A Conversation Served Fresh

Fashion & lifestyle journalist Ambika Anand catches up with Superstar Chef Manish Mehrotra of the Indian Accent fame. He has made dining on Indian food an absolute luxury and is euphoric for the taste buds. What makes him special is not just his warmth, but his desire to teach and share his culinary secrets. No wonder some of the best- known chefs across the world are past members of his team. His legacy includes redefining Indian food to recreate nostalgia yet weave in global influences into his recipes. To be on top is easy but to carry others along with him is what makes him truly iconic.

Chef Mehrotra’s favorite food/cuisine?

I am a craving centric person. I love South Indian food. In Mumbai I would recommend small joints in Matunga for Konkan food and basic South Indian. I like Kappa Chakka Kandhari by Regi Mathew in Chennai and Karavalli in Bangalore. In Delhi for my duck craving, its China Kitchen in Hyatt. A good creamy risotto by my daughter with a generous amount of parmesan cheese also makes the cut!

Farm to table is the latest rage. How can one implement that in daily life living in a city?

Farm to table is a concept that comes from countries that import most ingredients including bananas.

We are based in Delhi and get ingredients from reliable sources like hydroponic farms in Greater Noida called Nature’s Miracle and Krishi Cress . The world is obsessed with quinoa which comes from South America and creates a huge carbon footprint before it reaches your plate. It is healthier to eat locally grown millet. Farm to table is essentially cooking and eating locally grown produce.

Do you cook at home or while entertaining at home?

I don’t like to cook at home. I make Maggi at 2 am sometimes, or on a day off, make a mutton curry with music in the background and single malt in my hand.

What are the five gadgets you recommend to a home cook that can up their cooking experience?

Here are the must- haves.

1. A good Japanese knife.

2. A wok

3. A 'Rational' Oven –the Rolls Royce of ovens.

4. A heavy- bottom pan for a braised dish or slow cooking like Le Crueset

5. Sumeet or Sujata Mixer Grinder: Indian Mixies are imperative as their RPM is what you need for Indian food. In the fancy mixer grinder, chutney pisti nahi (does not grind well).

While in college, I ate a really bad beetroot salad and, since then, I never quite liked the vegetable. I did not experiment with it or use it in any of my dishes. But after eating beetroot in many avatars in some of the best restaurants around the world, I decided to try and create an Indian Accent dish. In India, the vegetable has been gaining popularity, rising above its status as a vegetable used in salads merely to add colour, or to be carved into a flower or duck to decorate wedding buffet tables.

This dish is inspired by the traditional Ukrainian dish Tsvikili, which is made with grated beetroot, horseradish, sugar, salt and vinegar. By adding crunchy peanut butter and pungent wasabi to sweet tasting beetroot in this dish, I finish my circle of tastes for any dish.

Ingredients for Tikki

For Tikkis

Beetroot, medium size

150 gms

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Ginger, chopped

1 tsp

Garlic, chopped ½ tsp

Green chillies, chopped ½ tsp

Boiled potato, medium size 1 no.

Garam masala powder ½ tsp

Chaat masala ½ tsp

Coriander leaves, chopped 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Crushed roasted peanuts 2 tsp

Chunky peanut butter

3 tsp

Ghee 2 tsp

Tempura batter 1 tbsp

Panko breadcrumbs 3 tbsp

Olive oil for grilling

Ingredients for Chutney

Mayonnaise

2 tbsp

Wasabi paste 2 tbsp

Salt to taste Lime juice ½ tsp Capers (for garnish) 5–6 nos.

METHOD

Prepare Tikkis:

Wash the beetroot thoroughly, removing all the mud. Roast whole in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and, when cooled, peel and grate.

Grate the boiled potato and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds. Allow to crackle. Add chopped ginger, garlic and green chillies, and sauté. Add grated beetroot, cooking the ingredients till all the water evaporates. Add grated potato, garam masala powder and chaat masala. Sauté for 5 minutes. Finish with chopped coriander and salt.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl when cooled. Add crushed roasted peanuts. Mix thoroughly.

Divide the mixture into four equal portions. Shape into rough balls. Place each ball in your palm and make a small indentation. Fill this with a dollop of peanut butter and shape the ball into a patty. Lightly coat with tempura batter and crumb with panko breadcrumbs. Refrigerate while preparing the chutney.

Prepare Chutney:

Blend wasabi paste, mayonnaise, salt and lime juice into a smooth paste. Adjust seasoning.

Fry Tikkis:

Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Grill the tikkis till golden brown.

Serve: you have to be on your feet as a chef- any workout you follow to up your endurance and stamina?

Arrange tikkis on a plate. Drizzle wasabi chutney on top. Garnish each tikki with capers and quinoa puffs (optional).

I walked 12000-20000 steps 20 out of 31 days in January 2023. In the night I eat my dinner by 7-8 pm and try to walk 5-6 km a day in addition to my time in the kitchen. All chefs from the beginning of their careers need to be healthy and eat properly.

What is the layout you recommend for kitchens and family dining areas?

A kitchen should be designed in a way that it's clutter free and easy to clean. So avoid corners or shelves that you can’t reach. People should fumigate their home kitchens, especially the dishwashing area and the drains regularly. The kitchen should be well lit so you can see what you are cooking. I have an open kitchen in my house which is interactive.

Make sure your dining area is not far from the kitchen as food can get cold as it travels. Dining areas should be clutter free and have a light on top of the table so people can see the food you worked so hard for.

What are some food related books which are a must for every home chef?

“The Flavour Thesaurus” is a must for every food enthusiast.

This is one the early books that tells you how what goes with what, pair by pair. The book dives into different flavours of the food-world and the endless combinations that can be created.

“Plant Lab” is another book that I would highly recommend. This book shares such a wide array of vegan recipes and makes you realise how delicious vegan food can be.

Some of the best chefs in the country have worked with you- what did you teach them that led them to the path of greatness? You have to struggle and learn the basics; you can’t learn cooking from the internet or books. You must get your hands dirty in the kitchen. Its important how pleasing you are, how well you can talk but it's crucial how well you work and how well you adapt in the kitchen environment. It’s not an easy definitive journey that in three years you will become a sous chef, in 5 years an executive chef, in 6 years a social media celebrity star!

There are lucky individuals who have done it but not everyone has the same journey. I tell them, you have to learn the basics, think like me, then think like yourself and spread your wings and fly.

Manish Mehrotra’s advice to a budding chef.

This profession looks very glamourous but it’s not. This industry needs physical hard work in the kitchen, and you need to be mentally prepared for it. For the first five years its tough and after that if you succeed then sky is the limit.

We are facing a huge shortage of good chefs who have a catering college background or 5 years of experience in restaurant working under the tutelage of a talented chef. There are so many chefs leaving and going to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, or Qatar. v