For Chef Vinod Dani, of Uttarakhand, the connection with Irish food was immediate and personal. “Back home, a simple dal would simmer for four or five hours in an earthen pot. The depth of flavour and the nutrients you retain when you cook slowly, is a philosophy we grew up with,” he says. It was this tradition that he and other young chefs from Delhi picked up in their 20-day training programme at the Ballymaloe cooking school in County Cork, run by Darina Allen, a celebrity chef, known for being a ‘face’ of the slow-food movement in Ireland.
The cooking school is set in a 100-acre organic farm that produces its own vegetables, free-range meat, eggs, and dairy. A typical day at Ballymaloe began with bakery sessions, followed by the preparation of a wholesome breakfast of eggs, breads, and salads. The afternoons were devoted to kitchen classes and farm explorations. Its vegetable garden offered lessons in organic cultivation and sustainable farm practices – the chefs from Delhi made it part of their practice. The three chefs, Vinod Dani, Hari Gurung, and Pramod Kumar, who are presenting the lessons they learned at the celebrated cookery school at the Triveni Terrace Café at Triveni Kala Sangam are currently hosting a Irish food fest, a curated menu of the country’s food.
The showcase celebrates the philosophy of slow food, a movement that champions traditional cooking done with care, time, and precision. At its core are fresh vegetables, proteins, and wholesome ingredients, an approach that stands in sharp contrast to the hurried, fast-fried meals that dominate modern urban diets.
Tricks of the trade
The programme brought together around 65-70 chefs from across the world, creating a multicultural space for exchange. Over the course of the training from September 10 to 30, they were taught the fundamentals of fermentation, Irish baking traditions, chicken preparations, salads, and classic Irish dishes. Each chef curated a small menu by the end of the course, which they later presented to embassy guests at a special evening hosted at Triveni on November 20.
Chef Gurung described the experience as transformative. “It was a wonderful experience, and the main chef, Gary Masterson, was very generous,” he said. “He taught us the tricks of Irish culinary techniques and its dishes. The beetroot soup and the traditional Irish salad are, however, my creations.” Each day, he added, was a learning experience, from exploring sourdough and yeast-based breads to handling fermented varieties. “I hope to incorporate these into my cooking in the future.”
The chefs work with Red Cedar Hospitality, which operates six restaurants across the NCR, including their flagship outlet in Gurugram. Triveni Terrace Café is one of these six, making it a natural choice for bringing the Ireland experience to an Indian audience.
Both cuisines emphasise cooking styles that preserve natural flavours without overwhelming them. In India, this philosophy appears across geographies from Assam to Kerala cuisines -- all embrace natural balance over excess, mirroring the slow food ethos championed at Ballymaloe.
The menu
The first dish, the traditional Irish salad, showcased the beauty of simplicity: crisp greens, juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, and creamy hard-boiled eggs, brightened by tangy pickled beets. It celebrated freshness without overworking the ingredients.
Another standout was the beetroot soup with chive cream. With its ruby-red colour and smooth, earthy sweetness, the dish was both striking and comforting. A swirl of chive cream and a scattering of lentils added layers of texture, making the soup memorable for its richness and texture.
The main course, lamb stew, oven-roasted before being gently simmered took on a rich caramel-brown colour, its tender meat absorbing the flavours of carrots, potatoes, lentils, and onions. The result was quietly elegant: each spoonful balancing vegetable sweetness with the stew’s deep, savoury lamb richness.
No culinary experience is complete without dessert, and the Crunch Apple Crumble Tart was the piece de resistance. Nestled in a delicate crust, its tart apple notes were balanced by a medley of nuts and plump dried grapes. The first bite had the cool freshness of apples, followed by the crunch of nuts. It was elegant, simple, and perfectly executed.
Similar emphasis
For chef Dani, who has spent over two decades in the industry, the exposure felt like a natural extension of a career shaped by India’s evolving dining landscape. Since opening their first restaurant in Gurugram in 2010, Red Cedar Hospitality has grown steadily, embracing experimentation while staying rooted in regional authenticity. The Ballymaloe experience, he said, helped reconnect technique with philosophy.
From Uttarakhand dals simmered in earthen pots to oven-roasted Irish lamb stew, the culinary exchange between India and Ireland turned into a dialogue of flavours, patience, and craftsmanship. The ongoing showcase at Triveni Terrace Café, Triveni Kala Sangam (till November 30), captures this journey beautifully, offering Delhi audiences a taste of slow food, global learning, and timeless tradition.
