JITIN JOSHI

GYMKHANA LONDON

Originally from India, an amateur runner completing 12 full marathons worldwide, Jitin Joshi trained at the renowned Oberoi School in Delhi, graduating from the Kitchen Management programme in 1999, and bagging the Ishran Devi Gold Medal for topping the class, before beginning his culinary career in Jaipur. Having worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens across the world. In 2001, Jitin moved to London to work at the Capital Hotel with Eric Chavot, he then moved on to take the role of Head Pastry Chef at Gordon Ramsay’s Maze, under Jason Atherton. A decade working in French kitchens, Jitin wanted to apply his learnings to Indian cuisine and took the role of Executive Chef at Atul Kochhar’s Mayfair restaurant, Benares, and was part of the team to win a Michelin star in 2007. The Craft Guild of Chefs, crowned him the Best Ethnic Chef UK, in 2009. Finding comfort with the combination of French cooking techniques with Indian flavours, Jitin decided to move to Dubai in 2011 and led the kitchen at the Armani/ Amal restaurant at Armani Hotel. He was then appointed Executive Chef of Atmosphere, the world’s highest restaurant located on the 122nd floor of the Burj Khalifa; and then undertook a pre-opening role as Executive Chef of the first Taj Hotel in UAE. In 2018, Jitin relocated back to London to join hands with JKS Restaurants as Executive Chef of the critically acclaimed Michelin-starred Gymkhana in Mayfair. Recently he launched his own brand under the name Rogan Joshi and currently doing various collaborations and pop ups along with ‘Finish at Home’ meal kits across UK.

POTATO CHAAT

INGREDIENTS Mint Chutney

100g coriander leaves / 20g mint leaves / 10g ginger / 4 garlic cloves / 50g yoghurt / pinch of black salt / 10ml lemon juice/ 3 green chillies / salt for seasoning / 50ml corn oil

Method

Wash and drain the mint and coriander leaves.Peel and cut the ginger into smaller pieces.Peel the garlic. Destalk the green chillies, snap into 2.In a food processor, add the oil, lemon juice, ginger, garlic and green chillies.Blend till smooth and then add the fresh herbs and blend again till smooth. Remove into a bowl, whisk in the yoghurt and season. Taste and adjust the salinity and acidity so its balanced nicely.

Sweet Yoghurt

100g Greek yoghurt / 20g caster sugar

Method

Whisk in the sugar with the yoghurt.Fill into a squeeze bottle.

Garnish

20g sweet yoghurt / 10g gram flour vermicelli, sev 10g gramflour pearls, boondi / 8 sprigs coriander cress / 12 allium flowers

Potato shell

80g Jerusalem artichokes / 100g sweet potatoes / 4 charlotte potatoes / 10g ginger / 30g pomegranate seeds / 30g black gram, boiled / 1 green chilli 5 to 6 mint leaves / 3g chaat masala / 7 to 8 stemscoriander leaves / 10ml lemon juice / 2g Kashmiri chilli powder / 30g mint chutney, recipe below / 40g tamarind chutney

Method

Boil the potatoes in salted water.Once cool, cut quarter from the top lengthways. Scoop out the flesh leaving 5mm from the skin, similar to a jacket potato. Chop the centre and use it with the sweet potato, and Jerusalem artichoke as filling. In a deep fat fryer at 180C – fry the potato shells till lightly golden.Once out of the frying oil, keep inverted to drain the oil.Dab with kitchen tissue and sprinkle chaat masala inside and out.

Method for the filling

Cut the sweet potato and Jerusalem artichoke into macédoine and boil them in salted water. Once cool mix with the rest of the potato flesh. Remove the pomegranate seeds, chop ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves & stems and mint leaves. Prepare the filling by mixing the tubers, pomegranate seeds, black gram, chopped ingredients, chaat masala, Kashmiri chilli powder, lemon juice and both chutneys. Mix everything gently but thoroughly. Taste, it should be tangy, sweet and a little spicy, add more seasoning in needed.

Assembly

Place the filling inside the potato shell and then cover evenly with the sweet yoghurt. Sprinkle the gram flour vermicelli and pearls (sev and boondi) ensuring to cover the top nicely. Finish by placing 3 allium flowers and 2 coriander cress sprigs on each potato.

by JITIN JOSHI