base

  • Unsalted butter: 25g

  • Icing sugar: 12.5g

  • Egg yolk: 5g (about ¼ yolk)

  • All-purpose flour: 26g

  • Cocoa powder: 2g

  • Instant espresso powder: 1g

  • Salt: A pinch

Miso Cashew Praline Crunch

  • Cashews (toasted): 25g

  • Sugar: 25g

  • Water: 5g

  • White miso: 1.25g

  • Feuilletine (optional): 12.5g

Cashew Joconde Sponge

  • Cashew flour: 25g

  • Icing sugar: 25g

  • Whole egg: 12g (about ¾ egg)

  • All-purpose flour: 6g

  • Melted butter: 5g

  • Egg white: 4.5g (about ½ egg white)

  • Caster sugar: 6g

Miso Caramel Mysore Pak Crèmeux

  • Sugar: 30g

  • Water: 10g

  • Heavy cream: 40g

  • Egg yolk: 5g (about ½ yolk)

  • White miso: 1g

  • Gelatin (bloomed): 0.4g (about ½ sheet)

  • Mysore Pak (grated or pureed): 30g

Assembly

  • Mysore Pak crumble (gold-dusted)

  • Coffee leaf shape tuile

  • Miso caramel drizzle

  • Edible gold leaf

Preparation

Step 1

Mix butter, sugar, flour, cocoa, and espresso. Roll out and bake until crisp.

Step 2

Caramelise sugar, mix with toasted cashews and miso, then spread over the base.

Step 3

Mix cashew flour, eggs, and melted butter, then bake in a thin layer.

Step 4

Heat cream, caramelise sugar, whisk in eggs, gelatin, miso, and Mysore Pak puree. Pour over the sponge layer.

Step 5

Freeze the entremet, decorate with gold leaf, and serve with black pepper ice cream. 

These recipes, crafted by Chef Ajay Chopra, serve as an invitation to explore the depths of umami within a cuisine already rich in fermentation, spices, and slow-cooked flavours. Whether it’s a humble idli or a robust uppu kari, a touch of umami transforms the familiar into something truly extraordinary. For your next dinner with friends and family, you now have four flavour-packed recipes to highlight your cooking and become the star of the evening!

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