CD 03 - Cuisine Digest by Chef Sudhir Sibal and Chef Manjit Gill

Volume 1 | Issue 3 

A Culinary Journey with the Masters 

Dec 2017-Jan 2018 | `300 

Harvest Delights 

Feasting on traditional delicacies with seasonal produce 

is how India celebrates its bountiful winter harvest

Editor’s Note 

Dear Chefs, 

Welcome to the New Year issue of Cuisine Digest! 

At the very start of the year, we witness the loss of a legend – Chef 

Paul Bocuse. Amongst his many stellar achievements, the ‘Chef of 

the Century’ (awarded by the CIA) broke into unchartered territories 

by putting his name on the board outside the restaurant – something 

unheard of in those days. This brought Chefs recognition beyond the tag 

of being a ‘kitchen help’ and set the tone for the professional recognition 

of Chefs worldwide. Read more about him in this issue. 

While we constantly explore avenues in the culinary space to inform, 

educate, engage and influence food practitioners in new ways, it amazes us how we are flooded with a 

gamut of ideas and stirring culinary activities that are worth sharing with you to satiate your hunger for 

knowledge in this gastronomic sector. 

Celebrating food is our passion, and what better way to get started in 2018 – than exploring festive 

delicacies of winters from across the nation. Let us indulge you with a selection of traditional 

preparations without which one could not possibly get through the Indian winter. 

In this edition of our Chef’s magazine, we also introduce to you the science behind Indian cuisine; 

throwing light on the food experience as a journey through the senses; exploring the interconnections 

with, and influences of Portuguese food on, the rest of the world’s cuisines. On the home front, we bring 

you cuisine from a Chef who takes the less travelled road to the tribal regions of the Nilgiris. 

Similar, yet apart, the sweet spices with a licorice taste – anise and fennel – are our star ingredients in this 

issue. Popular with the Chefs and laden with medicinal benefits, these two condiments add zing to your 

food. We share perspectives and a choice of recipes from the middle-East and the Indian subcontinent. On 

our drinks menu this time is the pairing of whisky with desserts, taking “sinful indulgence” to another level! 

At Cuisine Digest, our endeavor is to encourage the constant evolution of the culinary professionals 

through passing on of the wisdom of the veterans in the industry. Science and tradition must weigh 

equally on our academic agenda as culinary educationists. 

Hope you like the contents of this issue, and we look forward to your comments and suggestions. Chefs 

are welcome to write to us on the ideas that they feel need to be taken up and shared with the readers of 

Cuisine Digest. 

Chef Sudhir Sibal 

Editor 

Cuisine Digest | Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018 

03

Our Culinary Masters 

CHEF MANJIT GILL 

Culinary Director, Cuisine Digest 

Chef Gill is the President of the 

Indian Federation of Culinary 

Associations (IFCA), the umbrella 

body for all the Chefs’ associations 

in India. Internationally, he is 

the Chairman of the WorldChefs’ Cultural Heritage 

Committee with over 100 countries as its members. 

Chef’s recipes and food philosophy are regularly featured 

in Indian and global news media. 

CHEF SUDHIR SIBAL 

Editor, Cuisine Digest 

Chef Sibal is the former Vice 

President (Hotels) of India 

Tourism Development Corporation 

(ITDC) with three decades of 

experience as a Chef. He is the 

Ambassador, World Chefs Without Borders (WCWB), and 

has represented India at the exclusive gastronomic world 

club of Chefs to the Head of States – Le Club des Chefs des 

Chefs (CCC) and is a WACS-approved culinary judge. 

CHEF THOMAS A GUGLER 

President, 

WorldChefs 

(WACS) 

With hundreds 

of international 

honours as 

a Master Chef, this globetrotting 

dynamic culinary master does 

numerous TV Shows, writes 

cookbooks, conducts Master Classes 

globally and is invited to judge 

culinary contests internationally. 

Fluently conversant in 9 languages, 

Chef Gugler leads the WorldChefs 

(WACS) as its President. 

GILLES BRAGARD 

Founder- 

Secretary, Le 

Club des Chefs 

des Chefs (CCC) 

French food 

couturier and 

entrepreneur – who over a chat with 

world-famous Master Chef Paul 

Bocuse – had founded in 1977, the 

elite club of Chefs to the heads of 

states of countries, Le Club des Chefs 

des Chefs, brings his experience to 

Cuisine Digest. Serving as the CCC 

Secretary, he promotes culinary 

diplomacy at the international level. 

CHEF CHRISTOPHER KOETKE 

VP (Strategy 

& Industry 

Relations), 

Kendall Culinary 

Institute, USA 

An Executive 

Chef and a culinary educator, certified 

by American Culinary Federation 

(ACF), Koetke comes with 37 years of 

experience. Awarded Chef of the Year 

for 1996-97 by the Chicago Chapter of 

the International Wine and Food Society 

and Cooking Teacher of the Year by the 

International Association of Culinary 

Professionals (IACP), among others. 

CHRISSIE WALKER 

International 

Food 

Correspondent, 

Cuisine Digest 

A globetrotting 

food writer, 

Chrissie’s award-winning work has 

been widely published in both UK 

and US magazines. Vice President of 

Les Dames d’Escoffier (UK), a global 

organisation supporting women in 

food, drink and hospitality, Member of 

the British Guild of Travel Writers and 

a certified Japanese Sake Sommelier, 

she runs a popular internet journal 

‘Mostly Food & Travel.’ 

Dr CHEF SOUNDARAJAN 

General 

Secretary, Indian 

Federation 

of Culinary 

Associations 

(IFCA) 

A versatile Chef heading the 

Kitchens of Mahindra Holidays and 

Resorts India Ltd, India as their 

Corporate Executive Chef, Dr Chef 

Soundararajan dons multiple hats – 

as Chairman of the WACS’ Marketing 

Committee, Founder General 

Secretary of IFCA, and also the 

Founder of the South India Culinary 

Association (SICA). 

SANDEEP ARORA 

Indian Whisky 

Expert 

Leading whisky 

connoisseur 

in India, Arora 

has introduced 

the nation to premium and rare 

whiskies from around the globe. 

Director at Spiritual Luxury Living, 

this well-travelled spirit-promoter 

has exclusive whisky experiences 

to share – pairing whisky with 

food – and is the ‘Exclusive Indian 

Representative’ of the world’s mostread 

whisky journal – the Whisky 

Magazine UK. 


05

Volume 1 | Issue 3 | Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018 

Bi-Monthly Magazine Published By White Plate Network LLP 

CUISINE DIGEST - WHITE PLATE LLP 

8173 B-11, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, India 

PUBLISHER 

Tipish Mahajan 

Editor 

Chef Sudhir Sibal 

CULINARY DIRECTOR 

Chef Manjit Gill 

ASSOCIATE Editor 

Urvashi Sibal 

Creative Director 

Peali Dutta Gupta 

ART DIRECTOR 

Shamik Kundu 

www.pealidezine.com 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Kapil Mohan 

Urvashi Sibal 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

international: Chef Thomas A Gugler, Gilles Bragard, Chrissie Walker, 

Chef Christopher Koetke, Chef Majed Al Sabagh, Paul Newnham 

indian: Dr Chef Soundarajan, Chef Abhijit Saha, Chef Michael Swamy, 

Chef Ramu Butler, Chef Salil Phadnis, Chef Harpawan Singh Kapoor, Chef Akshay 

Kulkarni, Sandeep Arora, Dr Ganesh Bagler, Ramvittal Rao, Sanjoo Malhotra 

recipes: Chef Majed Al Sabagh, Chef Abhijit Saha, Chef Ramu Butler, Chef Umesh 

Mattoo, Chef Gunjan Goela, Chef Harpawan Singh Kapoor, Chrissie Walker 

Cover Photo: Shutterstock 

contact us 

editorial@cuisinedigest.com for editorial content 

sales@cuisinedigest.com for advertising and subscriptions 

www.cuisinedigest.com 

Printed & Published by Tipish Mahajan on behalf of White Plate LLP 

and printed at Creative Graphics, 88, DSIDC Complex, 

Okhla Industrial Area, Phase I, New Delhi 110020. Editor: Sudhir Sibal 

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various contributors to this publication 

as well as the recipes do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cuisine Digest and 

we do not hold responsibility for the outcome of the recipes shared here. 

© Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. All rights reserved.

On the Menu 

Columns 

A NEW YEAR MESSAGE 

Exchange of knowledge, 

with a focus on their 

ethnic culinary heritage 

is the way forward for 

WorldChefs in 2018 | 18 

Mind Over Platter 

Have you ever tried to 

analyse your love for 

certain foods? What 

exactly are we experiencing 

when we taste? | 30 

In Giving, We Receive 

Legendary Chefs and 

maestros of the kitchen 

have exemplified the 

virtue of “passing it on” to 

the profession | 38 

COVER STORY 

Harvest Delights | 10 

The varied regional Indian palate is a celebration of the farm 

produce – both local and seasonal. Chef Harpawan Singh Kapoor 

captures the festive flavours of the harvest 

globetrotter 

The Portuguese Connection | 24 

Chrissie Walker goes on a voyage of discovery to find how the 

seafaring Portuguese have influenced other national cuisines and 

how history has shaped their own 

ingredient 

It Takes Two to Tango | 32 

Chefs Manjit Gill and Majed Al Sabagh make 

sweet talk with aniseed and fennel, explaining how 

they are similar yet distinct in taste and usage 

Fennel, the “Cool” Spice | 35 

With its many health benefits, ‘sounf’ is an asset 

to any Chef’s collection of spices 

08 

Cuisine Digest | Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018

prolific chef 

Coffee Table Book | 20 

Going beyond the humdrum 

recipe manuals, explore storytelling 

with Chef Michael 

Swamy 

Obituary 

None Like Bocuse | 49 

World’s top Chefs bid adieu 

to the ‘Pope of Gastronomy’ – 

Chef Paul Bocuse 

A Spicy Dilemma | 36 

In the retelling of an old tale, two similar yet distinct spiced dames – 

anise and fennel – engage in a hypothetical battle 

restaurant story 

A Sensorial Odyssey | 40 

Donning the entrepreneur’s hat is a dream simmering in the hearts of 

many great Chefs, but only a few – like Chef Abhijit Saha – can claim 

to have cracked the recipe of success in their restaurant endeavours 

regional cuisine 

Badagas of the Blue Mountains | 44 

On his slow cooking trail, Chef Ramu Butler discovers the kitchens 

of an indigenous tribe of the Nilgiris in Ooty, which is rooted in 

“surviving and thriving in the environment” 

decoding cuisines 

The Science of Indian Cuisine | 50 

Ever wondered “why we eat what we eat?” Dr Ganesh 

Bagler explores patterns in traditional Indian recipes 

based on the discovery of exceptional food pairing 

academic interest 

Scientific Cooking | 58 

Culinary education must 

include systematic, formal and 

rigorous training, says Dr Chef 

Soundararajan 

beverages 

Whisky & Desserts | 60 

Sandeep Arora pairs desserts 

with Scotch for what could 

turn out to be a ‘match made 

in heaven’ 

REGULARS 

kitchen innovation 

Explore ground-breaking 

F&B products | 54 

events & festivals 

Global wrap of culinary 

meets and contests | 64 

chef Buzz 

Chefs making news in 

India and abroad | 66 


09

cover story 

Harvest 

Delights 

The varied regional Indian palate is a 

celebration of the farm produce – both local 

and seasonal. As the sun begins its northward 

journey, it is time to celebrate by indulging 

the taste-buds with delicacies of the harvest. 

Chef Harpawan Singh Kapoor captures the 

essence of the festivities


11

cover story 

Chef Harpawan Singh Kapoor 

R&D Chef, Head of Product Development 

‘Specialty Foods’ ITC Ltd. – Foods 

Business Division 

Food is not nutritious, even when it has 

nutrients, if it is not a balance of the 

six tastes (sweet, salty, sour, pungent, 

bitter and astringent) as per the season,” 

emphasizes Chef Manjit Gill. According to the 

leading culinary master, the gastronomic season 

of winter is characterized by a predominance of 

sweet over the other tastes. 

No wonder, the tales of the harvest season 

in Indian winters are predictably dotted with 

sweet notes of gur or jaggery assorted with til 

or sesame, peanuts, corn, rice and other grains. 

With the dawn of the day that marks the northern 

movement of the sun, the entire country breaks 

into celebrations of the Indian New Year and 

expresses gratitude for a bountiful winter harvest. 

During this significant harvest period, many 

festivals are celebrated across our agro-based 

country – Makar Sankranti in Uttar Pradesh, 

Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Pongal 

in Tamil Nadu, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Lohri 

in Punjab, among others. The sugarcane crop 

harvested at this time dominates the harvest 

feasts. Language, clothes, customs, decorations, 

music and festivities apart, the connecting thread 

across these festivals is the food – the use of 

similar ingredients and the common objective of 

making offerings to Nature deities. 

Food offers an interesting way to interpret 

cultures. Delicacies made with gur in various 

combinations of grains and til follow in this look at 

harvest feasting from the Chef’s perspective. 

Lohri 

Come January, and up north, it is a bonfire party of 

sorts with Lohri celebrated by Punjabis to mark the 

harvest of rabi crops sown earlier. Getting its name 

from ‘tiLohri’ – combining til and rohri (sesame 

and jaggery), it is an evening affair. The sundowner 

is a community gathering around a bonfire with 

music and food – shaking a leg to the beats of 

Sarson da Saag 

Ingredients 

• Sarson leaves 500 gms 

• Paalak Leaves 250 gms 

• Methi leaves 125 gms 

• Bathua leaves 125 gms 

• Coriander leaves 100 gms 

• Makki flour 50 gms 

• Ghee 100 ml 

• Salt 20 gms 

• Green chillies 20 gms 

• Garlic 25 gms 

• Ginger 20 gms 

• Onions 50 gms 

• White homemade 

butter 100 gms 

For Tempering 

• Chopped onions 100 gms 

• Chopped tomatoes 

100 gms 

• Chopped garlic 50 gms 

• Ghee 50 gms 

Method 

• Take a pot and boil a litre of water in it. In the boiling 

water add all chopped and washed leaves and cook 

for 30 mins on a low flame and keep stirring and 

pounding. Then add in the ghee. 

• Then add in chopped green chillies, chopped ginger, 

chopped onion and chopped garlic along with makki 

flour, take off the flame and stir vigorously for 3-5 

mins. Then put the pot back on the flame and cook 

for another 25-30 mins on low flame till the whole 

mix thickens up into a porridge like consistency. 

• Now, for tempering, take ghee in a pan, add in the 

garlic, tomatoes and onions and fry till it cooks and 

add into the thickened saag mix. 

