Imagine having some soothing chai — a Hyderabadi thing to do, right? Now, would you tread the adventurous road and try Mushroom Chai? Well, this was one of the most intriguing dishes at ‘Pehchaan’, Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra’s pop-up at Raen - The Chef’s Studio, The Leela Hyderabad. The two phenomenal chefs behind this and more interesting dishes were Chef Vikrant Sablok, co-head chef at Masala Library, and Chef Prince. CE caught up with Chef Vikrant, who spoke about his journey, Mushroom Chai, Haleem, and more.
Reflecting on his experience at The Leela, Chef Vikrant said, “Leela is a lovely canvas for a chef. The clean kitchens, new equipment, and warm staff make for a great experience. Raen’s concept is truly unique, and Hyderabad is the ideal city to host such pop-ups.”
Interestingly, the chef is an alumnus of The Culinary Academy of India in Begumpet. “Chef Akshay and Chef Sudhakar, prominent figures in Hyderabad’s culinary education scene, mentored me. I worked at ITC Kakatiya and was a pre-opening chef at ITC Kohenur before moving on to roles in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bengaluru,” he added.
Chef Vikrant shared that he opened Burma Burma in Hyderabad, after which he embarked on a journey of experimenting with Indian cuisine, travelling to six different cities over two months. “I came back and joined the Masala Library as a head chef,” he said.
He revealed that Chef Prince and he have contrasting cooking philosophies. “While Prince is more inspired by contemporary elements and artwork and prefers precision, I’m drawn to crude authenticity. I want to uncover the deep, rich flavours behind dishes — their stories and traditions,” he explained, adding that the pop-up menu was designed in a postcard format, inspired by his travels. “He and I put a lot of thought into these dishes, squabbling over what should make the cut and testing out different versions,” the chef noted.
Chef Vikrant enthusiastically shared the creative concept behind the Mushroom Chai. “We were in Pahalgam, a small town in Kashmir, where we were served kava — it brought us back to life amid the harsh weather. Kashmir is also known for its exceptional morel mushrooms, so we decided to combine one of our favourite ingredients with one of our favourite beverages from the region,” he pointed out, explaining, “We started by using dried and fresh mushrooms, which we combined with herbs and spices before deciding to distill them into a consommé. We followed a clarification process, and once the liquid turned golden, we added a touch of sugar. Then, inspired by the idea of tea, we took the mushrooms we had used for the stock, cut and cleaned them, dehydrated them, and transformed them into chai-like leaves.”
Embracing the haleem season, the chef served Haleem with Meethi Roti on the side. His idea was to tone down the spiciness of the haleem by introducing the sweetness of the roti. “When I was in Hyderabad in 2016, I was very picky about food. But as I started exploring Hyderabadi food, I realised how beautifully unique it was. When we decided to make haleem at Masala Library, we did it with smoked duck, but since we were just in Hyderabad and have utmost respect for Hyderabadi cuisine, we did it with lamb and jackfruit,” he noted, crediting his friend’s mother for making ‘the best haleem on the planet’. “In fact, my spice blend is inspired by her recipe,” he revealed.
Chef Vikrant is thinking about coming to Hyderabad again. He said, “I will definitely go to Old City and grab some Shadab biryani and kebabs. I like Babai Bojanam too; they used to offer a beautiful version of Royala Vepudu, which is prawn fry served with steamed rice, ghee and podi. That was my favourite meal here.”