Gone are the days of red and yellow curries,bevy of chutneys and an overdose of strong flavor. Taking each ingredient and respecting its to the maximum, cuisine is prepared with the utmost respect. Respecting the integrity also means limiting the number of ingredients in a dish to as few as possible. Fewer flavors confuse the palate less and preserve the respect for each individual ingredient to a greater extent.
Once upon a time, in an Indian restaurant near you, there was a rowdy Saturday night crowd, boisterously tucking into onion bhajis, mounds of lurid red chicken tikka masala and towers of greasy papadams to rival the one in Pisa. There was flock wallpaper and gilded flourishes galore, waiters in dickie bows and lots of corny sitar music. And the Cobra beer flowed and flowed. Close your eyes and imagine Indian cuisine - sinful desserts laden in oversized kadais, rich lentils simmered with spices served with a dollop of cream and butter, sprigs of cilantro added as an afterthought, flat-breads stacked high and glazed with butter. The portions are large, the focus is on quantity, and are served with a rustic touch. Restaurants rustle up the authentic Indian touch by ensuring food is served in the customary kadais and metal bowls. But things began to change. Indian food started to go upmarket. It modernized.. Like the colorful panoply of subcontinental
food, contemporary Indian cuisine is varied and eclectic, with myriad styles, interpretations and plot twists. But in the epic story of Indian food, it may well be a pivotal chapter. The post modern Indian cuisine is all about technique .Yes, there is a method to this madness that is driving people nuts over the traditional Indian recipes the world over. And now its not just chefs who rustle up post-modern wonders We also have on board microbiologists ,florists,industrial craftsmen lending that extra touch. Progressive Indian food is rustled up in a kitchen resembling a science lab, exuding liquid nitrogen fumes. Today Indian cuisine has moved beyond the realms of fusion gourmet. Modern Indian cuisine is making rapid strides. Innovative cuisine is evolving taste ,texture and presentation . Now its about the four P’s —Passion,Presentation,Pairing and a hint of pink! which connotes creativity and experimentation.
Are you passionate about cooking. Do you have a creative mind? Are you analytical and logical? Then molecular gastronomy could likely become your passion. Molecular gastronomy cooking requires a good balance of left and right brain thinking. Molecular Gastronomy blends physics and chemistry to transform the tastes and textures of food. The scientific discipline that studies the physical and chemical processes that occur while cooking. The result, New and innovative dining experiences. The term Molecular Gastronomy is commonly used to describe a style of cuisine in which chefs explore culinary possibilities by borrowing tools from the science lab and ingredients from the food industry. Molecular gastronomy seeks to investigate and explain the chemical reasons behind the transformation of ingredients, as well as the social, artistic and technical components
of culinary and gastronomic phenomena. Molecular gastronomy experiments have resulted in new innovative dishes like hot gelatins, airs, faux caviar, spherical ravioli, crab ice cream and olive oil spiral. When people hear the words molecular gastronomy or molecular cuisine for the first time they often mistakenly view it as unhealthy, synthetic, chemical, dehumanizing and unnatural. This is not surprising given that molecular gastronomy often relies on fuming flasks of liquid nitrogen, led-blinking water baths, syringes, tabletop distilleries, PH meters and shelves of food chemicals with names like carrageenan, maltodextrin and xanthan .The potential of molecular gastronomy is enormous. It is revolutionizing traditional cooking and transforming dining into a surprising emotional and sensory experience. This dish is prepared by Manish Mehrotra.
What has been your biggest inspiration in becoming a chef? Lucknow has a lot to do with me being a Chef. When you go out there, you get stories about food, Stories about people in the food business which Essentially helped me in shaping up the decision of becoming a Chef.
Can you share any simple food styling tips that our readers can try to make their regular food more appealing? The best food styling tip is to ‘keep it simple’ and that probably is the most difficult tip. All you need to do is, just put one accessory over it to garnish without complicating it a lot many things.
What does style mean to you ?How would you describe your personal style ? In culinary terms,style to me is a language for self-expression. It reflects in the food we plate,the menus we create and the restaurants we represent. I would define my style as being humble and artistic.
How well do you think Indian cuisine in India has evolved over the years ?Is there room for improvement ? I think Indian cuisine has the most depth and variety compared to any other cuisine in the world. Some aspects of this varied cuisine have been superbly well represented because of either patronization by masses or familiarity to current trends. This has driven Indian cuisine to compete with the likes of Chinese and Italian cuisines respectively. Indian chefs have contributed spectacularly to represent Indian cuisine in a way that is understandable to the world. Yet,there’s a lot more than can be put out there from the Indian cuisine repertoire. That’s where we have the edge and a very promising future.
When you are traveling,what kind of ingredients do you pick up and from where ? I always pick up local ingredients that are peculiar to the area; mostly from the old parts of cities. In addition ,I always pick up as local cookery book,hoping to get it translated someday. Who inspires you in the kitchen ? The ingredients. Each ingredient comes with its own appeal, it’s different characteristics and uses that inspire you to create and do justice to a dish .
The spongy white syrupy chenna and semolina dough dumpling is a delicacy to all and immensely loved by bengalis. A preparation which never goes off our favorites list. The sweet dates back to 1868 by a kolkata based confectioner named Nobin Chandra Das. But now there is a twist to the tale. The post modern Indians want roshogolla with a change. The new generation of health freaks wants everything old school but with a new touch to it. The contemporary chefs have now come up with an idea by adding espresso and giving it a whole new taste and look. Now enjoy the nouvelle dish at a contemporary Indian restaurant after a twist of taste in the main courses being served there. The twist id still a delicacy to try on.
Chaat is one of the most loved street foods of India. Every Indian has a favorite and feels the best chaat is available in their city. To me, chaat is a perfect dish, combining different ingredients and tastes – salty, sour, sweet, spicy, crunchy – in one mouth-watering delight which satisfies all our senses. We have replaced the potato patty with a crisp potato sphere,topped with yogurt and spicy chutneys, to make a delectable starter
Ingredients For potato spheres
Potato 200 gms Oil For frying For white peas ragda Dry white peas 50 gms Onions, chopped 1 tbsp Tomatoes, chopped 1 tbsp Green chillies, chopped ½ tsp Fresh coriander leaves 1 tsp Lime juice 1 tsp Chaat masala ½ tsp To serve Sweet yogurt 2 tbsp Green chutney 2 tsp Tamarind chutney 1½ tbsp Chaat masala a pinch
Method Soak the white peas for at least 2-3 hours in water. Make white peas ragda. Take the soaked peas in a saucepan. Add water. Boil for 20-30 minutes, or till the peas turn almost completely mushy. Drain excess water, if any. Add onions, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander, lime juice and chaat masala to the boiled peas. Mix well. Adjust seasoning to taste. Grate the potatoes, not too fine or too thick. Remove excess water by pressing between paper towels. Fill individual, round, fine mesh moulds with the grated potatoes. Heat oil, place the moulds in the oil and deep fry till the sphere is golden brown and turns crisp. You can fry the potato spheres in a deep fat fryer too. Serve: Place the mashed, spiced peas in a single line on a long platter. Place the crisp potato spheres on top. Press the spheres lightly into the mushy peas so that they hold when the platter is carried. Pour yogurt, green chutney and tamarind chutney on top. Sprinkle chaat masala.