• Serve hot topped with a dollop of white butter along 

with makki Rotis. 

12 


the traditional acoustic 

instrument dhol, munching 

on delights, soaking in the 

warmth of the flames. It is quite 

a delightful sight to witness the 

joyous party with bright faces reflecting 

the flames of the Lohri, moving around the 

fire, as they deliver renditions of popular folk 

numbers like ‘Aadar aye dilather jaye’ (May 

honour come and poverty vanish!). 

As legend goes, these flames carry prayers 

to the Sun God asking a closure to gloomy 

days of the winter season with the dawn of the 

next day. Linked to the Winter Solstice, Lohri 

marks the end of winters and the onset of spring. 

Many newlyweds and parents of newborns also 

celebrate the first Lohri with a lot of fanfare as it is 

considered auspicious. 

Two traditional foods associated with Lohri are 

sesame and jaggery – both known to cleanse 

the body from within, and believed to bring 

in renewed energy for the New Year. That is 

probably one reason why jaggery delicacies make 

for offerings to the fire to express gratitude to 

nature’s bounty, and consumed aplenty. 

Gud da Halwa 

Ingredients 

• Semolina 250 gms 

• Jaggery 125 gms 


• Fennel seeds 5 gms 

• Milk 100 ml 

• Water 500 ml 

• Cashewnuts 50 gms 

• Raisins 50 gms 

Method 

• Take a pan and keep it on medium flame. Add 

clarified butter to the pan and heat it. Then add 

fennel seeds and cook until they crackle. Now add 

semolina (sooji) to the pan and saute it till it browns. 

Keep the flame low or the sooji will burn. 

• Take another pan and heat water in it on medium 

flame. Once it comes to a boil, add jaggery. Let it 

dissolve. Keep the flame low and allow the waterjaggery 

mixture to thicken. 

• Now add this jaggery-water syrup to the semolina. 

Cook on low flame for two-three minutes and then 

add the milk. Once the halwa begins to thicken, add 

dry nuts and cook for further 2 minutes. Serve hot 

by garnishing with chopped nuts. 

Of course, Lohri must have popcorn made from 

makai (corn), til ke laddoo prepared with roasted 

sesame seeds and jaggery, and gajak or chikki 

which are confectionery preparations with 

sesame and gur (or sugar). Add dried fruits and 

nuts (cashew, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.) 

and you have a crunchy delight to indulge in. The 

best part is that these foods last longer than the 

festival, usually anywhere between one to two 

months, if stored well. 

The other important food item of Lohri is radish, 

harvested between October and January. 

Mustard greens are cultivated mainly in the winter 

months because the crop is suitable to the agroclimatic 

conditions. Accordingly, mustard greens 

are also a winter produce. While it is traditional to 

eat Gajak, Sarson da saag with Makki di roti, radish, 

ground nuts and jaggery, there is another popular 

dish – til rice which combines rice with jaggery and 

sesame – the Indian winter’s star ingredients – 

which are ‘body warmers’ from the inside. 


13

cover story 

Til Pitha 

Ingredients 

• Sticky/glutinous rice 500 gms 

• Jaggery 250 gms 

• Black sesame seeds 125 gms 

• Water as needed 

Method 

• Wash and soak the rice in water for three to four hours. 

• Drain water and grind it. Add water if required to make 

a pancake batter consistency. 

• Roast sesame seeds and coarsely grind them. 

• Powder the jaggery and combine it with the sesame seeds. 

• Heat a tawa and spread the rice batter over it like a pancake. 

• Slow roast. Once it is firm, put the stuffing of jaggery and 

sesame mixture in its middle. 

• Fold its sides to cover the stuffing. 

• Turn it over and heat lightly before taking it off from the fire. Ensure 

that jaggery does not melt and flow out. 

Bihu 

Unlike Lohri, the harvest festival of Assam – Bihu 

– is a week-long affair considered one of the most 

popular festivals celebrated in the North East 

region. The idea though is not very different –to 

regale in folklore, sing songs, as also to indulge in 

sweets as part of “thanksgiving” to Mother Nature 

and Sun God for a successful harvest of good 

quality crops and for nurturing all life. 

In Bihu, there is also a unique tradition of “burning 

the meji,” where initially young people erect 

makeshift huts called meji from bamboo, leaves 

and thatch, wherein they eat the food prepared for 

the feast, and then burn the huts the next morning. 

Bihu is marked by cooking of food items like 

green vegetables, coconut, jaggery, rice, sesame, 

milk and milk products. Some communities enjoy 

brewing fresh rice beer and cooking meat. But, 

the culinary synonym of Bihu would undoubtedly 

be Pitha – the official sweet of the festival. Made 

with red Bora rice, coconut, sesame seeds and 

gur or jaggery, Pithas are offred to the fire with 

prayers. Other items include sweets of coconut 

called Laru or Laskara, and the delicious Sira doi. 

fields, followed by a community feast, with a lot 

of fanfare. The feast in Bihu is a spread of masor 

tenga (fish curry with tomatoes) and omita khar 

(papaya khar) prepared in every home on the eve 

of the festival day – Uruka. On Uruka, while the 

men are busy building the huts and the women 

are fussing over pithas, the field is wide open for 

kids who stay up late roasting Kon Aloos, telling 

tall tales and singing joyous Bihu songs to music 

from flutes and buffalo horns. 

And then there is the traditional Jolpan – a 

sweetened mixture of ground rice, chira or flattened 

rice, muri or puffed rice and cooked glutinous rice 

mixed together with doi or curd and sour cream, 

topped with copious amounts of jaggery to create a 

healthy and sweet Bihu breakfast. 

Pongal 

A four-day-long festival celebrating the harvest 

of rice, cereals, sugarcane and turmeric crops, 

Pongal is one of the biggest festivals of the South. 

It gets its name from a Tamil word which means 

‘to boil’, and is also used to denote a sweetened 

rice dish boiled with lentils – a delicious treat 

synonymous with this feast. 

In a traditional New Year celebration of the 

Assamese, the young folk dressed in traditional 

attire perform their traditional dance in the 

Celebrations start on day one, bhogi, where 

many people replace old household items with 

new, symbolising the start a new cycle. The 

14 


second day is for worshipping the Sun God which 

is celebrated by boiling fresh milk early in the 

morning till it overflows – a tradition that is the 

literal translation for Pongal. Rice flour and red clay 

is used by women dressed in traditional attire to 

decorate their houses with kolam floral designs. 

Mattu Pongal is the third day on which cattle is 

worshipped. Cattle play a vital role as providers 

of dairy products, manure, aiding ploughing and 

transport. On the concluding day, Kaanum Pongal, 

it is time to step out for some fun, celebrating 

with friends and family with activities like bonfires, 

dancing, cattle racing and so on. 

The making of sweet rice – Pongal – is integral 

to this festival. A preparation of fresh rice, dal, 

jaggery, dry fruits, sugar and milk, it is to be 

prepared outside in the open in a fresh clay pot 

allowed to boil for several hours over stoves made 

with stones using wood as fuel. It is then offered to 

the Sun God. This prasad is later partaken by the 

family. Popular variants of Pongal include Sarkarai 

Pongal, Chackra Pongal, Rava and Khara Pongal. 

Rava Pongal contains moong lentils and Rava 

cooked and served in the breakfast with chutney. 

While Chakkara Pongal contains moong lentils, 

rice and jaggery served with dry fruits on top, Ven 

Pongal prepared using rice mixed with moong 

daal, ghee, cashew nuts, raisins and mild spices. 

Makar Sankranti 

One of the few ancient Hindu festivals observed 

according to solar cycles (unlike most others 

that follow the lunar cycles), Makar Sankranti 

almost always falls on the same Gregorian date 

every year – January 14. Celebrated in Karnataka, 

Maharashtra, some parts of Andhra Pradesh 

as well as in U.P. and Bihar, it is a day marking 

goodwill and friendship on the occasion of 

Uttarayana, the ‘ascent’ of the sun to the north. 

Chakra Pongal 

Ingredients 

• Moong Dal 120 gms 

• Rice 120 gms 

• Melted Jaggery 200 gms 

• Cow ghee 60 gms 



Method 

• Cook the rice and the Dal together till mushy. 

• Heat ghee in a pan, add the cashewnuts, raisins and 

cardamom, sauté for a few seconds and then add in 

the melted jaggery. 

• Now put this whole melted jaggery mix into the 

cooked rice and Dal, cook for a few minutes. 

• Serve Hot. 

Sweet Payasam 

Ingredients 

• Raw new Rice (Sona 

Masuri,Kolam) 150 gms 

• Full cream Milk 1 litre 

• Sugar 300 gms 

• Ghee 50 ml 



• Saffron 1 gm 

Method 

• Boil the Milk and once it is bubbling, add in the rice 

which has been washed and soaked in water for 

atleast 10 minutes. 

• Keep cooking the rice in the milk till it becomes fully 

cooked and the quantity of the milk would have also 

reduced to almost half. 

• Now add in the sugar and the saffron and take the 

mixture off the flame so that the sugar and the 

saffron completely dissolve in the mixture. 

• Take the ghee in a pan and fry the raisins and 

cashewnuts in it and add to the payasam mixture. 

• Serve hot. 

Down South, it lasts for four days. The first day, 

Bhogi is observed as a sacrificial day also with 

the rituals to keep the family from evil eyes. 

Snacks and sweets are made to get into a 

celebrative mood. The second day is the main 

Makara Sankranti festival observed with new 

clothes, traditional food, snacks, community 

rangoli, and praying to God with offerings of 

winter harvest.

cover story 

In Karnataka, it is a custom to visit close 

family members and exchange plates of festive 

preparations and other auspicious gifts. The 

mixture of ellu or white sesame seeds with fried 

groundnuts, neatly cut dry coconut and fine cut 

bella (jaggery) called ellu bella, accompanied by 

sakkare acchu or sugar candy moulds, banana 

and a piece of sugarcane – which is a predominant 

crop harvested here at this time. As they say in 

Kannada: “ellu bella thindu olle maathadi” which 

means to “eat the mixture of sesame seeds and 

jaggery and speak only good.” In parts of Andhra 

and Telangana, the festive food is offered to 

departed ancestors of the family. 

The third day, Maattu Pongal or Kanuma in Tamil 

Nadu and Andhra is dedicated to thanksgiving 

for cattle and farm-animals - where the cattle are 

allowed to roam free and adorned with glitters 

etc., fed pongal, jaggery and rice, and sugarcane. 

The finale is the day to meet your relatives and 

exchange snacks which is a practice in Andhra, 

Telangana and Tamil Nadu. This is also the day 

where the kite festival is held in most parts with 

handmade kites, coupled with Indian drinks and 

Bhuni Khichdi 

Ingredients 

• Long grain Basmati rice 

300 gms 

• Black split Urad dal 75 gms 

• Ginger 20 gms 

• Asafoetida a pinch 

• Green Chillies 2 nos. 

• Salt to taste 


Method 

• Soak the dal and the rice for 30 minutes. 

• In a pot, add in the soaked dal and rice and into it 

add the salt, chopped ginger and the chopped green 

chillies. 

• Cover and seal the pot and cook for around 25-30 

mins on low flame. 

• Once cooked, serve hot from the pot with a generous 

helping of ghee on top. 

Photos: Shutterstock 

Til Gud ke laddoo 

Ingredients 

• Roasted Til (Sesame) 

400 gms 

• Grated jaggery 200 gms 


• Green Cardamom 

powder 5 gms 

Method 

• Take a pan, add ghee and jaggery, some water 

and cook till a thick syrupy consistency is 

achieved. 

• Now, remove from the flame 

and add in the roasted 

sesame and the green 

cardamom powder 

and mix vigorously 

till it becomes one 

homogeneous mass. 

• Grease your 

hands with little 

oil and start 

making laddoos 

with this mix. 

• Store in an air 

tight container 

and serve. 

sweets, and non-vegetarian dishes. Bull racing, 

cock fighting and other sports comprise Suggi or 

the Karnataka farmer’s harvest festival. 

Makar Sankranti has its own set of traditional 

celebrations up North as well. Social festivities 

in U.P. and Bihar include a frenzy of colourful 

decorations, singing and dancing, fetes, kite flying, 

bonfires and ironically, a simple version of the 

khichdi – a one-pot meal that imbibes the goodness 

of legumes and vegetables for a wholesome meal. 

The quintessential til ke laddoo prepared with 

sesame and jiggery are presented by people to 

friends and family to spread the sweetness of love 

in everyone’s life. Til and gur and other ingredients 

are crushed, small balls made out of this mixture 

which is then kept in a dry place to harden. Many 

names abound for the harvest festivities that engulf 

across India mid-January. Yet, the parallels that 

can be drawn across the regions – sourcing local 

ingredients in tandem with the seasons – represent 

the rich food heritage of our agrarian foundations. ●

vantage point 

Ring in the New 

Year with Sharing 

Knowledge-sharing, learning from the masters and holding on to their 

ethnic culinary heritage is the way forward for WorldChefs in 2018 

Photo: Shutterstock 

New Year Greetings to all our Chef friends and food lovers from all 

over India, and the world. For me, it is always a great pleasure in 

giving my five cents in comments and advice to all the interested 

hospitality industry associated people. The great things that WorldChefs 

is doing, is to get the standards of cooking internationally recognized 

irrespective of the regions, the colours and the race of our members. 

Thomas A Gugler 

Renowned Master Chef and 

President, WorldChefs 

It is so important, to support Chefs from all around the globe and to give 

them a proper platform for learning and getting the opportunity to work on 

themselves. We are trying to conduct cooking events, competitions, tutorial 

cooking lessons, master classes, Chef’s trainings and putting many more 

things in place through which – step by step – we could make it possible to 

upgrade our industry’s standards, taking into consideration the needs of the 

people and to see first-hand where the culinary trends are headed. 

I recall many times from my younger days, when several senior Chefs 

explained things to me really well, training me and arming me with the 

knowledge which is finally the real asset and a key for the cooking vision 

of one’s life. I am grateful to these Chefs whom I encountered back then. 

Hopefully, many of you will also find similar guiding lights leading your 

way in the culinary journeys of your life. One of the ideal examples for 

the mentorship of young and veteran Chefs and espousing such noble 

initiatives is Chef Manjit Gill – an icon of the Indian food industry – 

supported well by Chef Dr Soundararajan. 

Great spirit, friendship and camaraderie worldwide in opening the 

horizons, and the modern way in fusion food and trends are the noble 

results of our trade. 

WorldChefs plans several events this year to enable the Chefs’ 

Community to transfer the knowledge to the next generation 

and to eventually arrive at similar and equal standards 

and measures on quality evaluation, cooking techniques 

and food safety rules and regulations globally, and on 

modernist looks of the culinary trends and directions. 

