What’s your most favorite ingredient to work with?
White Winter Truffles and Saffron, to be specific. I am a great fan of local produce.
If not chef, what would have been your alternate career option?
Maybe maxillofacial surgeon as I always wanted to be a doctor.
Do you also cook at home? If no, why?
Yes, I do cook at home on a regular basis because cooking for me is the biggest stress reliever. Also, it’s the only time where I cook as per my own demands. My wife is a professional cake artist, so I love to admire and assist her in building her passion with the small cake studio.
Do you give cooking tips to your family members? How do they react?
No, definitely not. It’s never a safe option to do so.
What are your hobbies, apart from cooking?
Music and watching cricket matches. I also have a fair interest in numismatics and philately.
Do you watch cooking shows/ reality shows? If yes, which shows and contestants are your favourites?
My favourite is MasterChef Australia. To name a few, I loved the way Sashi Cheliah cooked in the last season. Also Gary Mehigan, as I love his style of cooking – super rustic and full of flavours.
What is your family’s most favorite dish that you prepare?
Home-style chicken curry/ rice flour Bhakri and Komdicha Tamda Rassa ani Taandalachi Bhakri, all in the Maharashtrian way!
If it were your last day on earth, where and what would you love to eat?
I would love to eat curried eggs with chapati prepared by my mother.
What’s been your worst/funniest kitchen incident?
There are many funny incidents, but thankfully there have been no worst ones. I managed all such situations well in the past 15 years
Any famous personalities you’d like to cook for? What would you cook for them?
I would like to cook for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is a great personality of our era. I am keen to interact with him and understand his hardwork in life and take motivation from it. I shall keep it simple when it comes to cooking for him – de-constructed Gujarati snacks like Dhokla/Khandvi and Locho, White Dabka Kadhi, Ponk Khichdi, Lilwa Kachori and more.
– Chef Prasad Metrani, Executive Chef, Fairmont