Recipes of the heart and home
From Veeraswamy in London established in 1926 to Quilon in St James Park, Indian cuisine has influenced dining in England by going beyond mulligatawny and chicken tikka.
Many Indian chefs have stormed the citadel over the decades to London, establishing cutting-edge fine dine Indian restaurants. Many fell by the side but some survived and thrived. Chef Rohit Ghai is one of the latter.
Having worked at established names in the restaurant scene like Benares, Hoppers, Gymkhana, and Trishna he joined the Leela Palace Hotels to launch Jamavar—a Michelin star Indian restaurant which established his reputation in the highly competitive world of haute cuisine.
Ghai is the first Indian chef to win a Michelin star within a year. Now the Punjab boy is back in the news in another shore with the Aangan at the Shangri La Al Husn in Muscat, Oman.
With restaurants in London, Dubai and Marrakesh, is it a natural extension to open shop in Muscat? “Aangan came to life with the idea of bringing authentic Indian cuisine to this part of the world.
Muscat’s rich culture and the beauty of the Shangri-La Al Husn were a perfect match. I wanted to recreate the courtyard theme that reflects traditional Indian gathering space, creating a warm, inviting spot for people to come together and experience Indian flavours,” he explains.
Like many chefs, Ghai’s inspiration to cook came from his mother. “I grew up in Punjab, where my love for food began in my mother’s kitchen. Watching her cook and seeing how meals brought people together brought a spark in my mind.
The path to becoming a chef was less of a defined goal and more about following my passion for Indian flavours,” he says. After studying cooking in Delhi and working at the Taj and Oberoi hotels, he moved to London to realise his ambition.
Ask him about his favourite local Omani dish and he promptly says, “Shuwa, a slow cooked Omani goat or lamb dish. Its slow-cooked tenderness reminds me of Indian slow-cooking traditions. I also love the halwa.”
While shuwa or other Omani dishes don’t feature on the Aangan menu, Ghai insists on using as many local ingredients as possible, allowing the food to be authentic in Indian and Omani flavours.
Was Muscat ready for robust Indian tastes or did he have to tone down spice levels? “When I approach a new location, I try to find a fine balance for spice levels. While I occasionally make tweaks on special request, I don’t change recipes drastically,” he says.
Picking his favourites from the Aangan menu, Ghai chooses food that reminds him of home. “I personally love aloo tikki and keema pao. But I’m a simple man, so my go-to comfort meal after a long day is dal-chawal—it’s soothing and soul satisfying,” he says with a wide smile. Pity, the humble dal-chawal is not on the menu.
Sago Vada
Ingredients
• Sago: 350 gm
• Potato: 150 gm
• Coriander: 20 gm
• Green chilli: 10 gm
• Beetroot: 250 gm
• Ginger: 10 gm
• Cumin: 10 gm
• Roasted peanut: 75 gm
• Salt to taste
Method
• Soaked sago in fresh water for 15 minutes
• Mix soaked sago with mashed potatoes, fresh coriander leaves, chopped green chilli, roasted cumin, roasted peanuts, and salt
• Make round patties of the mix
• Deep fry till golden and crispy
“The journey to becoming a chef was less about a defined goal and more about following my passion for Indian flavours.” Rohit Ghai