Last – but not least – it would lead to a good overview 

of our noble trade from A to Z. 

Wising you all great cooking and hope to see you all 

very soon in India or at any place around the world! ● 

18 Cuisine Digest | Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018

prolific chef 

Write Your First 

Coffee Table Book


With a penchant for storytelling, 

a Chef can go beyond the 

humdrum recipe manuals. Chef 

Michael Swamy explores the 

skilled art of writing cookbooks 

Chef Michael Swamy 

Chef Patron at India’s first Latin American 

restaurant – Nueva, he is also a Food Writer, 

Photographer with many coffee table books 

Ernest Hemingway said, “There is nothing 

to writing. All you do is to sit down at a 

typewriter and bleed.” The art of writing 

a book, let it be any book, is not an easy 

process. You have to give a piece of yourself. 

Some may think anyone can write a book. I’ve 

met kids barely out of school who say they want 

to write a book. Is it as easy as that? How do you 

translate your life, your journeys, and your stories 

into words? Some are born with writing skills, 

some cultivate it, and some get their writing done 

by others! I have done a fair share of ghost writing 

for other chefs myself. But that is not the same as 

writing your own book, sharing your own journey. 

The days of traditional recipe books that read 

like a dull pharmacopeia, are long over. People 

want to know the history of the recipe, the stories 

associated with it, and the wisdom. The recipe is 

just a part of the whole experience. Many factors 

determine the success of the book, only one of 

which is the stature of the chef or author. For 

the publishers, it’s all about “how much will this 

book fetch for me?” For a chef, it may appear to 


21

prolific chef 

be all about name and fame, but is it actually? A 

cookbook is a piece of who the chef is; it is his art, 

his creation, and it needs to stand out amongst 

the myriad other cookbooks. Knowledge is power, 

and if you want to write on something, you need 

to be an authority on that subject. 

Preparing the content of the book is just one part 

of writing a book, especially a cookbook. Almost 

50% of a cookbook is photographs. It is therefore 

evident that an author-chef has to learn the art of 

plating for a camera, which is 

quite different from plating 

for a customer – learning 

about angles, apertures and 

lighting. I have had photo 

shoots where chefs will plate 

all the dishes at one shot 

in front of you and expect 

you to create miracles. Food 

needs to be photographed 

within 15 minutes of being 

plated up or even less. These 

nuances are learnt only when 

a chef has spent time with a 

photographer. 

Another key element is to plan photo shoots with 

a food stylist. Before embarking on shoots for 

the restaurant, spend time with the stylist and 

photographer to understand the subtle nuances 

of a shoot. One learns early in the book writing 

profession that a bad photographer will showcase 

your food badly, and vice versa. 

The journey of writing your first cookbook 

starts with writing articles for magazines, 

newspapers, blogs etc. Each media has a different 

requirement, and it is essential to 

understand each form of media 

before you sit in front of your 

laptop. Also, before you start 

writing, you need to make an 

extensive study of every kind of 

cookbook. You need to develop 

your own style and be hungry to 

learn. Whatever you do, do not fall 

prey to the temptation of copying 

and pasting material from other 

cookbooks. Please note that the 

laws against plagiarism are quite 

stringent and they can ruin your 

career in an instant. If you borrow 

22 


The journey of writing your 

first cookbook starts with 

writing articles for magazines, 

newspapers, blogs 

from a source, gratefully acknowledge it, but 

never steal a recipe. Inspiration comes from being 

inquisitive and wanting to learn; and most of all by 

being simple and humble. 

A visit to the publisher is essential once you have 

started writing for various media. Get to know 

which publishers do cookbooks. Preparing an 

outline for a cookbook is the most important thing 

that needs to be done before approaching an agent 

or a publisher. Once an outline has been finalized, 

then starts the actual grind of writing. Putting one’s 

thoughts into words cogently and clearly is never 

easy. You need to sit yourself down and slowly 

pen your thoughts. Most publishers have a list of 

requirements posted on their websites that tell you 

what the things are that you have to do before you 

send in a first draft. And once you send it, a reply 

from the publisher can take as long as 6 months. 

Be ready for rejections because publishers are 

looking only for books that are likely to be winners. 

Good publishers get book proposals almost daily, 

and most of them end up in the dustbin. Once the 

publisher likes your idea, various decisions have 

to be made: the size of the book, the number of 

images, the number of copies to print, and so on. 

When all this is done, the Publisher will give you a 

legal contract to sign. Please take time to read it 

carefully before you ink it. 

Doing a coffee table book is easy if it’s being 

ghost written and there is a great team involved. 

But when you have to do it yourself it can take 

up to two years to finish a book. The schedule for 

photo shoots can be quite tedious and can take 

long hours. You cannot cook all the dishes on the 

same day in the hope that the entire photo shoot 

for the book will be wrapped up in just one day. 

All this takes a lot of time. It’s your work and you 

should try to represent it in the best way possible. 

So what happens once the book is done, dusted, 

and printed? You, as the author, are responsible 

for the sales. The publisher has moved on to 

the next book. Marketing and promotions by 

a publisher are usually minimal. So educate 

yourself on social media on how to promote and 

sell your books. Don’t think cookbook authors are 

rich, they rarely are. You won’t make money from 

writing a book. But yes, it makes you an authority 

on a subject and gives you a certain level of 

credibility in the market. ● 

Reach him @themichaelswamy (Twitter) or michaelswamy.com 


23

globetrotter 

24 Cuisine Digest | Oct.-Nov., Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018

The 

Portuguese 

Connection 

Chrissie Walker goes on a voyage of discovery 

to find how the seafaring Portuguese have 

influenced other national cuisines and how 

history has shaped their own 


Cuisine Cuisine Digest Digest | Dec. | Oct.-Nov., 2017-Jan. 2018 2017 

25

globetrotter 

The Portuguese established a colony 

in India at the beginning of the 16th 

century. Over the next four hundred 

years, the Portuguese spread their 

influence across the sub-continent. They left 

their mark on Indian cuisine by introducing 

ingredients from the New World and from their 

own culinary heritage. Portuguese home cooking 

also takes advantage of the aforementioned 

ingredients such as hot piri piri peppers and 

sweet peppers. Spices are used in moderation 

in Portugal to create well-balanced dishes using 

the bounty of local produce. 


This trading nation also influenced the kitchens 

of Japan. In 1543, trade ships reached Japan 

and introduced refined sugar, which became a 

luxury ingredient for the nobility. A sponge cake 

called Kasutera or Castela is now a speciality of 

Nagasaki, and came from the baking traditions of 

Portugal. We think of Tempura as being typically 

Japanese but it’s thought that the habit of frying 

food in a flour batter came from Portugal. 

Both Britons and Indians love tea and that 

beverage became fashionable in England in 

the 1660s after King Charles II married the 

Portuguese princess, Catherine of Braganza, who 

was already addicted to a nice cup of tea. 

Portugal has a long coastline, and that brings 

treasures from the sea without the need of a 

fishing boat. Percebes are rather bizarre-looking 

creatures, also called gooseneck barnacles. 

Cod here is almost always used 

dried and salted, because the 

Portuguese fishing tradition in the 

North Atlantic developed before 

the invention of refrigeration 

They are truly ugly and don’t look like food at 

all. They are dark and tube-shaped, and with 

very small shells. They have a tough outer skin 

which is inedible; one twists off the head and 

then squeezes the sides of the tube to release 

the meat inside. They taste of the sea and 

are considered a delicacy in Portugal, as 

collecting the barnacles is difficult and 

hazardous work. This makes them 

much more expensive than most 

seafood. Percebes can be found in 

fish markets, and on seafood menus 

in fine-dining restaurants. 

Portugal is a seafaring country and this 

is, unsurprisingly, reflected in the amount 

of fish and seafood eaten – the country has 

Europe’s highest fish consumption per head 

of population. The ubiquitous fish is imported 

cod from the North Atlantic. The Portuguese 


oast that there is a cod recipe for every day of 

the year. Cod here is almost always used dried 

and salted, because the Portuguese fishing 

tradition in the North Atlantic developed before 

the invention of refrigeration. Sea bream and 

hake are also popular fish and can sometimes be 

found in smart restaurants served in a flaming 

salt crust. 

The Portuguese are fond of their sweets. Many 

of their typical pastries were created by nuns in 

the Middle Ages. They were sold, and still are in 

some places, as a means of creating some extra 

money for the nunnery. The main ingredient for 

these pastries is egg yolks. It is thought that 

the nuns used egg whites to stiffen their white 

headdresses, and they developed recipes to 

use all the remaining egg yolks. Other sources 

suggest that Portugal exported egg whites to 

be used in the wine industry, leaving a surplus 

of yolks which could be turned into sweet 

confections. This second story isn’t so charming, 

so it’s likely to be the truth! 

While pastries are most often purchased rather 

than home-made, a popular dessert is Leitecrème 

which is made at home, where it is found 

gracing the Sunday dinner table. It’s also made 

by chefs in some of the best restaurants. It’s 

very much like the French crème caramel but the 

Portuguese will say theirs is better. It’s a dessert 

of an egg custard topped with crunchy caramel 

(rather than the French version of caramel on 

the bottom of the dessert, cooked in the oven 

and then turned out). Leite-crème is made on 

the stove top. ● 

REGRET 

Café Spice Namasté restaurant of Chefs Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala – a 

Michelin BIB Gourmand – covered in our November issue was wrongly 

quoted by us as Michelin-starred. Nitin Kapoor is the photographer. 


27

globetrotter 


White fish in a 

flaming salt crust 

Almost any non-oily fish will do for this dramatic recipe. 

It’s important to have the fish whole with the skin on – 

the skin is important as it stops the flesh from becoming 

too salty. 

Ingredients 

• Coarse sea salt 2 kg approx. 

• Whole sea bream or other non-oily fish – gutted but with 

head and skin on 1.5 kg 

• Parsley a small bunch, plus extra for garnish 

• Lemon, sliced 1 no 

• Lemon wedges for garnish 

• Pepper 

• Alcohol such as whisky or brandy (optional) for flaming 

Method 

• Line a ceramic or glass roasting dish with foil. This 

should be large enough to hold the whole fish in one 

piece. 

• Cover the base with a thick layer of salt. 

• Rinse the fish but don’t dry it, and place it on top of the 

salt. Tuck the herbs and lemon slices into the cavity and 

season well with pepper. 

• Scatter the fish with a thick and even covering of salt 

about 1 cm thick. Spray the salt with a little water so that 

it becomes a wet crust. It’s important that there are no 

gaps on top or around the fish. 

• Bake in a preheated oven, 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, 

for 25 minutes. Cooking time will vary with size of fish. 

To check that the fish is cooked, insert a metal skewer 

or thin-bladed knife into the thickest area of the fish and 

leave for a few seconds before removing. If the skewer is 

very hot, the fish is cooked. 

• Ignite a small ladle of alcohol and pour over the fish 

for a dramatic presentation. It doesn’t add anything to 

the flavour so this step is dangerous and optional. Only 

consider this step if you have used a baking dish with 

reasonably high sides so that the flaming alcohol is 

contained in the dish. 

• Carefully lift away the salt from the top of the fish and 

remove to the side so it is away from the cooked flesh. 

Peel away the skin from the exposed fish. Serve the fish 

in chunky pieces from this side. Remove the cooked 

lemon and herbs, bones and head and serve the bottom 

fillet. Garnish with fresh lemon wedges and herbs and 

serve with potatoes, salad or vegetables of your choice. 

28 


Leite Crème 

Ingredients 

• Whole/full-fat milk 1 litre 

• Egg yolks 8 nos 

• Golden sugar 250 gms, plus extra for the topping 

• Cornflour/corn-starch 2 tbs 

• Zest of 1 lemon, very finely grated, or 

• Lemon peel 5 strips 

• Cinnamon stick (optional) 1 no 

Method 

• Beat the egg yolks in a large bowl and gradually mix with 

a little milk. Continue to slowly add the rest of the milk 

while whisking. 

• Add the lemon zest, cinnamon (if using), the cornflour/ 

corn-starch and sugar, and mix well. 

• Pour the egg mixture into a pan and heat over 

low to medium heat, stirring gently all the time. 

Be careful that the mixture doesn’t stick to the 

pan and burn. It should take 10 to 15 minutes 

for the mixture to thicken and reach the 

consistency of a creamy custard. 

• Strain into a large jug to remove the lemon peel 

and any flecks of egg. Pour the custard into individual 

ramekins or into a large shallow terracotta dish. Allow to 

set in a cool place for a couple of hours. 

• Sprinkle the top with sugar and caramelise with the 

traditional heated Portuguese metal plate or under the 

grill or with a blow-torch. 

• Chill before serving. This can be made the day before 

but only complete the burnt sugar 

shortly before serving or it will 

tend to return to liquid caramel. 

Photo: Shutterstock

chef’ s musings 

Mind Over Platter 

Have you ever tried to describe why you adore certain foods? Or analysed 

why taste is so individual? What exactly are we experiencing when we taste? 

Traditional food, as well as food as per the dietary guidelines given 

in the Indian gastronomic science – the food vertical of Ayurveda 

– as also the modern day food guidelines, are all quite similar. For 

instance, eating seasonal and local, characteristics of food ingredients 

as per the compatibility with climate, the time of the day, age and health 

conditions, body type, tasks performed, lifestyle – most of these things 

are followed as basic guidelines across all the regions of India. 

Food is diverse because of flora and fauna and climate of the region. 

Every region evolved its own form of food which comes with distinctive 

characteristics. Each region offers their culinary culture and numerous 

traditional dishes prepared with various cooking styles and cooking 

mediums. That’s why we have a diversity of food. But it also unites us 

– as Indian food has the same underlying belief, philosophy, knowledge 

and science. 

manjit gill 

President, IFCA, and President, 

WorldChefs Cultural Heritage 

Committee 

Food was considered as a source of nourishment 

and a gift from God 

Traditional practises and techniques to prepare food such as 

preservation, cooking techniques, processes such as grinding, milling 

and cutting the ingredients, as also the cooking techniques, their 

therapeutic values of flora and fauna – have been around from many 

generations. 

The fundamental difference between our Ayurvedic diet principles and 

modern dietetics is that we give a lot of significance to physical qualities 

such as whether food is dry, oily, heavy, light, hot, cold, soft, or hard. Every 

sensory input is measured in terms of the physicality of a substance, and 

these physical traits have physical impacts on our body, mind and soul. 

Indian diet guidelines are in opposition to the amount of food. What I mean 

is that we don’t use the calorie count as the governing principle of food. 

