CHENNAI: I have been in the world of cuisines for the past 27 years. The baker in me awakened as a kid when I made a cake for my family and relatives for Christmas. That became a tradition; whenever there was a festival, I made a cake. But, I took hotel management in 1986, not because I was passionate about cooking, but because of the pressure I had when I graduated in Chemistry. I started with Taj Group as a trainee. I grew there till I became the executive chef.
I specialise in continental cuisines. Even though I tried my hand in Lebanese and Mediterranean, I feel I am better at continental…maybe because I am a big fan of seafood. My personal favourite is Thai pan-fried fish. What changed my entire perception of being a chef is the exposure I got when I was in the UK. There, I realised how different the role of a chef was from here. The chef owns the restaurant there. He decides everything, from the size of the kitchen to the menus. But here someone else will decide to start a restaurant and then they hire a chef.
They provide more space for eating and dining while the kitchen is shrunk to a quarter of the area. Eventually, the chef loses his/her importance. The western trend is slowly coming to India. Maybe, that’s one reason I became a freelance consultant. I travel a lot. When I travel by road, I make sure I try the street food of that particular area. If it fascinates or interests me, I will try that in my recipe. I am all in for fusing cuisines. There are people who think that fusing multiple cuisines will affect the individuality of a recipe. But, I would say, it’s all perception.
If I want pure Punjabi cuisine, then I will be happy with my rotis and dal makhani. If I want something different, then I will add some lemon or a western mix for a different twist. As chefs, we have to keep evolving. We cannot stick on to a recipe or menu for too long. If the chef is not the brain behind a restaurant, then the restaurant will inevitably have a slow death. I never know when an idea will strike. Sometimes, it will be just before going to bed. Sometimes, it’s while watching a movie. But I note down whatever comes to my mind and process everything in the end. I always wanted to experiment with the presentation of South Indian dishes.
I feel they are always about taste. It is arguably the tastiest regional cuisine, but it is not presented well. In our chef community, there is saying that goes — a dish that’s presented well makes the customer hungry and satisfied. So, I want to work on the perception of the customer and also find how these dishes can be presented in a better way.
Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients
Mushrooms: 600 g
Stuffing mixture:
240 g
Flour batter: 100 g
Toasted bread
crumbs: 100 g
Oil to fry
Flour and lemon juice to clean mushrooms
Stuffing Mix
Cheddar cheese grated: 160 g
Chilli flakes: 10 g
Fresh bread crumbs: 70 g
Preparation
Wash mushrooms thoroughly with flour and lemon juice.
Pluck out stems and dry the caps over paper towels.
Prepare stuffing mixture by mixing all three ingredients together.
Stuff mushrooms with the cheese mixture.
Prepare batter using flour and water to a thick coating consistency.
Toss battered mushrooms in toasted bread crumbs to get a fine coat.
Keep refrigerated for an hour.
Fry mushrooms in medium hot oil till golden brown.
Serve hot with hot garlic sauce.
Nadru Ka Shammi (Lotus Stem Kebab)
Ingredients
Fresh lotus stem: 350 g
Channa dal: 130 g
Crushed black peppercorns: 15 g
Turmeric powder: 5 g
Cumin powder: 2 g
Red chilli flakes: 5 g
Onion, finely
chopped: 20 g
Ginger, finely
chopped: 10 g
Green chillies, finely chopped: 10 g
Coriander leaves, chopped: 10 g
Preparation
Wash lotus stem thoroughly and dry over paper towels. Chop it finely.
Boil channa dal and mash to fine pasty texture.
Add all dry ingredients to Channa dal and mix well.
Heat a skillet to medium heat.
Drizzle oil onto pan and place .
Divide the kebab mixture to even sized balls.
Gently flatten each ball to a flat kebab.
Place kebabs on the hot pan.
Cook on either side for two minutes.
Remove from pan and serve hot with mint chutney.