Vishnu Manohar is not just a Master Chef. He is a former commercial artiste, restaurant owner, Limca record holder for the longest paratha ever made, an author of famous books like “Secrets of Indian Gravy,” an animal lover and an actor, all rolled into one! He is the Executive Chef for the Manohar Group, which provides professional catering services for the past 24 years in Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad and Thane. He owns the famous restaurant chain Vishnuji Ki Rasoi. Vishnu Manohar is popular for his finger licking fusion dishes. His specializes in Maharashtrian Tadka that he adds to his signature dishes which are highly appreciated amongst food lovers in Central India. Vishnu Manohar’s story is a real inspiration for the young aspirants who wish to take up Food & Hotel industry as a career. His aspiration to tickle the taste buds of Indians made him to craft a niche in the hotel Industry. In an exclusive interview with Sandeep Hattangadi, the renowned chef, who has taught cookery to lakhs of people all over the world, voices his thoughts.
How did you get into this profession?
I was influenced by my parents and there was a foodie kind of atmosphere at home and as a boy I would help out in the various functions that were held near my house and I would help out in the catering and that’s how I developed an affinity for this culinary art and decided that I would be a Chef and get into the catering and hotel business.
Do you regret not doing a Hotel Management Course and work in a five star hotel?
Not really. Because most students who come to me tell me that what they learn on the job with me in six months, they even can’t learn in three years of Hotel management course in a good college or a five star. I consider that as a compliment but yes, on hindsight I wish I had done a course in Hotel Management.
You are also a popular TV personality.
Yes. I have done many cookery shows for Doordarshan and radio shows too but my longest running show was Mejwani on ETV Marathi which ran for a record 1000 episodes and made me a star chef and I got worldwide fame with this show and I was showered with love by my fans all over and experienced many surprising situations when a lady with her child came to me asking to be blessed to be a good cook and I had a big laugh on this.
There are other popular cookery show hosts like Prashant Damle, Sharvari Lohkare, and Sampada Kulkarni Inamdar.
Yes. They are good and I enjoy watching their shows especially those hosted by Prashant Damle because he is a complete natural and has the art of making people comfortable and getting the best of recipes from his guests.
How have things changed over the years in this business?
When I started out there were hardly any takers for this job and there was no glamour in this profession but now a lot of glamour has come into this profession and also a lot of money has come in and it’s considered to be a top profession.
What is your advice to budding chefs?
Be ready to work hard and with a lot of discipline and also the urge to learn new things and not be tired and remain keen on whatever you study and not be tied down by the glamour in this business. And always be ready to give good service to customers even if it means picking up soiled dishes.
Do you enjoy vegetarian dishes more or non-veg dishes?
I like to eat vegetarian dishes only but can prepare the best of non-vegetarian dishes for my customers especially the tandoori dishes.
Recently you created a world record.
Yes. I broke a USA record of non-stop cooking for 52 hours in Nagpur. The cooking marathon started on April 21 at 8 am in Nagpur.The event had live music, cameras, and watchful jury sitting at the side of the stage. The loud of cries of ‘Ganpati Bappa Morya’ filled the air every hour. The event was organized under the banner Maitri Pariwar Sanstha and was held at PT Mase hall at Institute Engineer in Nagpur.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER LASAGNA
Ingredients:
1. 1 ½ pounds cauliflower (3/4 of a medium head)
2. Salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. ¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes.
4. 3 cups marinara sauce, preferably homemade from fresh or canned tomatoes.
5. 7 to 8 ounces no-boil lasagna.
6. 8 ounces ricotta cheese.
7. 2 tablespoons water, vegetable stock or chicken stock.
8. Pinch of cinnamon.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.Toss the cauliflower in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Spread the florets in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until tender and golden brown in spots, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool slightly.Put the tomatoes in a medium bowl and use your hands to crush them. Rinse the can with 1 1/2 cups water and add it to the bowl of tomatoes.Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil with 4 cloves sliced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small Dutch oven over medium heat until the garlic begins to sizzle and becomes aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir to incorporate, about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes with their juice and 4 large leaves of basil. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 40 minutes. You should have about 3 3/4 cups of sauce.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Drop the lasagna noodles one at a time into the pot. Cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain the noodles in a colander. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons oil to the noodles, tossing to coat to prevent them from sticking, and drape over the side of a large bowl.Combine the ricotta, egg, 1 1/2 cups of the roasted cauliflower and 1 chopped clove garlic in a food processor and pulse until evenly pureed. Tear the remaining basil into small pieces, add to the food processor and pulse 3 to 4 more times to chop the basil finely, but not puree. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.Assemble the lasagna: Spread a thin layer of sauce (around 1/4 cup) on the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Lay 4 of the noodles on the bottom, without overlapping, cutting to fit, if necessary. Spread with half of the cauliflower-ricotta mixture, followed by half of the roasted cauliflower, one-third of the tomato sauce, one-third of the mozzarella and one-third of the Parmesan. Loosely fit 3 more noodles on top of the cheese without overlapping. Spread with the remaining cauliflower-ricotta mixture, followed by the remaining roasted cauliflower, one-third more of the tomato sauce, one-third more of the mozzarella and one-third more of the Parmesan. Top with the remaining 4 lasagna noodles, cutting just to fit. Then add the remaining tomato sauce, mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until bubbly and hot, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook until the cheese begins to brown, about 10 minutes more. Allow to rest for 10 minutes so the lasagna will cut more easily. Garnish with parsley.