In Ayurveda, we don’t eat to achieve a certain number of calories per 

day, but rather, we eat food for its physical and, more importantly, 

for its psycho-emotional effects. Think about it this way: If you eat 

chocolate, gajar halwa, tandoori murgh, you’re probably not eating these 

foods because of the number of calories they have. You’re eating 

these because of how they make you feel. Quantity is given 

importance, but the whole net worth of food has to do with 

certain attributes like taste, texture, and temperature—not 

how many calories it contains. For the quantity, it is advised 

one must eat half stomach full. This is to feel rather than to 

count the calories. 

30 


Other food qualities to consider are location 

and season. Ayurveda says that food needs to be 

consumed seasonally because your body processes 

food differently depending on the season. Preference 

is also given to whatever is available in your region. 

Ayurveda says that whatever is grown locally is very wellunderstood 

by the body. 


Taste, on the other hand, goes beyond the physical. There are 

six different tastes that food can have in its natural form: sweet, salty, 

sour, pungent, bitter and astringent. The significance of taste in the food 

we eat can be understood from this – while the properties of food have 

an impact on the body, taste has an influence over the mind. 

Why Taste LIEs all in the senses? Flavour+Aroma = Taste 

Not everyone experiences the taste of food in the same way. While some 

of us reach for a cup of strong tea or coffee first thing in the morning, 

others prefer parathas with butter or dal, some begin their days with 

a dosa, some poha or sprouts. The reason why we all react differently 

to food is not subjective. It may be due to the climate or season or the 

geographical location, and it may also be partly genetic – knowledge 

of which is helping us understand how we use our senses to process 

flavour, aroma and taste. 

Taste goes 

beyond the 

physical. While 

the properties 

of food have an 

impact on the 

body, taste has 

an influence 

over the mind 

The food is for the body and taste is for the mind. It is the brain that 

creates the sensation of taste with other senses. The experience of taste 

activates the brain more than any other behaviour. 

So, have you ever tried to describe why you adore certain foods? Or 

analysed why taste is so individual? What, exactly, are we experiencing 

when we taste? 

A scientist may say that taste is a very limited perception. What a nonscientist 

calls taste, a scientist better describes as flavour. There are six 

tastes, all sensed through the tongue and the sensors in the complete 

space of the mouth, cheeks, etc. – sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent and 

astringent. All six tastes are a manifestation of the ‘mouth feel,’ which 

includes texture, temperature and a well-hydrated body. 

My father lived till the age of 98 years with a healthy body and mind. In 

a story on him by the Outlook magazine, he was asked when he would 

eat his meals. He replied “…when my mind is empty and my stomach is 

empty. It is important to clear your mind from the various moods and get 

ready for the meal.” 

Modern scientist Dr Charles Spence says “nobody ever enjoyed a meal 

after a big fight or any other event which occupied the mind, so getting 

in the right head space is crucial to a good nosh.” Clear your mind of the 

events of the day and prepare for the flavours and tastes about to be 

take in. ● 


31

ingredient 

It Takes Two to 

Tango 

“Food is about making an interaction with ingredients. If you talk 

to them, they will always tell you a story,” says Spanish-American 

chef José Andrés. Chefs Manjit Gill and Majed Al Sabagh make 

sweet talk with aniseed and fennel, explaining how they are 

similar yet distinct in taste and usage

CHEF MAJED AL SABAGH 

President, Syrian Culinary Guild and Director, 

Chef International Hospitably Training Centre 

Anise is the popular name for the 

spice aniseed, which is also known as 

yansoon in the Eastern Mediterranean 

(Levant) slang. 

Anise gets its name from the Greek word, anison. 

Among its other names are: Riziang Rumi, sweet 

cumin, and sweet grain. Exotic names indeed for 

an exotic spice! 

Aniseed is the seed of the anise plant, which is 

an annual flowering plant that grows to a length 

of 50 cms, having long branches bearing round 

crenellated leaves that closely resemble parsley. 

The white blossoms form many umbrella-shaped 

clusters, which when they ripen form small brown 

seeds that we know as aniseed. It is a native 

of several European countries such as Spain, 

Netherlands, Bulgaria, Russia and Turkey. 

History records ancient Egyptians as the first 

people who planted this spice and understood 

its medicinal properties, as well as its many 

uses in cooking. Aniseed, with its active 

ingredient anethole, has many medicinal and 

therapeutic uses. It is used in toothpastes for 

protecting the gums and teeth; it is a wellknown 

carminative used by the elderly to tone 

up their digestive system; and mothers boil it 

in water to make “gripe water”, a household 

remedy that they use to this day for treating 

intestinal colic in babies. Additionally, it is 

prescribed for those who develop diarrhea by 

consuming milk and dairy products. 

Anise also cures asthma attacks, facilitates 

labour by strengthening the birth canal, and 

enhances the flow of milk during breastfeeding. 

Even as a nutritional food, it is valuable because 

of its significant protein content, fatty oils, fiber, 

sugar and starch. The aromatic oil extracted from 

it is used in preparing many delicacies. 

In the kitchen, anise has a large presence. It 

gives a refined flavor to the food, and a mouthwatering 

aroma to sweets, pies, cakes and 

biscuits. It is used in soups, and especially some 

fish dishes that are baked in the oven. Because 

of its zing and tart aftertaste, it is a must in the 

kitchen for sweets of Ramadan. Anise is also very 

popular in Indian and Asian kitchens. It is also 

used to manufacture several beverages such as 

absinthe, root beer, arak and similar liquors. 


This dish is very useful, because it is so versatile. 

It has a great flavor and is also therapeutic. ● 


33

ingredient 

Fish fillet baked 

in the oven 

Ingredients 

• Fish fillet (preferably Hamour) 

cut into slices 1 kg 

• Anise grain (little pieces) 1 tbs 

• Lemon juice ½ cup 

• Olive oil 2 tbs 

• Butter 2 tbs 

• Flour 1 tsp 

• Fish broth 1 cup 

• Sliced tomato 1 no 

• Lemon for garnishing 

• Salt and white pepper to taste 

Method 

• Season the fish with lemon juice, salt, pepper and a 

little anise. 

• Heat the olive oil in a pan and start cooking the fish until 

it becomes golden. Then place it in the oven tray, put 

the tomato slices over it, pour a little of the broth over it, 

and cover with aluminum and place in the oven at 200°C 

until it is cooked. Meanwhile we prepare the sauce. 

• Use the same pan without washing. To prepare the 

sauce, add butter to the hot pan. As it is melting, add 

the anise and stir it a little before spreading the flour in 

the pan while stirring (flour helps to thicken the sauce). 

Then add lemon juice, salt, and fish broth and stir well. 

Add a little bit of water or more fish broth, if the sauce 

seems too thick. 

• When fish gets well cooked, take it out of 

the oven, pour the sauce over the fish, 

garnish with lemon, and serve 

your guests. 

Macaron 

Ingredients 

• Semolina 2 cups 

• Flour ½ cup 

• Ghee 3 tbs 

• Corn oil 1 tbs 

• Yeast 1 tbs 

• Anise powder 1 tsp 

• Water ¼ ltr 

• Sugar syrup a good amount 

Method 

• Mix the semolina and flour in a deep bowl and make a 

hole in the middle to put the anise. 

• Heat the oil and ghee until it is well heated and then pour 

it in the hole. Mix and knead the dough well, and then 

add the yeast and water while continuing to knead until 

the dough homogenizes. 

• Make small balls and roll them on the sieve to give them an 

elongated shape. Then leave them long enough to ferment. 

• Once they are ready, fry them in oil. Press down on 

the dough balls until they become crisp on all sides. 

Then remove them from the oil and soak them 

in the cooled sugar syrup immediately. 

• After they have soaked in the sugar, 

remove them from the syrup and let 

the excess syrup drain. They are now 

ready to be served. 

Sugar Syrup: It is prepared by 

mixing equal amounts of sugar 

and water, and then boiing 

the mixture until the sugar 

dissolves. Gently heat the syrup 

before dunking the dough balls 

in it. You may add water or rose 

water as desired, to modify the 

sweetness of the syrup. 

34 Cuisine Digest | Oct.-Nov., Dec. 2017-Jan. 2018

Fennel, the cool Spice 

More than just a mouth-freshner, ‘sounf’ with its coolant nature has health 

benefits that make it an asset to any Chef’s kitchen, says Chef Manjit Gill 

Fennel is called by many names in India, 

though most Indians know it as ‘Sounf’. 

Cultivated across India since ancient times 

as a spice, fennel as an herb is native to southern 

Europe where it finds many uses – both as a 

spice and a leafy vegetable. The Romans used it a 

great deal too, and no doubt were responsible for 

introducing it into Britain. 

Fennel has thandi taseer – which means that it is 

coolant in nature. A sweet, pungent taste with an 

undertone of bitter flavour, and a light liquoricelike 

aroma are its distinguishing features. Fennel 

seeds are sometimes confused with Aniseed, 

which is similar in taste and appearance, but they 

are actually completely different species. 

According to Ayurveda, fennel aids digestion, by 

enhancing agni, the digestive fire. In India, eating a 

few toasted fennel seeds after a meal, as a digestive 

and breath freshener, is a common practice. 

Fennel seeds can be used whole, coarsely 

pounded or ground. Whole fennel seeds, sautéed 

in ghee or butter contribute aroma and flavour to 

dry vegetable dishes, while pounded or ground 

fennel works very well in gravies. Fennel combines 

well with other spices such as Cumin, Coriander, 

dried Ginger, Black pepper, Fenugreek Seeds, 

Cinnamon, Kalonji (black onion seeds). Being 

sweet in taste after chewing, it goes well with 

sweetmeats, puddings and cakes. 

In Ayurveda, Fennel is used for its many health 

benefits: to cure anemia, indigestion, flatulence, 

constipation, colic, diarrhea, respiratory disorders, 

menstrual disorders, and eye care. It is a common 

ingredient of gripe water given to babies. It is often 

given to young mothers to increase lactation. An 

herbal tea or tisane is made from fennel seeds. 

This tea is very tasty and refreshing. 

Saunf or fennel seeds are actually the fruit of the 

fennel plant. Saunf ranges in colour from bright 

green to pale green, and has an intense liquoricelike 

aroma. The freshest and best quality seeds 

are usually the bright green ones that are plump 

and unwrinkled. They exude a strong fragrance 

when rolled between the palms. To retain the 

aroma and potency of Saunf, store them in an 

airtight glass container in a cool, dark place away 

from sunlight. This way, spices remain fresh much 

longer, even up to six months. 

Saunf is used extensively in cooking, tempering, 

pickles and chutneys. Many may not know that 

India is the world’s biggest producer of Saunf. 

And perhaps the biggest consumer too. One 

interesting fact is that flies dislike the strong 

liquorice-like aroma of fennel. So, if flies are 

bothering you, sprinkle some fennel powder in 

that room. This usually gets rid of them. A cool 

spice with many “cool” uses indeed! ● 

In some of the regional cuisines of 

India, it is the most important spice. 

Kashmiri Pandit cuisine and Gujarati 

cooking are cases in point, and 

their kitchens are not complete 

without Sounf. It is also an important 

ingredient in spice mixtures (panch 

phoran) used in Bengali, Oriya and 

Assamese cuisine. It enhances the taste 

of fish dishes, particularly grilled Trout, 

Red Muller, Pomphrey, and sole. It also goes 

very well with all kinds of pork dishes. 


Cuisine Digest | Oct.-Nov., 2017 

35

ingredient 

DUM ALOO KASHMIRI 

Ingredients 

• Potatoes (Shimla or 

haldwani) about 50 to 60 

gms each uniform in size 

and round 1 kg 

• Mustard oil ½ ltr (2½ cups) 

• Sugar 5 gms (1 tsp) 

• Cloves 5 nos 

• Cinnamon sticks 3 nos 

• Big cardamom 5 nos 

• Red chili powder 2 tsp 

• Yoghurt ½ cup 

• Water 1½ ltr 

• Salt 1 tsp 

• Ginger Powder ½ tsp 

• Fennel Powder (saunf) 3 tbs 

For tempering 

• Mustard oil 30 ml 

• Kashmiri Mirch 1 tsp 

Method 

• In a medium-sized pot of four-litre-capacity, boil 

potatoes till they are almost cooked. Drain the water 

from the potatoes immediately and let them cool. 

• Peel off the skin and prick several times with a thick needle. 

• Put oil on medium heat. Add the peeled potatoes and fry on 

simmering heat till the potatoes become brown from outside. 

• In a pot of about three-litre-capacity, add 50 ml of the 

remaining oil. 

• Add sugar and cloves, and on simmering heat cook till 

the sugar gets caramelized. 

• Add cinnamon sticks and big cardamom. Cook till whole 

spices crackle. Add fried potatoes. Add red chilli powder 

fry for 30 seconds. Add beaten yoghurt and cook till all 

the moisture evaporates. 

• Add enough water to ensure the potatoes are covered. 

• Add salt and bring to boil. 

• Simmer till all the water evaporates and oil is visible. 

• Add ginger powder and fennel powder. 

Add 1 cup of water and cook till 

powdered spices are cooked. 

• Temper with mustard oil and red chilli 

powder and let potatoes absorb the 

spices exuding a deep red colour. 

• Serve hot with rice. 

Chef Umesh 

Mattoo 

A Spicy 

Dilemma 

Urvashi Sibal retells an old tale 

of a hypothetical battle between 

the similar yet distinct spiced 

dames – anise and fennel 

Akbar the Great was holding court in his 

Diwan-E-Aam on the day when our story 

starts. With wise Birbal by his side, the 

just monarch was administering justice in all 

the disputes that were listed that day. 

“Bailiff! What is the next case?” Asked the 

Emperor. 

“Jahanpanah. It is a strange case of two ladies 

from the province of spices who want your 

decision as to who is the better among them.” 

“Anisa Khatoon aur Fanila Begum haazir hon,” 

shouted the bailiff. 

And with that he ushered in two women, who 

resembled each other. 

“State your case!” Commanded the emperor, 

looking at Anisa. 

“Jahanpanah. We both have come from the 

province of spices. Because we both look 

similar, my inferior cousin, Fanila alias Fennel, 

whose real name is Foeniculum vulgare, 

masquerades as me and deceives the cooks. 

How can someone whose family 

name itself is vulgar be even 

considered equal to one who 

comes from the family of anisum. 

For one thing, I am more exotic 

and lissome; I am also more tart 

to the tongue because I contain 

much more anethole than the 

vapid and bland Fennel. I request your 

Highness to ban Fanila from all kitchens 

so that cooks don’t make the mistake of 

36 

Cuisine Digest | Oct.-Nov., 2017

using the commoner Fennel 

when they should be using 

me, the blue-blooded Anisa, or 

Anise, as the world calls me.” 

