Join Hoppers London & Samsung KX for a Virtual Cookalong this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day may be looking different this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be special. Whether you’re at home with loved ones or trialling virtual dating, shake up the celebrations with the Samsung KX Connected cookalong; the ultimate digital dining experience hosted in collaboration with award-winning restaurant, Hoppers King’s Cross.

Famous for its Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine, guests across the UK are invited to join a virtual culinary class with Hoppers Director, Karan Gokani, in rustling up the signature dish, ‘Banana Leaf Bream’. Boasting a show stopping spicy fish supper, he guarantees to get taste buds tingling.

This marks part one in the ‘Restaurants from Home with Samsung KX’ series, which will see local chefs and restaurateurs revealing how to create the nation’s top dine out dishes, powered by the latest Samsung technology, for viewers to follow at home.

Karan Gokani, Director, Hoppers Restaurants, comments:
“Valentine’s is a moment to be shared with those that you love, not slaving away in the kitchen. This unique and fragrant dish will become one you keep going back to, but most importantly, it is quick and simple to put together, with your oven doing most of the hard work!”

Using the new Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G smartphone, Karan will demonstrate the seamlessness of connected cooking, from easy pre-preparation of ingredients via the Samsung Family Hub™ fridge to remotely controlling the temperature of the Samsung Dual Cook Flex™ oven, all thanks to the power of Samsung SmartThings.

Once the hard work is done, he’ll be sharing his simple tips in how to create mouth-watering snaps of the final dish using the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G, a flagship for the bold that pushes the boundaries of what a smartphone can do. This cutting-edge new device offers a best-in-class epic camera experience, with Samsung’s most advanced pro-grade camera system, enabling users to capture stunning, studio-quality photos in various settings, or shoot and edit videos with a toolbox of new AI-powered features that elevate every shot.

Ahead of the day itself, Karan shares his top tips for this cook-at-home Hoppers experience:
• Compliment the spices of the fish dish with a zingy side salad, tossing the leaves with punchy flavours such as root ginger and fresh lime. Pair with a chilled bottle of dry Riesling for the ultimate finish.

• If you’re going all out with three courses, ensure that you include a cold starter, keeping your Bream on a low temperature whilst you eat, and have a pre-prepared dessert. In fact, if you have a Samsung Dual Cook Flex™ oven the dual door system allows you to cook two dishes at different temperatures so you can bake your chosen sweet treat to perfection, whilst your main keeps warm!

• Whether with company, or sharing a virtual dining experience, elevate the setting with some bright florals, candles and focus on the finer details such as tying the cutlery into a bundle with ribbon or twine to create a focal point on your plate. Most importantly, have good music to set the mood. For a fully immersive Hoppers experience, we’ve shared a link to our favourite playlist but if you’re looking for something a little more relaxed and romantic, you can’t go wrong with some nice Jazz in the background.

Guests can tune into this unmissable experience on the 14th February from 6pm on the Samsung KX Hub.

The full ingredients and equipment list needed for the session is listed below for viewers to prepare in advance and follow along at home.
Hopper’s Banana Leaf Bream (Serves two)
• 1 whole sea bream scaled and gutted, or 2 fillets
• 150g fresh coriander
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1-inch ginger
• 1 green chillies
• 1 stem fresh lemongrass, (remove the drier, huskier layers and use only the first 2-3 inches of the white bit at the bottom)
• 3 tbsp fresh grated coconut, or 2 tbsp desiccated coconut soaked for 30 mins
• 6-8 curry leaves (ideally fresh)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 cardamom pod, seeds only
• ½ tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp tamarind paste
• 1/3 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp coconut oil, or any neutral oil
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 lime, to serve
• 1 large fresh Banana Leaf (you can use baking paper if you can’t find fresh banana leaves)
• Kitchen Foil
• A food processor or blender
• Side salad of your choice and bottle of Riesling (optional)