BENGALURU: Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi was in town to launch his latest restaurant Twist of Tadka, last week. Located inside Hotel Stylotel, on Residency Road, the restaurant has up-market interiors with wooden flooring and polished glass tables.
Here, luxury is affordable. For only `400, one can eat an entire north Indian Thali in silver cutlery, which can easily be mistaken for a show piece.
Through his unconventional approach, Harpal Singh Sokhi has introduced some “twists” or innovations to the common kebab. “Usually the kebab is made of meat, but I have tried to mix betroot and amla for a healthy something,” says Harpal Singh.
Another starter, mushroom gallouti, is inspired from dabbas in Lucknow. “Mixing the mouth-watering gallouti kebab with the vegetarian mushroom is a unique combination I wanted to try,” says Harpal.
If you like dal, Twist of Tadka has a one-of-a-kind Dal Story – a platter of four types of dals, which are Dal Paneer Burja, Dal Unda ka Tadka, Dal Adarak Mirch and Dal Kheema.
This is inspired by a childhood memory. “My maternal uncle used to take my family out to dabbas, where the dal was added to the mutton curry,” he says. “I was astonished by the combination. It was exciting for me as a child, and so I have tried to incorporate that into making the Dal Story.”
Lastly, the Mirchi ka Halwa is a spicy twist to the all-time favourite dessert. Harpal founded Turban Tadka Hospitality after the popularity of his show on Food Network. He also exports food frozen to the US, through Raji, a company that he endorses. “Kebabs, meals, wraps and chutney are sent abroad,” he says. In a chat with City Express, he tells us about his South Indian connect:
What were your early days in the hospitality industry like?
The scope was limited to hotels in those days. Whoever did not choose to work in a hotel, would teach. Since I came from a small town, I was fascinated with the hotel ambiance. In the earlier days, you would not be allowed to go into the restaurant in the chef’s uniform. I broke that taboo.
Could you share a few fond memories?
I was working in the butchery at the Oberio in Bhubaneshwar. It was a small hotel with limited man-power. So, one day, I was asked to fillet 350kg of fish in three hours. In 1987, on a New Year’s eve, the head chef came to me and said that I have to peel crabs the entire night for a crab cocktail. When he came back the next morning, I was not half way through. Till today, I tell people that I don’t know how to peel crabs.
Tell me about your South Indian connect?
In Khadagpur (in West Bengal, where he grew up), there are many people from Andhra. They mostly work for the railways. My mother used to ask our neighbors how to make idli and dosa. We used to have papu charu and tomato chutney. I still have upma once a week.
How did the begum of Hyderabad influence your cooking?
In the course of my career I joined Vintage as a continental chef, but the restaurant was predominantly Hyderabadi. Through a hotel resource, I become acquainted with Begum Mumtaz Khan. She taught me the right combination of spices with sheered mutton. For instance, how sahi jeera and black cardamom are added to pathar ka gosht. She also taught me the different masalas to be added to different biryanis.