Akbar turned to the slightly 

plump Fennel and said, “Fanila 

Begum. What is your defence?” 

“O Shahanshah, my greetings to 

you,” started Fennel with a royal salaam. 

“Please don’t be swayed by the falsehoods of 

my cousin. She is jealous of me because though 

she may be more exotic and tart, cooks prefer 

me over her for most dishes. She is also envious 

of my fair complexion and is quite insecure of 

her darker looks. She derides my family name by 

calling it vulgar, but her own family name, “Pimp”- 

inella Anisum, reeks of brothels and tart women. 

No wonder she is tart to the tongue, and is used 

only for liquors, cough cures, and carminative 

potions. And “Anisum”! Sounds like Ahole to me. 

And she is an Ahole!” cried Fennel tossing her 

head angrily. 

“Ladies, ladies,” shouted the Bailiff. “Please 

maintain the dignity of the court and do not 

descend to obscenities.” 

“Pardon me, Jahanpanah,” said Fennel, “but I 

couldn’t help myself.” She was fuming and took 

a few deep breaths to calm herself. Anise was 

looking at the ceiling with a “couldn’t care less” 

expression on her pretty face. 

“Cooks not only use my seed as a spice in many 

dishes, they also use the bulb and leaves of my 

plant as a vegetable” continued Fanila. “But 

only the seed of my cousin Anisa is useful. She 

blames me of masquerade, while all over the 

world people mistakenly call the bulb of my plant 

as Anise. She is also vain because she thinks 

she looks daintier than me, and calls me “Moti 

saunf” and calls herself “chhoti saunf”. I ask you, 

your Highness, who should be exiled from the 

kitchens – she or me?” 

Akbar looked thoroughly bewildered. Anise, 

though dusky, was slim and tart. Fennel, though 

plump and plain looking, was more popular. Who 

then is better? And who should be banned so that 

the cooks are not confused? 

As always, when Akbar had a problem, he turned to 

wise Birbal for help. But Birbal shook his head with 

a smile and said, “Jahanpanah, Birbal cannot help 

you in this case. Only your royal Chef can solve this 

spicy conundrum. So please summon him.” 

The royal Chef was summoned from the royal 

kitchens, and the problem was placed before him. 

“Jahanpanah. Anise and Fennel are similar to look 

at, but have different taste and uses.” started the 

royal Chef. “I cannot use Fennel, when the recipe 

calls for Anise, and I cannot sprinkle Anise when the 

dish needs Fennel. It is like a mother of twins. They 

look alike and a stranger may get confused, but the 

mother always knows the difference between the 

two. And she cannot choose one and ban the other. 

She knows and loves them both. But to prevent 

confusion, she dresses the twins differently. So 

also, a good cook puts Anise and Fennel in separate 

containers in his kitchen, and labels them properly, 

so that even a novice can differentiate them; but he 

himself knows which is which. And he loves them 

both,” concluded the Chef. 

“But Chef,” remonstrated the Emperor. “What if 

cooks get confused? You have not told us who 

should be exiled from our royal kitchens – the 

dusky Anise or the plump Fennel?” 

“O King,” said Chef, humbly bowing, “if a cook in 

your royal kitchen cannot differentiate between 

Anise and Fennel, then not they, but it is the cook 

who should be exiled.” ● 



37

pass it on 

In Giving, We Receive 

Starting off as recipients of knowledge from various teachers, and even 

through their own experiments in the kitchen, the culinary students 

blossom into Chefs. And then, it is time to give it back – in abundance 

The age-old tradition of guru-shishya parampara or the teacherdisciple 

relationship has been a hallmark of the Indian culture of 

imparting knowledge – spiritual, academic or technical. Passed on 

through the developing relationship between the guru and the disciple, 

it draws on the respect of a genuine master and the commitment and 

obedience of the student – considered to be the ideal way for passing 

on of subtle or advanced knowledge – much like in the case of a culinary 

teacher and student. In due course, the shishya reflects the wisdom 

imparted by the guru. 

sudhir sibal 

Ambassador, World Chefs 

Without Borders and former 

Vice President (Hotels) of 

India Tourism Development 

Corporation 

With much gratitude, one recalls the impactful and wisdom-guided 

training of our academicians at the hotel management institutes. 

Learning from the other masters – senior Chefs at work, veterans in 

the industry, and occasional interactions with the world’s luminaries in 

culinary – all cumulatively added up to the resultant package of being a 

professional Chef. 

One of the reasons many of us hold in high esteem the former IHM-PUSA 

principal, the late Alok Shivapuri, is his contribution in an ingenious 

experiment that lasted several years. Toppers from various IHMs were 

invited to IHM Pusa campus for a ‘Guru Shishya Parampara’ workshop. 

Illustrious IHM alumni would share their expertise and experiences 

to groom the students who joined with enthusiasm. What about the 

seniors? They, too, received in exchange – the joy of giving. And while 

the results of these annual exchanges were intangible – the learning, the 

growth or the widening of one’s own perspectives – yet, they left lasting 

imprints on the young and old minds alike. 

Many acclaimed global culinary schools are similarly exploring 

mentoring of students through their alumni – like the Culinary Institute 

of America (CIA) which extolls its illustrious alumni to ‘Be a Mentor’ to 

student Chefs by ‘making a connection, sharing your experience, 

influencing the future, and giving back to your alma mater.’ 

Further, it also explains how one can give it back – 

through ‘forging a bond with a CIA student, bridging 

the gap between what students learn in the class and 

what they encounter in the industry, demonstrating 

the relationship between pride, professionalism, 

ethical behaviour, hard work, and eventual success, 

assisting students with identifying externship 

goals and networking opportunities, exposing 

38 


students to varying points of view with your 

perspective on professional issues, being a role 

model for leadership, and securing the future of 

the foodservice industry.’ 

Learning may come from various quarters – your 

own experience or that of another. Chef Harpal 

Sokhi who calls himself “a master of my own 

learning and shortcomings,” also recalls the 

words of wisdom received from Chef Sanjeev 

Kapoor: “If you want to become a successful Chef 

Entrepreneur, ensure that each recipe that you do 

is a sell-able proposition.” 

Contrary to popular perception in competitive 

spaces of today, sharing of knowledge does not 

lessen the senior Chef’s own scope. It is in fact “a 

rewarding experience,” reveals Chef Sabyasachi 

Gorai, “when the students blossom into fine 

young Chefs and dazzle the culinary space.” 

Chef Saby is also the President of the Indian 

Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA) Young 

Chefs Forum which drew culinary students from across the country to its 

national conference in the capital in 2016. The forum aims at ‘engaging 

communication between junior Chefs and senior Chefs, facilitating 

transfer of knowledge and skills in an unprecedented opportunity to 

interact.’ With the novel aim ‘to build a stronger lineage of Chefs for 

tomorrow, with greater focus on substantial achievements that can 

positively impact the culinary Industry as a whole even as the individual 

Chef is empowered to make the right choices and decisions.’ 

Other professional Chef’s associations such as the Indian Culinary Forum 

(ICF) conduct quarterly seminars for young Chefs that culminate into the 

annual Chef’s Summit commemorating the International Chef’s Day. 

WorldChefs has a Billy Gallagher Young Chefs Forum in honour of the 

great Chef Gallagher – who exalted the prized virtue in senior professional 

Chefs – of “passing it on” to the younger Chefs. The renowned former 

WACS President, Gallagher passionately pursued mentoring of young 

chefs and instituted apprenticeship programmes. No wonder, on his 

demise in 2016, several Chefs called him “Chef of Chefs” and “big daddy”. 

Contrary 

to popular 

perception in 

competitive 

spaces of today, 

sharing of 

knowledge does 

not lessen the 

senior Chef’s 

own scope 

Isn’t staying on in the memories of others who look up to you with 

respect the real wealth of any Chef? How can you, as a Chef, pass it on? A 

novel way of doing so was shared by Chef Christopher Koetke with few of 

us recently. He recounted a senior Chef who gave away his prized tool – a 

knife – to his protégé. Have you ever thought of doing something similar 

– giving away from your collection of books, tools, guarded kitchen 

secrets, recipes... perhaps? ● 


39

estaurant journey 

Caperberry 

A Sensorial Odyssey 

Donning the entrepreneur’s hat is 

a dream simmering in the hearts of 

many great Chefs, but only a few – like 

Chef Abhijit Saha – can claim to have 

cracked the recipe of success in their 

restaurant endeavours 

40 


Caperberry – an award-winning 

restaurant by celebrated Chef Abhijit 

Saha offers to the discerning palate – a 

modern European cuisine experience 

“enhanced by elements of new age cooking 

methods, and ingredients specially sourced for 

the restaurant.” He shares his restaurant story 

with Cuisine Digest. 

Where did you get the inspiration for the 

restaurant? What was your Initial Idea? 

While working as Chef and F&B Director in various 

hotels and having dined in many of the top 

restaurants both internationally and in India, the 

thought of opening my own restaurant someday 

would often pop up in my mind. After completing 

18 years in the industry, I decided that it was now 

or never and I decided to take the entrepreneurial 

plunge in 2008. The idea was not to open one 

restaurant but to create a world-class food 

service company based on quality, knowledge and 

innovation with interests in restaurants, catering 

and consulting. 

At the same time, I also wanted my first 

restaurant project to be unique – to bring in 

something new to the plate of my customers. 

The opportunity to do so came through 

modernist cuisine which is popularly known 

as molecular gastronomy. So with Caperberry, 

I became the first Chef in India to open a 

restaurant based on Molecular Gastronomy in 

2009. Since then I have opened five more F&B 

concepts in Bangalore including Fava, Café 

Cassia, Red Rhino – Craft Brewery & Inspired 

Kitchen, The Pizza Bakery and RockSalt – Indian 

Kitchen & Bar in Bangalore and Saha Signature 

Indian Restaurant in Singapore (now in the 

process of moving to a new location). 

What is the concept and design that your 

restaurant is based on? How does the ambience 

add to the guest experience? 

As a part of my Foundation for the Future 

Scholarship from the International Hotel & 

Restaurant Association, I had the opportunity 

to study Food Service Technology and Design 

besides Oenology. So I am deeply involved in all 

aspects of my restaurants including, kitchen and 

facility planning, layouts and interiors. In fact, I 

I am deeply involved in all 

aspects of my restaurants 

including, kitchen and facility 

planning, layouts and interiors 

offer these services to other food service 

companies as a part of AGH Consulting. 

The interiors of all my restaurants are 

different from formal to smart casual. 

In its new location in UB City since the 

last three years, Caperberry offers an 

experience of dining akin to enjoying a 

meal at a connoisseur friend’s home. The 

intimate, post-modern style dining salon 

seats only 28 people and has been 

fashioned to reflect my philosophy for 

the restaurant. Every patron is like 

a personal guest, and is welcomed 

to partake in the same good taste, 

warmth and hospitality that a guest 

at my own home would enjoy. 


41

estaurant story 

What kind of a cuisine is offered? What is the 

USP of your restaurant? 

At Caperberry, we offer a Modernist European 

Cuisine, with the highest quality of international 

dining experience. We serve both Degustation 

menus paired with wines and also a la carte. It has 

a great wine list and offers gives you a feeling of 

sophistication and luxury. 

What would you call your ‘hot’ selling menu listing? 

There have been many over the years but some 

of the all-time best sellers include Baked Spinach 

& Almond Filo Rolls; Chicken & Avocado Cornet; 

New Age Salad Caprese; Potato & Leek Soup with 

Wasabi & Hijiki; Prawns Al Ajillo; and Smoked 

Belgian Pork Belly with Apple-Onion Relish and 

Turnip Puree; New Age Tiramisu (prepared live) 

and Churros Moderne. 

How do you engage your customers inside and 

away from the restaurant? 

At Caperberry, there is no entertainment other 

than background jazz music. But we often 

host wine dinners with international wines 

and wine makers from various countries. 

We also do various pop-ups and promotions 

with international Chefs like the International 

Tapas Week celebration and European Art of 

Taste and Eating with five senses. Caperberry 

is the preferred destination for food and wine 

connoisseur groups like Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, 

The Bangalore Black Tie and Bangalore Wine 

Club. We engage with our customers through 

electronic direct mailers and all forms of social 

media and online presence. 

Every patron is like a personal 

guest, and is welcomed to 

partake in the same good taste, 

warmth and hospitality that a 

guest at my home would enjoy 

What are the key challenges that you have faced 

while setting up the restaurant or face even now? 

Opening and operating a standalone fine dining 

restaurant is a challenge every day. It requires 

a lot of dedication and passion from the entire 

team. Keeping the team inspired to do their best 

daily is a continuous challenge. Sourcing of high 

quality international ingredients consistently is 

not very easy always. The high cost of leasing 

a good space and the bureaucratic hurdles of 

obtaining various licenses are also very daunting 

challenges in the setting up of restaurants. 

Manpower, consistency of food and drinks 

as the staff keeps changing, cleanliness and 

upkeepment of the place as it’s a boutique 

restaurant so it needs to be regularly 

maintained. 

What next? Another Caperberry? 

Caperberry will always remain a single restaurant 

but I have plans of expanding a couple of my 

other brands in India and internationally in the 

coming years. ● 

Visit caperberry.net or follow @ChefAbhijitSaha on Twitter 

42 


Imitation Carpaccio 

Compressed watermelon, red wine jelly, mint caviar, Parmesan, arugula, 

chrysanthemum and micro greens 

Ingredients Mint Caviar 

• Yield 250 gms 

Ingredients Calcic Bath 

• Calcium chloride (7 gms) dissolved 

in water (1,000 ml) 

Ingredients Mint Syrup Mixture 

• Water 100 ml 

• Sodium Alginate 2 gms 

• Mint syrup 200 ml 

• Mint chlorophyll 2 tsp 

• lemon Juice 2 tbs 


Method Mint Caviar 

• Using a hand blender dissolve the 

sodium alginate in water. Strain 

and blend together with mint syrup 

and mint chlorophyll and rest for an 

hour in a refrigerator. 

• Pour the mixture in squeeze bottles 

and slowly drop mixture in the 

calcic bath and allow it to set for 30 

seconds or so. 

• Remove gently with a perforated 

spoon and wash the caviar in a bowl 

of plain water. Repeat the process 

with the entire mixture. 

Ingredients 

Compressed Watermelon 

• Watermelon, deseeded and cut into 

5 cm diameter cylinders with ring 

cutter 400 gms 

• Crushed black pepper ½ tsp 

• Caster sugar 2 tsp 

• Lemon juice 2 tbs 

• Extra virgin olive oil 2 tbs 


Method Compressed Watermelon 

Place in watermelon in a vacuum 

packing plastic bag, seal in a vacuum 

packing machine and rest in the 

refrigerator for 3 hours. 

