COOKERY
What attracted you to acting?
Just like yoga, fitness etc appeal to some people,as far as I am concerned, cooking is a way of life my way of religion.I was inspired to take up cooking thanks to my mother who used to tell me that one should always focus on whatever one is doing in life. I am a farmer’s son. Since hardly any one who hails from Rajasthan takes up the job of a Chef, I was the first and only one from my village who became a 90%. Though I am now a Chef most of the people in my family are under the impression that I am only making bhajiyas and samosas in the hotel.
Did you ever think that cooking is not a man’s job?
The trend earlier was that housewives used to cook the best.Theirs is the most tough job because they train the next generatioln. I never hesitated to be a chef. Even today I go to my mother to ask for the recipe of any dish which she cooks.Even if I become a big chef, I would love to eat whatever my mother cooks at home. Even today I cannot make pyaaj ki subji like my mother makes at home.
Why do you think that today there is clamour for the job of the chef?
Today because the chefs are visible on every TV show in every cookery show, every one wants to take up the job of the chef. In 1973 when Hotel Bokhara was opened, the chef’s job was never glamorised because TV was not there and I remember we used to rush to buy the copies of the issues of Navbharat whenever a chef’s interview used to be published. Media had not proliferated at that point of time.
Who trained you in your job?
I had no academic qualifications. I started working in a canteen in Nagpur. From there I hopped on to different jobs in different hotels and restaurants. I first joined The Oberoi in 2001. When I was working in Khandahar was a little scared because Chefs used to slap me whenever I used to do any mistake. My ustads were Narayan Singh Deora and Anish Padgaonkar. I have also worked with Joy Bhattacharya, who was the Executive Chef at the Oberoi.
What made you take up the job of the Chef?
If your soul is not clean and you are not adept at cooking with your own hands, you cannot end up as Chef.I first became Line Staff. Then I became the Sou Chef, and then the Commy at The Oberoi for five years. Even today when I make an attempt to try out something new, I make it a point to go to Joy Sir and take his advice. I have worked at Grand Hyatt as Supervisor, Then I worked at Hotel Renaissance and also at Novotel.
What is your forte as a Chef?
My speciality is Indian cuisine- both vegetarian as well as non vegetarian. There are Maharaj chefs who do not eat non vegetarian dishes but do not shy away from making non vegetarians dishes, because they are employed by the hotel to serve the clients who come there to eat. A Chef is the backbone of any restaurant. Every Chef has his own personal touch. Whenever Jackie Shroff comes to my restaurant he asks for his favorite bhaingan ka bharta. Jeetendra and Rakesh Roshan do not eat after 8 pm. In fact Jeetusaab does not eat his dinner after 8 pm. he is very particular about it. He used to ask me to make Nalli Ki Nazakat, a meat dish he is extremely fond of eating.
Do you have any interesting experiences with any celebrities who have visited your hotels?
Daler Mehndi has always been very fond of eating. Another friend of mine is Satish Kaushik who has already opened two restaurants in New Delhi and is planning to start his next restaurant too. The timing of Akshay Kumar is the best that I have seen ever though at one time he was subse bada belagaam.Today he is the most disciplined as far as food health are concerned. Though I have fed many actresses, I have hardly inter acted with most of them.
How many TV shows you have hosted so far as a Chef?
I had hosted more than 10 episodes for Zee Khana Khazana. I have interacted with Purab Kohli, Divya Dutta, Gul Panag, Barkha Bisht and Tushar Kapoor. I did the show The Great Indian Global Kitchen for the channel Care World. Now I am also hosting for the cooking channel of Videocon for which besides me four other Chefs are also hosting shows, including Ajay Chopra.
What are your future plans?
My future plan is to start a restaurant which will make you happy with traditional food which is also modern and trendy and what’s more healthy for your life style
Do you cook in your kitchen at home?
I am not allowed inside the kitchen in my house. My wife takes the complete control of the kitchen.My wife makes the best nachni ki baakri for breakfast for us.
Have you won any award?
For me the biggest award is when poeople who eat what I cook come to me after having their food that they loved my preparation. It is for me bigger than any award. I cherish promoting Indian food independently. Indian food offers you everything in one thali unlike foreign dishes. Our thali is always colorful and healthy. I am sure that a day would eventually come when Indian food will be available in every nook and corner of the world, because our thali is always colorful.I should know because over the years, In have travelled over 17 countries all over the world
You are the first in your family to become a Chef. Like an actor’s son becomes an actor and an engineer’s son becomes an engineer, do you plan to let your kid if any also to take up the job of the Chef?
The best thing about this new generation is that jisko jo ban-na hai woh wohi banega. Today there is no necessity for a doctor’s son to become a doctor or an engineer’s son to become wife, though it is intersting to note that often an actor’s son also becomes an actor. Today a CEO is some one who is even 30 years old though not many years ago, we used to bump into only CEOs who were 50 Plus category.
Do you have a healing recipe which you offer to cure people suffering from ailments?
There was no doctor in our village to treat us whenever we used to get sick but over the years we have been handed different recipes by our elders to treat people. I have also with me healthy recipes which I call healing recipes to cure people of their diseases. I apply Dadaji Ke Nukse in recipes and often come up with Dhaniya Ki Chai.
Asharfion ki shami
INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS
200 Gms chicken supreme. 2 tbsp. pistachio powder1 large onion2 tbsp. chana dal1 tbsp. Ginger garlic paste1tsp. rose petal powder1 tsp. green chilli paste½ tsp. cinnamon powder½ tsp. turmeric powder½ tsp. yellow chilli powder2 ml. Rose water4 pinch of saffron string1 tbsp. Poppy seed paste2 tbsp. desi ghee2 tbsp. milkSalt to taste4 no Edible gold leaf.
METHOD:
•Wash and Boil chana dal, pass it through a fine strainer and mashed it. Keep it to cool down
•Thinly slice the onion and deep fry it on a very slow flame till golden brown Color. Puree it to a smooth paste with a dash of water.
•Soak the saffron in warm milk for 20 mins
•Wash and pat dry the supreme chicken and remove the veins from the centre and minced it finely.
•Take a mixing bowl, keep the chicken mince, add brown onion paste and chana dal and mix it thoroughly with the palm. Add all the ingredients one by one except gold leaf. Add 1 tbsp. ghee in the mixture.
•Now with the palm rub it continuously to make nice soft dough for around 10 mins.
•Keep the mixture in the chillier to cool down for around 10 mins
•Divide the mixture in 4 parts, take a round mould and make round coin like patties.
•On a non-stick pan, shallow fry the patty with ghee till light brown from both side cooked.
•Coating the patty with gold leaf and sprinkle with pistachio powder, serve hot.
KesarElaichi Bite
INGREDIENTS INGREDIENTS
300 grm hunk curd2 pinch saffron (socked in warm water)½ tsp. green cardamom powder2 tbsp. castor sugar1 tbsp. whipped cream10 nos. pistachios for garnish (socked in warm water)
METHOD:
Take a mixing bowl add hunk curd, whisked well, make sure that there will be no lumps. Whisked till get nice creamy texture, now add castor sugar, cardamom powder, saffron and whipped cream. Mix well till get flappy and smooth mixture. Now take silicon moulds. Pour mixture into the moulds and keep in to the deep fridge for 2 to 3 hours. Then demould it and garnish with rose petals and pistachios. Serve cold.
