If you think that eating rice means an array of biryanis, think again. Known as the ‘Bindas Cool Smiling Chef’, the Executive Chef of The Claridges, New Delhi, Chef Neeraj Tyagi is once again raising the bar for the innovative food fare, this time with a hot new concept: Rice Of The World.
His last successful stint was a food promotion with Salts Of The World. From salts his focus has shifted to rice and he is simply loving every bit of the repertoire he is showcasing at Pickwicks, the 24 hour multi cuisine restaurant at The Claridges, New Delhi.
“I have sourced some rare varieties of rice from 10 different countries of the world including, Thailand, Japan, Germany, Italy, USA etc. and I want my guests to sample at least a dozen manifestation of the versatile grain of rice from around the globe,” tells the visibly excited Chef Tyagi.
How he thought of rice promotion? Tyagi says, “Among the cereals, rice shares prime importance as a staple food of many cultures. The quality and texture of rice differs from region to region hence it is the most versatile ingredient to play around with and present in many culinary forms.” He adds, “Since rice plays such a significant role as an ingredient in various cuisines, we thought to have a culinary delight based on the ingredient rather than go for cuisine or region wise promotion.”
Selection Of Rice
It was indeed a difficult task for the chef to decide how to go for rice selection. He chose the most exotic ones as he says, “Our idea of doing a rice promotion is based on world cuisine so that we can cater to all kinds of discerning diners. We have selected the famous and exotic rice varieties from all around the globe like Louisiana Popcorn rice from US, Domsiah from Iran, Venere from Italy, Bomba from Spain to name a few.”
“Some of the rice varieties have got unique qualities like Popcorn rice from Louisiana give wonderful aroma of Popcorn when cooked. On the other hand, Venere rice from Italy is known for its aphrodisiac properties. Likewise, Kerala Matta rice is known to be very healthy and nutritive with zero trace of fat in it.”
Subtle flavours
Chef Tyagi has not only procured the most exotic varieties of rice but also made an attempt to prepare the very classical dishes of various regions.
For instance, one of his hot selling dish is ‘Paella ala Valencia’. It is a Classic Valancian rice preparation with seafood, chicken and chorizo sausages. He has used Bomba rice to prepare the dish. He says, “It is a Spanish short grain rice that when cooked, expands in width, it is able to absorb three times its volume in liquid, so it is one of the best rice varieties for the preparation of popular Spanish Paella recipes.”
Chef has added assorted forest mushroom and goat cheese to give a new twist to ‘Wild Rice Pancakes’. In this preparation, he has used Canadian Wild Rice which has a distinct flavour.
One interesting main dish, not to be missed is ‘Maqluba’, which translates literally as “upside down”. The chef has included a combination of meat, rice, fried vegetables and placed them in a pot to serve upside down. He has prepared it with Domsiah, an Iranian variety of rice. “It is a long grain rice, with a black spot on one end, which gives it the Persian name, meaning “Black end,” Tyagi explains.
Of course, the grand finale is Hyderabadi Gosht Dum Biryani and vegetable biryani. Needless to say, Chef Tyagi’s passion for food and cooking is displayed in each dish, through the bold combination of exotic flavors and textures. His creations are an open book of his deepest desire: to share with others what makes him happy—food. “More imaginative, more creative, and offering beyond an ongoing trend is my philosophy of cooking,” sums up Tyagi.