Ingredients Finishing 

• Red wine jelly 80 gms 

• Mint caviar 4 tsp 

• Parmesan, freshly grated 4 tbs 

• Arugula leaves, small 20 nos 

• Lemon wedges, cut into halves 2 

nos chrysanthemum petals a few 

micro greens a handful extra virgin 

olive oil to drizzle 

Assembly & Finish 

• Cut compressed watermelon into 

2 mm thick slices and place in a 

mixing bowl. 

• Add salt, pepper, caster sugar and 

lemon juice, and toss gently. 

• Sprinkle each serving plate with 

freshly grated Parmesan, and 

arrange watermelon slices in a 

circular pattern overlapping each 

other. 

• Place red wine jelly and mint caviar 

at equal intervals. 

• Garnish with arugula leaves, micro 

greens, chrysanthemum petals, 

lemon wedge and some more 

grated Parmesan. 

• Serve drizzled with extra virgin 

olive oil. 

New Age Tiramisu 

Mascarpone espuma, savoiardi biscuit, 

espresso frappe, amaretto syrup and kahlua 

Ingredients Mascarpone Mix 

• Whipping cream 100 ml 

• Caster sugar 40 gms 

• Mascarpone cheese 150 gms 

Method Mascarpone Cheese Mix 

• Place creamer and sugar in the mixing 

bowl of the KitchenAid Stand Mixer. 

• Using the flat beater attachment mix the 

sugar and cream together at speed 2 for 

a couple of minutes or until the sugar 

dissolves. 

• Add mascarpone cheese, and continue 

to mix for a minute or so to make a 

smooth mixture. Be careful not to whip 

the mixture. 

• Pour cheese mixture into espuma gun 

and screw with 1 N 2 O charger, shake well 

and set aside in a refrigerator for an hour. 

Ingredients Finishing 

• Savoiardi biscuits, cut into half 8 nos 

• Espresso, chilled 4 shots 

• Caster sugar 4 tsp 

• Kahlua 60 ml 

• Amaretto syrup 40 ml 

• Coco powder 2 tbsp 

• Coffee beans 4 nos 

Assembly & Finish 

• In a small mixing bowl mix together 

espresso and caster sugar. 

• Soak savoiardi biscuits in espresso for 

30 seconds and line the sides of martini 

each martini glass with four halves. 

• Pour some kahlua, amaretto syrup and 

chilled espresso on each biscuit with a 

creamer. 

• Pipe out the mascarpone cheese 

espuma in the centre. 

• Top with a few more drops of more 

chilled espresso and finish with dusting 

of cocoa powder and coffee bean. 


43

egional cuisine 

BADAGAS 

of the Blue Mountains 

On his slow cooking trail, Chef Ramu Butler discovered the kitchens of an 

indigenous tribe of the Nilgiris in the Ooty district of Tamil Nadu, which is 

rooted in “surviving and thriving in the environment” 

Having pursued my entire school 

education which is twelve years of my 

life in Udagamandalam, which is better 

known as Ooty, a famous hill station 

of India, the place has left indelible impressions 

on my memories. The lesser known part of this 

otherwise famous hilly terrain which enjoys a 

cooler climate than the surrounding region, is 

its tribal heritage. Having heard a lot about the 

same while growing up, it was always something I 

wanted to do – to travel and explore Ooty’s tribal 

assets – something I never managed to, until 

recently. After working as a chef for 20 years, I 

got this chance when I got involved with the slow 

44 



cooking movement and was grateful to revisit 

memories of my childhood here, as also to explore 

the tribal Badagas kitchen. 

So, who are the Badagas? The Nilgiris or ‘blue 

mountains’ of the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, 

the southern-most state of India, are home to 

many aboriginal tribes – the largest among them 

being the Badugas. They reside in nearly three 

hundred villages called hattis throughout the 

Ooty district. Characteristic of the aboriginal 

tribes like Badugas is their rich oral tradition, and 

their history is known through the word of mouth 

transfer of stories. Their language is Badugu, with 

retroflex vowels – one which is known to have no 

script. A white piece of cloth called thundu and 

seeley are part of the attire of Badaga men and 

women. A typical Badaga house also has atulu an 

attic or loft to store grains. 

The Badagas Kitchen is an exciting one, but it is 

not that easy to discover first hand. For the most 


45


cooked rice with “Mochakottai Kuzhambu” – a 

curry made with field beans and potatoes. I 

was looking for non-vegetarian food, but was 

told by the village head that no non-vegetarian 

was served during festival. It was a great dining 

experience, during which he also explained to us 

what this festival was all about. 

Grandmother Hethai took us to 

her kitchen and shared with us 

many things, including her anxiety 

over the fact that traditional 

Badaga food is slowly vanishing 

part, the Badagas I met cook socially but these 

cooks don’t write down their recipes. There was 

not much literature available. Yet, when I went 

along with a local friend of mine to their hattis, 

they were very welcoming. 

The first visit I made was to a hatti called 

“Adikaratty” where Hethai Amman (Badaga’s 

God) festival was going on. Sumptuous food 

was being served through the day with the yield 

they got out of that years’ cultivation. This is 

where I met ‘Haldorai’ – one of the village heads, 

who was generous enough to take me round the 

village and introduce me to their relatives. Their 

hospitality is just amazing, every one generously 

offering me “thuppadhittu” – a sweet, flat, deep 

fried bread made out of flour. I could see their 

people dressed in traditional tribal attire sitting 

down and having food. Mr. Haldorai offered us 

to partake of their festive food with them. We 

had to sit on the floor in a row and have bulk 

Hethai Amman is the goddess of the Badaga 

people of the nine goddess in hethai. Kada 

hethai and kada aiya are some of the names of 

hethai gods. Hethai festival is a major festival 

and is celebrated in a grand way. Though it is 

filled with customs and is a traditional festival, 

people enjoy Hethai even today and celebrate 

this particular carnival a lot. Badaga tribal dance 

is the highlighting custom performed to please 

and make the goddess happy. Each and every 

festival in the Badagar community is celebrated 

in a similar way. As per the tradition of the Badaga 

community, Hethai Amman god is not supposed 

to be displayed in photographs. 

Later, the village head also took us around the 

remaining parts of the village. Among the wide 

spread green carpet, the houses bloom like tiny 

huts and little cottages. It is such an amazing 

sight to see these cute dwelling places. They will 

definitely steal your heart. 

I wanted to visit a kitchen and he took me 

to a hut-shaped tiny cottage where I met his 

mother-in-law who was in her late seventies. 

They call her hethai or grandmother. She had a 

big nose ring, and adorned the traditional tribal 

attire. Language was a bit of a problem, but 

my local friend was good enough to explain my 

requirements. 

Hethai took us to her kitchen and shared with us 

many things, including her anxiety over the fact 

that traditional Badaga food is slowly vanishing. 

She was generous enough to explain some of her 

traditional recipes. ● 

Chef Ramu Butler 

Vice President, South India Chef’s Association 

– Kerala Chapter 

46 


KOI UDAKA MAASU HUDI 

(Masala powder for chicken gravy) 

Ingredients 

• Chillies 1 kg 

• Corriander seeds 2 kg 

• Cumin seeds (jeera) 250 gms 

• Pepper 50-100 gms 

Procedure 

• There is no need to add other spices like saunf, cloves, etc. 

They can be added while preparing the curry. Roast the 

chillies, corriander, cumin and pepper seperately in a hard 

bottom pan on low fire. The colour of the spices should turn 

dark as our gravies are usually dark (nearly black) in colour. 

Be careful not to over-roast. Mix the ingredients together 

and get them ground in a grinding or pounding machine. 

Pounding is a better option inorder to maintain the flavour 

of the spices. Cool the masala powder as soon as after it is 

ground. Seive and store properly. This masala can be used 

for more than a year if stored well. 

THUPPADHITTU 

(Enne Hittu) ‘A SWEET DISH’ 

Ingredients 

• Maida ½ kg 

• Sugar ¼ kg 

• Water 3-4 cups (very hot) 


• Powdered cardamoms or khas-khas 

• Oil for frying 

Procedure 

• Sieve the flour, add sugar, salt, and cardamoms and mix 

well. Then add 2 cups hot water to the flour mixing well 

with a long spoon. When the flour is thoroughly wet start 

kneading with your hands adding more water to get the 

desired consistency (it should be thick and smooth). 

• The batter should extend when pulled. Now take about a 

ladle of the batter in your left palm and pat it 

with your right fingers and deep fry in 

oil. Use water to pat as the batter 

could be sticky. 

• Squashed bananas can also 

be added. If it is difficult 

to pat pour a ladle of 

the batter directly into 

the oil. 



47


Avaray with Gaasu 

Udhakka 

(Beans with Potato Curry) 

Ingredients 

48 

• Potato 3 nos 

• Dry Beans (Avarai) 250 gms 

• Onion 1 no 

• Ginger ½ inch pieces 

• Garlic 5 flakes 

• Cumin Seeds ½ tsp 

• Coriander Leaves ½ bunch 

• Tomato 2 

• Garam masala powder 

1 tsp 


• Turmeric powder ¼ tsp 

• Red Chilli powder 1 tsp 

• Green Chilli 2 

Procedure 

• Soak the dry bean over night. 

• Cut potatoes into cubes. 

• Grind Ginger, Garlic, Green chilli, Cumin Seeds,Tomato, 

Coriander leaves and onion. 

• Heat 5 tsp oil in a mud pot, strain water and add the 

soaked bean and potato. Fry for 5 minutes. 

• Now Heat 5 tsp oil into Mud pot, Add Fenugreek when 

it crackles add grind paste, red chilli powder, turmeric 

powder, salt, garam masala powder and ½ cup water. 

Cook on medium heat till oil shows separately. 

• Then add fry Beans and potato and 1 cup water and slow 

cook until beans and potato cooks. 

• Serve hot with Rice. 


Badaguru Koi Udaka 

(Badaga Chicken Curry) 

Ingredients 

• Country Chicken 1 kg 

• Small onions 500 gms 

• Koi uduka maasu hudi 

(masala powder) ½ cup 

(or depending on how 

spicy you want it) 

• Cumin seeds 2-3 tsp 

• Saunf 2-3 tsp 

• Kas-kas 2 tsp 

• Cloves 3-4 

• Cinnamon ½ inch 

• Cardamom 2-3 

• Ginger 1 inch piece 

• Garlic 8-9 flakes 


• Turmeric a pinch 

• Mustard seeds ½ tsp 

• Small or big onions for 

seasoning 

• Oil 3-5 tbs 

• Water 

Procedure 

• Clean and wash the chicken pieces well. Marinate the 

chicken in maasu hudi – curry powder (see below to 

learn how to make Koi Udakka maasu hudi), salt and 

turmeric. 

• Warm the spices (cumin, saunf, kas-kas, cloves, 

cinnamon, and cardamom). Grind them in a mixer along 

with ginger and garlic and keep aside. 

• Peel the small onions, wash and cut the larger ones 

into 2-3 pieces and fry in a little oil on low fire. Keep 

stirring the onions so that they are uniformly and 

thoroughly fried. Remove from fire, cool and then 

make it into a paste in a mixer. 

• Mix the onion paste with the marinated chicken. 

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, curry leaves 

and the onions. Fry till onions turn golden in 

colour. Add the masala-ginger-garlic 

paste and saute. Then add the 

marinated chicken and 

water (according 

to how thick you 

want the curry to 

be). Cook for 20 

- 25 minutes or till 

chicken is done. 

Photos: Shutterstock

NONE LIKE 

BOCUSE 

obituary 

Celebrated French Chef Paul Bocuse – the eponym of Bocuse D’Or – the 

biennial world Chef championship often called the “culinary equivalent of 

Olympics,” passed away at the age of 91 this January near Lyon in France 

Bearing testimony to his popularity, his 

social media pages are flooded with 

condolences at the loss of such an icon 

– described as “the incarnation of French 

cuisine” by French President, Emmanuel Macron. 

Paul François Pierre Bocuse – who founded 

Bocuse D’Or in the 1980s, was also the brain 

behind Le Club Des Chefs Des Chefs (CCC) with 

Gilles Bragard. The idea of the premier club of 

Chefs came up during a discussion between the 

two at his three Michelin-starred restaurant. 

Bringing together Chefs of world premiers and 

rulers for annual meetings and exchange of 

culinary ideas, CCC went on to create 

a unique tradition of culinary 

diplomacy. 

With his inimitable style, the ‘Pope 

of Gastronomy’ created a name to 

reckon with, receiving accolades 

galore in his choice of profession. 

He espoused the cause of retaining 

French standards of cooking in 

international culinary – as longtime 

President of Eurotoques – a 

European chefs’s organisation. 

Courting controversies, he 

endorsed and popularised the 

nouvelle cuisine movement 

early on, only to dismiss 

it later as “not enough 

on your plate and too 

much on your bill.” 

Elevating the status 

of Chefs who were 

earlier looked 

at no more than 

‘kitchen help,’ 

Chef Paul Bocuse drew over 1,500 world Chefs – 

all in white coats – to his recent funeral. 

Belonging to a family of restaurateurs who were 

reportedly in the business since 1765, Bocuse was 

pulled into World War II, where he fought for the 

Free French army and got wounded by German 

machine-gun fire. In 1956, returning to his father’s 

small hotel in the Collonges-au-Mont-d’Or, he 

began his journey to convert the family enterprise 

into the phenomenal success of the day – bagging 

his three Michelin stars – the first in 1961, then in 

1962 and the third in 1965. 

In ‘Great Chefs of France,’ Quentin Crewe has 

called Bocuse’s approach to his profession 

“… one of intense, romantic feeling, rooted 

in respect for tradition and simplicity, 

with a strong patriotic pride – and... a 

certain modesty.” Finding expression in 

classic recipes with local ingredients and 

the traditions of the cuisine of Lyon, his 

cooking established new benchamrks of 

sophistication and subtlety characteristic 

of haute cuisine. 

Bocuse had even posed nude for the 

French magazine Lui on his 60th birthday. 

Chef named what became one of his 

most-acclaimed creations, soupe aux 

truffes noires VGE, after 

President Valéry Giscard 

d’Estaing to mark his being 

named a chevalier of the 

Légion d’honneur in 

1975. An outstanding 

Chef, Bocuse has 

left a great culinary 

legacy for Chefs 

to aspire to. ●


The Science of 

Indian Cuisine 

Ever wondered “why we eat what we eat?” Scientist Dr Ganesh Bagler 

explores patterns in traditional Indian recipes based on the discovery 

of exceptional food pairing in Indian cuisine 

Humans have evolved over millions of 

years as one of the most dominant 

species on the face of the earth. Over 

time, as we acquired enhanced cognitive 

abilities, we have also ended up developing a 

lifestyle that makes us vulnerable to diseases 

such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular 

disorders. While we may blame our genes, our 

social circles and sedentary work profiles for the 

rise of this epidemic of lifestyle disorders, diet is 

an important factor contributing towards these 

health issues. 

Cooking is a uniquely human endeavour which 

is suggested to be responsible for the evolution 

of big brains in humans. Ironically, food is also 

central to many modern health problems. Experts 

have attempted to associate positive and negative 

50 


effects of food on human health, without much 

convergence. The interaction between our body 

and food, leading to health consequences is way 

too complex, giving rise to inconclusive and often 

contradictory assertions. 

I believe that taking a data-centric and evidencedriven 

view of food is the key to leveraging food 

for better health. With this idea, I would like to 

present our investigations of Indian cuisine in 

search of patterns and future directions for 

personalized dietary recommendations. Such 

data-driven studies are opening new avenues for 

using food as medicine. 

We started out by asking a simple question, “Why 

do we eat what we eat?”. What we eat on a dayto-day 

basis is dictated by traditional dietary 

practices crystallized as elaborate cooking 

procedures: the recipes. This question then gets 

transformed into, “Why we combine ingredients in 

our recipes the way we do?”. 

One of the possible answers to this question is 

known as the ‘food pairing principle’: ingredients 

which taste similar tend to be used together 

in traditional recipes. This implies that the 

traditional recipes have evolved to combine 

ingredients that are uniform in taste. 

To investigate the food pairing pattern 

in Indian cuisine, we extracted data 

of traditional recipes from across 

different regions of India. These data 

comprised of more than 2,500 

recipes that are composed of around 

200 ingredients from different 

categories: vegetables, herbs and 

spices, plants, nuts and dairy 

products etc. 

Ingredients are used in recipes 

based on their flavour. And, the 

‘flavour’ of ingredients arises 

primarily from how we taste and smell 

it, through the gustatory and olfactory 

sensory mechanisms that are triggered 

by the flavour molecules. The pungency of 

onions and spiciness of chillies is due to their 

flavour profile. So, we extracted the information of 


The ‘flavour’ of ingredients 

arises from how we taste and 

smell it, through the sensory 

mechanisms that are triggered 

by the flavour molecules 

flavour molecules found in each of the ingredients 

used in Indian recipes. Thus, each ingredient is 

now represented by a bunch of flavour molecules 

that characterize its unique taste and smell. 

Having obtained data of recipes, ingredients 

and their flavour profiles, food pairing became 

a measurable quantity. Each of the traditional 

Indian recipes was dissected into its constituent 

ingredients, to compute its food pairing. The 

average number of flavour molecules among all 

pairs of ingredients in the recipe. This number 

represents ‘the extent of flavour profile overlap 

among all ingredient pairs in a recipe’. When 

averaged over all the recipes, this number 

quantifies average food pairing across the 

whole cuisine. 


51


Food pairing is an objective measure that captures 

the molecular essence, the intuitive uniqueness 

of a cuisine. Similar to variations in regional 

languages, cultures across the world have evolved 

variations in the way they cook. Variations in the 

way they combine ingredients to form recipes, the 

unique mould that characterizes a cuisine. In the 

absence of cultural, climatic and other influences, 

the recipes would have been combined in a 

random fashion to create a ‘Random Cuisine’. 

Consistent with the food pairing hypothesis, it 

has been shown that many Western cuisines, like 

North American, Eastern and Southern European 

cuisines, are characterized by ‘uniform food 

pairing’’ as they tend to blend ingredients that 

are similar in taste and smell. On the contrary, 

studies from our lab show that Indian cuisine is 

characterized by ‘contrasting food pairing’. 

This essentially means that Indian recipes tend 

to pair ingredients that have distinct molecular 

character. And, this probably could be one of 

the reasons for their unique taste. We found that 

contrasting food pairing is a general phenomenon 

across all regional cuisines: a quintessential 

feature of Indian recipes. It seems that, despite 

diverse culinary styles, there is an underlying 

similarity across regional cuisines of India. 

We wanted to find the contribution of each 

ingredient category towards the observed food 

pairing phenomena. For this, we randomized the 

recipes – one category at a time. For example, to 

find how important a specific vegetable in recipes is, 

we randomly shuffled every vegetable with any one 

of the vegetables from the basket of ‘all vegetables 

available’. We found that such random shuffling 

affects food pairing only marginally for most 

categories, except for one: Spice. Random shuffling 

of spices in recipes with other spices disturbs the 

food pairing pattern significantly. This suggests that 

spice forms the ‘molecular fulcrum’ of the Indian 

cuisine. Chefs suggest that such unique positioning 

of spices is, in fact, critical for the taste of a recipe. 

Further, we quantified ingredients for their 

contribution towards increasing or decreasing 

the food pairing. Among the top ingredients 

that make a significant contribution to the 

molecular contrast, the majority are spices: 

cayenne (chillies), capsicum, ginger, garlic, 

coriander, tamarind, clove, cinnamon, and 

spice combinations (such as garam masala). 

These key spices provide the basis of food 

pairing in Indian cuisine. 

While food pairing is a simple measure 

of molecular combination in recipes, I am 

tempted to link it to the taste. I must warn 

though that sensation of taste is a complex 

phenomenon involving a myriad of interlinked 

Photos: Shutterstock

That day is not too far when 

we will find diet-based 

interventions for many 

lifestyle disorders and 

leverage food for better health 

molecular mechanisms, and hence this 

suggestion needs to be taken with a ‘pinch of salt’. 

Our data-driven discovery of this unique contrasting 

food pairing has been adjudged as an ‘Emerging 

Technology’ by the MIT Technology Review. Like 

knowing the law of gravity has allowed us to predict 

eclipses and to launch satellites into space, I believe 

that such data-driven investigations of food will take 

us closer to developing divergent applications for 

food, nutrition, and health. 

With the variety of ingredients available, the 

number of possible recipes is astronomically 

large. Knowing the ‘culinary fingerprints of a 

cuisine’ can help us create novel recipes that are 

hopefully palatable. Formulation of new food, foodbeverage 

pairing, testing a food hypothesis, study 

of food-genome interactions, and mining fooddisease 

associations, are among few interesting 

dimensions emerging out of our discovery. 

One of the most exciting directions from datadriven 

and evidence-based investigations of food 

is that of ‘personalized nutrition’. In a pioneering 

study, researchers meticulously collected data of 

personal features such as nature of gut microbes, 

blood reports, body measures and food habits, 

from a large number of people. One of their meal 

was substituted with a standardized diet. These 

were then correlated with post-meal glucose levels, 

using a machine learning algorithm. Interestingly, 

such a ‘personalized nutrition predictor’ could 

predict the expected rise in glucose levels 

even for a new set of people with a fairly good 

accuracy. More importantly, it could also suggest 

a personalized dietary recommendation that was 

used to successfully mitigate the levels of glucose, 

which is closely linked to Type 2 Diabetes. Such 

studies are setting the foundation towards finding 

solutions for diet-linked diseases. 

This may sound like science fiction. But, who 

believed in weather predictions a few decades 

back. Despite the weather being a non-linear 

phenomenon, availability of a large amount of 

climate data, along with computational and 

mathematical techniques, has made meteorology 

believable today; at least for short-term 

predictions. That day is not too far when we will 

find diet-based interventions for many lifestyle 

disorders and leverage food for better health. 

As a teenager, I grew up as an aspiring astronomer 

and astrophysicist. I saw a quote, displayed in 

the canteen of the Inter-University Centre for 

Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune, while doing 

my master’s thesis: “The discovery of a new dish 

confers more happiness on humanity than the 

discovery of a new star.” While I have not been 

able to discover a new star, with my data-driven 

explorations of food, I hope to be able to discover 

new dishes; Making humanity happier, and 

hopefully, healthier! ● 

This article has emerged out of a TEDx talk delivered by Dr Bagler. 

Dr Ganesh Bagler 

Assistant Professor, Center for Computational 

Biology, IIIT-Delhi 


53


Key to Success in 

F&B Innovation 

Whether sucked into a vortex to charge ahead or a fear of 

falling behind, innovation is key to any industry. Explore 

ground-breaking F&B products with Ram Vittal Rao 

Constrained spaces, rising prices and a 

lack of skilled workers are all parts of the 

bigger picture that has seen operators 

look to manufacturers who can deliver 

smart solutions to the challenges they face. Add to 

this a consumer who expects consistent quality at 

affordable prices delivered in a speedy manner. 

From baking, boiling and frying to freezing, 

holding and distributing, every aspect of a 

commercial kitchen needs attention, but 

innovation is about looking beyond the status quo 

to future needs. 

Technology has played a crucial part in facilitating 

the development of labour-saving equipment. 

No area has been left untouched – ordering and 

delivery, payment processes and the kitchen have 

all been affected. 

Any developments that can help to automate and 

standardize food production and save money while 

maintaining quality efficiently will be welcomed by 

operators, Chefs, and consultants alike. 

The foodservice industry thrives on innovation 

and new ideas are constantly driving forward 

improvements in quality, efficiency, service, and 

design. Whether operators are looking for new 

ways to organize a kitchen, cut energy costs or 

improve workflow, they will find consultants and 

manufacturers willing to push the envelope to 

ensure the industry never becomes stale. It’s a 

cliché, but “innovate or fade away.” 

To achieve this, businesses, especially 

restaurants, need to optimize their cooking 

equipment and procedures. It’s a win-win for 

both the business and the 

consumer. Innovation drives 

success. 

INNOVATION NEVER ENDS 

In recent years, new 

technology options have 

altered the face of the foodservice business - 

like the development of systems that enable 

customers to order in advance online or at the 

table using a tablet, or the countdown timers 

widely used in the QSR sector with a dramatic 

impact on timing and sequencing of orders by 

improving production speed and accuracy. 

The loyalty programme is another area in which 

technology has changed the rules of the game by 

allowing restaurant operators to view a customer’s 

complete purchase history. New table management 

systems have helped in better and efficient use of 

dining space while online ordering systems for food 

delivery are now commonplace. 

Other items include more energy efficient 

equipment, such as dish washing equipment for 

ware-washing, and heated and cooled display 

equipment that have improved temperature 

maintenance. The increased use and reliability 

of induction technology has also been very 

beneficial. 

Despite these changes, 

there is scope for more 

– innovation in laboursaving 

equipment, for the 

measurement of guest time in 

the service delivery sequence 

to reduce waiting times. 

54 


From the operator’s side, it’s the ability to deliver 

high quality in an efficient, economical manner. 

Equipment that can cook with less energy or 

use less water can enable a better Return On 

Investment for a business. In some parts of the 

world where water and energy are at a premium, 

only the operators who can adapt without 

creating much overhead will survive. 

Equipment that can cook with 

less energy or use less water 

can enable a better Return On 

Investment for a business from 

the operator’s point of view 

Location Courtesy: Hotel Pullman, Aerocity 

BEYOND TECHNOLOGY 

The industry is used to thinking about innovation 

in the context of technology. Equally important, 

however, is fresh thinking in terms of service 

and support. Solutions have to be provided with 

a focus on the future and service providers’ 

assistance after any equipment installation is 

crucial. It is about how quickly it gets fixed when 

things go wrong. Lots of good kitchens have been 

undone by bad service providers. 

We also need to focus on the human element. The 

lack of skilled workers and shortage of labour in 

general are a significant problem. Innovation must 

be mindful of the type of staff the industry is able 

to recruit. 


55


Innovation is the lifeblood of this industry and 

consultants need to stay at the forefront of the 

latest ideas, processes and thinking, staying 

informed and constantly learning. 

INNOVATING THE COOKING PROCESS 

The blast chiller, system engineered which 

combines chilling functions (cooling, freezing, 

thawing, chocolate) and warming functions (low 

temperature cooking, regeneration, pasteurization, 

proofing, holding) in a single appliance, is now 

even easier to use, thanks to a digital pad interface 

which is a new seven-inch touch-screen and 

has made this versatile equipment even more 

intuitive with clear icons for choosing the most 

suitable functions and cycles for production. The 

parameters – time, ventilation, core temperature 

– can be altered at any moment to create the ideal 

process for each product. 

SPOILT FOR CHOICE 

The Interface presents pastry chefs with many 

opportunities. Guided by intuitive icons, they 

can create a list of favourite cycles or record the 

ideal cycle by making ad hoc adjustments to the 

production process, find answers to all their queries 

about the new interface with a complete online 

guide, or choose the continuous cycle to freeze or 

chill for more than eight hours without interruption. 

Innovation is the lifeblood of 

this industry and consultants 

need to stay informed of the 

latest ideas, attempting to 

learn constantly 

Using this equipment, one can chill or freeze 

with cycles dedicated to catering, pastry, bakery, 

ice cream and bread making. One can do safe, 

controlled thawing without stressing products, 

proof at constant temperature and humidity 

that develops the structure and provides crisp 

crumbly pastry, cook meat and fish at low 

temperature going on automatically to chilling or 

freezing, which reduces shrinkage significantly 

and enhances the flavour of the food. Finally, you 

can regenerate cooked products just in time for 

serving or hold at the required temperature. 

INCOMPARABLE PERFORMANCE 

The operating principle of a blast chiller 

consists of extracting heat from products in 

the quickest way possible. The incomparable 

performance exclusive to this equipment 

is the result of perfectly balanced main 

refrigerator components. The internal balance 

system features a condenser, an evaporator, a 

compressor and ventilators that are designed 

and built by to extract heat from food as rapidly 

as possible, even from boiling hot items. The 

know-how has allowed the manufacturer to 

incorporate numerous patents in an adjustable 

tray rack that doubles tray capacity on every 

model; the sensor which is, a five-point probe 

for perfect food temperature control, comes 

with a patented system for automatically 

engaging with the door; and offers a chamber 

sanitation system that eliminates the bacterial 

charge in the air as well as possible unpleasant 

odours. In addition, data logging is now wireless 

for easily downloading and saving the data for 

all work processes on dedicated HACCP Control 

Software. 

With this blast chiller/freezer one can organize 

the kitchen as one wishes and run a flexible 

production processes 24/7. 

56 


Location Courtesy: Hotel Pullman, Aerocity 

INNOVATING THE COOKED FOOD 

DELIVERY PROCESS 

When this company was founded in 1992, the 

availability for food distribution and holding 

products was very limited and only consisted of a 

narrow range of bulky and heavy products. 

With the rising demand for solutions in centralized 

kitchens and other largescale caterers, a significant 

potential opened up. Now, 25 years later, this 

company has brought several innovations to 

the market, significantly changing the way that 

foodservice operators can manage their distribution 

and storage of food. With an unchanged focus 

on flexibility, versatility, ergonomics and design, 

for the last 25 years this company has grown to 

be a global player with units operating in more 

than 50 countries around the world. The basis of 

this delivery system and the past years of rapid 

expansion is its unique construction system, 

consisting of a profiling system, insulation, 

aluminium and GRP plastics, which remains 

unchanged since the start of the company. 

The unique design is not only extremely 

lightweight but is also a very flexible and fully 

modular construction system. It allows it to mix 

and combine neutral, heated and actively chilled 

compartments either in stacked, Combo or side-byside 

configurations. This can save space, labour and 

investment cost and help optimize the operations. 

Another area of focus has been product design. 

That early on it was realised that Chefs often 

planned carefully how to hide away their holding 

cabinets so as not to be visible to guests and 

tried to avoid transporting food through public 

areas. This company addressed this to become a 

front of house showcase of products and up close 

to the buffet line that needs to be refilled. This 

product also avoided the personnel take detours 

around guest areas while moving the food from 

A to B. By using different colours for the boxes 

or adding a Signature concept is now a very 

common extra that customers can add to create 

their own unique look and products. 

With that said the bottom line for these products 

is of course the care for the users and the ability 

to preserve food quality. The low weight is key but 

other features like large and heavy duty castors, 

ergonomic push/pull handles, and conveniently 

positioned cord holders and displays are 

some of the many ergonomic features that are 

omnipresent. 

Aluminium helps preserve food quality while 

held hot or cold with or without electricity – as 

a significantly better conductor of heat and cold 

than stainless steel and uses less energy to heat 

or chill the cabinets and at the same time one 

can also achieve better temperature stability and 

uniformity inside the cabinet. ● 

Ram Vittal Rao 

Well-known Hotel & Restaurant Operations 

Design Consultant, Director of Vital Concept 

Design 


57

academic interest 


Scientific Learning 

in the Kitchen 

Impeccably perfect techniques can be learned only through systematic, 

formal and rigorous training. So, too, for the art of culinary that is the 

domain of Chefs, explains Dr Chef Soundararajan 

Looking back at the history of culinary 

education, mostly we find a Chef training 

others from the role of a mentor. Those 

getting trained usually watched the Chef 

to learn how the whole process of cooking was 

carried out by him. Continuous observation and the 

tips that the Chef used to give once in a way only 

developed the others to slowly learn the art. Those 

who worked as assistants thus learnt – playing only 

a second fiddle – while engaging to do bulk cooking 

for weddings and similar other large functions. 

Only such mentor-based training activities could 

be seen till the late 19th century. There was hardly 

any training school engaging to train students in 

culinary. That is how culinary exhibitions began, 

as several Chefs displayed their presentations and 

learnt from each other, this was slowly converted 

into culinary competitions which are conducted 

worldwide presently in various levels. 

The concept of training in culinary in a formal way 

caught up only in the early 20th century in western 

countries, though in India, it did not show up till the 

latter part of the 2nd half of the 20th century when 

institutes started appearing here and there. Late 

20th century started witnessing the culinary art 

getting spread in India through the offer of formal 

education in the schools specially meant for it. 

Worldwide, the cooking methodologies 

and the food varieties and variants evolved 

simultaneously. While it was only plain boiling or 

roasting which were considered as the cooking 

possibilities – early in the past, the later cooking 

techniques – boiling, stewing, braising, and 

perhaps even incipient forms of pickling, frying, 

and oven baking – drastically transformed 

cooking into culinary as an art. The food needs 

due to the climatic and other conditions apart 

58 


from taste changed the scenario and transformed 

culinary art into a “carefully-to-be-learnt-art” in a 

scientific manner. 

The latter half of the 20th century brought in 

the new dimension to culinary through the need 

of looking at culinary/cooking as nutrition and 

science. The role of a Chef to take care of the 

needs of the palate and also the body through 

nutrition values was considered very essential 

and the need for Chefs and hence the institutes 

to train and make available good Chefs became 

more pronounced. 

Passion and flair apart from the skills 

drive people to success in their respective 

professions. It is not easy to become 

a rocking star Chef in a TV channel, a 

restaurateur or a renowned culinary 

professional. In order to get into that area 

of reckoning one needs to learn and master 

the culinary skills and techniques and have 

a cloud of culinary knowledge acquired 

through systematic formal learning. 

While the libraries as popular as New York Public 

library claim to have culinary repositories like 

“a chest over 20,000 historical menus from the 

mid-19th century to the mid-20th century,” the 

formal education in culinary however became 

visible only in the 20th century. The fact that the 

curatorial responsibility for culinary knowledge 

material shifted from and to the humanities 

and sciences indicates that science in culinary 

was found to be essentially relevant during that 

period itself. Culinary education then on evolved 

steadily and became more and more formal at a 

progressive pace due to science that was found 

to be driving it. I have seen the huge library at the 

Culinary Institute of America, and I am sure this 

centre is the showcase of how culinary learning 

has evolved over a period of time. 

Thus, culinary training and the institutes to 

formally and scientifically train the aspirants to 

become good Chefs came into limelight. Today, 

the Chefs are respected for their role in providing 

tasty and nutritious food for millions of people 

who eat outside their homes due to needs that 

were brought about by the change in lifestyles 

and professional compulsions. While engaging 

a Chef was a luxury in the past, it is now a great 

challenge without a Chef. 

The need for Chefs who are trained in the right 

way is imperative and urgent now and the society 

now looks for chefs having flair and professional 

skills, since it is now not ‘just cooking’ but an 

art and science to be learnt in a highly formal 

environment. A popular chef today is not just 

one with good skill but one having a flair for the 

profession, with an ability to take on strenuous 

schedules, apart from possessing in-depth 

knowledge in science and nutrition with an 

ability to communicate well too. Impeccably 

perfect techniques can be learned only through 

systematic, formal and rigorous training. 

Now, in the 21st century and beyond, we will look 

for Chefs who have a strong culinary education, 

well-groomed through extraordinary training and 

with a lot of passion. The Chefs who have come 

through learning scientifically have the edge over 

developing successful F&B concepts, market 

their products globally, have correct knowledge 

on the culinary economics including the food and 

beverage costing. A well-made base of training 

always help them to perform better throughout 

their career. ● 


59

everages 


Sweet Excursions 

With Whisky 

Contrasting tastes of desserts and Scotch may offer the 

potential of a ‘match made in heaven.’ Indulge your sweet 

tooth – pairing desserts with whisky – using tasting notes 

from Whisky connoisseur Sandeep Arora 

Chocolate and whisky is a heavenly 

pairing – they are a delight to match 

and a pleasure to enjoy, deep and 

aromatic, rich and well… richer. It is 

generally believed that the older and more 

complex the whisky, the darker and richer the 

chocolate should be. 

A very simple but effective pairing is to use 

very good quality dark chocolate. It needs 

to have a high percentage of cocoa solids to 

achieve a lovely pairing and a lingering finish. 

Deserts using white chocolate are effective. 

The use of cracked pepper and sharp berry 

fruits will prevent the dish from becoming 

overwhelmingly sweet. 

The Glenlivet is one whisky, which opens an 

array of possibilities in its “Spirit Match”. A 

younger single malt, especially if it has been 

matured in bourbon casks, like The Glenlivet 12 

Year Old, is delicious when enjoyed with a good 

quality milk chocolate. The Glenlivet Nàdurra’s 

indulgent creamy texture is brought to the fore 

with white or praline chocolate. The complexity 

of The Glenlivet 18 Year Old is highlighted when 

paired with an orangette (candied orange coated 

with dark chocolate).” White chocolate and deep 

vanilla, caramelised ginger and baked pineapple, 

baked nuts and honeycomb. 

In general terms, whisky is perennially linked 

with chocolate, and given the much more 

extensive/gourmet range of chocolates available 

today, below is a brief suggestion of chocolate 

combinations. 

There are endless desserts that will work well 

with robust, complex and sherry cask whiskies. 

Fruits such as mango, melon, pineapple and 

citrus fruits will work beautifully with vanilla, 

honey and gentle nutty flavours. A hint of mint 

will help to lift the flavours. The tasting notes 

can be inspiring and guide well. 

Caramel and nuts, apricots and pistachios, 

chocolate and raisin, dates and sultanas… 

the list is endless. For spicy whiskies, one can 

introduce creamy vanilla in the form of ice 

cream or pannacotta to balance the spiciness. In 

these expressions the vanilla notes are denser 

than the Original so caramel, chocolate and 

toffee flavours will also work well. Introducing 

bitter citrus flavours will act to enhance the ripe 

orange flavours and the pairing of these flavours 

with dried fruits will also work well. 


61

everages 

Fruits such as mango, melon, 

pineapple and citrus fruits 

will work beautifully with 

vanilla, honey and gentle 

nutty flavours 

Other Deserts also work well, though I am not sure if 

Indian desserts are best paired, since at times sweet 

is too sweet and milk based sweets do not get well. 

Way to Whisky 

• Identify the key aromas in the whisky and 

plan the core flavour in the Dessert 

• The length of the finish & after taste of the 

Whisky needs to be matched with Texture 

and mouth feel of the Dessert. 

• Consider creating ‘mouthfuls’ that combine 

two different types of sweetness e.g a semi 

soft cheese served on a teaspoon with a 

drizzle of chestnut honey. 

• Pairings of sweet and savoury flavours will 

also work well with the Whisky, requiring the 

work of a skilled chef. Some of the dishes 

have been successfully paired with sweet 

side dishes ie. vanilla saffron rice. 

• There are endless desserts that will work well 

with whisky. Fruits such as mango, melon, 

pineapple and citrus fruits will work beautifully 

with vanilla, honey and gentle nutty flavours. 

• Highland whiskies offer a wealth of potential 

for nuts. Caramel and nuts, apricots and 

pistachios, chocolate and walnuts, dates 

and sultanas… the list is endless. 

• Keep in mind the spiciness of the whisky 

on the tongue. Be inspired to introduce 

creamy vanilla in the form of ice cream or 

pannacotta to balance the spiciness. 

• Introducing bitter citrus flavours will act 

to enhance the ripe orange flavours in any 

whisky and the pairing of these flavours 

with dried fruits will also work well. 

• Some Islay whiskies are well matched with soft 

cheese, bitter chocolates and crème brulee. 

• A hint of mint will help to lift the flavours. 

• The tasting notes should inspire you! 

Delicate Glenmorangie Lasanta infused 

pannacotta with Seville orange syrup 

“The tantalising smoothness of the pannacotta 

contrasts with the sharp spiciness of the 

orange syrup. The deep orange notes in the 

Glenmorangie Lasanta (or 18 years old) are laced 

throughout the dish. A subtle and fresh dessert.” 

David Graham, Head Chef, Glenmorangie House. 

Served with Glenmorangie 18 years old 

Chocolate marquise laced with citrus zest. 

“The luscious smoothness of the chocolate 

marquise is freshened and sharpened with 

the citrus tang. A reviving burst of flavour, with 

a creamy texture, which fits perfectly with 

the mature depth of flavour offered by the 

Glenmorangie 18 years old David Graham, Head 

Chef, Glenmorangie House. ● 

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Match Making 

The Glenlivet XXV Glenfiddich 30 YO with 

Creamed Rice & Toffee Bananas 

Nose: Soft round fruity oakiness with hints of 

dried spices combined with subtle oloroso sherry 

aromas 

Palate: Intense raisin and fruity flavours finishing 

with a balanced dry oakiness. 

The Balvenie 30 YO with Orange Cream Tarts 

and Chocolate dust 

Nose: Sweet fruit and Oloroso sherry notes, 

layered with honey and vanilla. 

Taste: A smooth and mellow single malt of 

beautifully combined flavours – nutty sweetness, 

cinnamon spiciness and a delicately proportioned 

layer of sherry – with a long and warming finish. 

The Dalmore 12 YO with Lavender Pannacotta 

& Honey toffee cinnamon, spiced apples 

Colour: Rich, deep, golden mahogany 

Nose: Firm, positive and elegant 

The immediate impact from our aged 

Matusalem oloroso sherry buts gently caresses 

this noble spirit with its unique style 

Citrus fruits and crushed almonds with subtle 

hints of marzipan and chocolate, rise to the 

occasion 

Taste: The impact on the palate is intense, but 

as the warmth of the tongue helps to release 

these special attributes of citrus, sherry and 

exotic spices, this Classic spirit surpasses all 

expectations. 

Laphroaig 18 YO with Smoked Cheese Platter 

& grapes 

Colour: Rich, deep gold 

Nose: Powerful, smoke and earthy aromas, 

seaweed, salt laden air 

Body: Full bodied 

Taste: Massive peat smoke, huge flavour, complex, 

seashore salt, fading sweetness at the finish 

Finish: Long & savoury 

Dalwhinnie 15 YO with Steamed Walnut 

Pudding 

Colour: Gold 

Nose: Crisp, dry aromatic with heather and peat 

Taste: Heather, vanilla and honey sweetness. 

Finish: Smoky, peaty finish 



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events & festivals 

TASTING INDIA: FARM TO TABLE 

A Culinary Symposium on Tourism and Sustainability 

Tasting India: Farm to Table – a global symposium 

on the country’s culinary tourism potential and 

sustainable food culture – curated by noted food 

journalist Sourish Bhattacharya and international 

event organizer Sanjoo Malhotra, initiated a 

dialogue on putting Indian cuisine on UNESCO’s 

Intangible Heritage List and adopt an India Food 

Manifesto in its December 2017 events in Delhi. 

The Symposium opened with the launch of 

FSSAI’s initiative against hunger – Save Food, 

Share Food, Spread Joy: Indian Food Sharing 

Alliance (IFSA) – linked with getting street food 

vendors to join this national campaign by 

pledging to make fresh food donations, 

flagged off by FSSAI CEO, Pawan Agarwal 

and President of the National Association 

of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), 

Arbind Singh. Other events included 

the premiere of Anthony Bourdain’s 

documentary on food waste, 

Wasted. The eminent speakers 

at the Symposium included NITI Aayog’s CEO, 

Amitabh Kant; accomplished food writer Madhur 

Jaffrey; restaurateur AD Singh; Padma Shree 

Dr Pushpesh Pant; TagTaste founder, Jaspal 

Sabharwal and culinary leaders, Chef Manjit Gill, 

Chef Bill Marchetti and Chef Manisha Bhasin. 

The Symposium included: a “100% organic 

Ghar ka Khana Winter Lunch” organized at IIC; a 

culinary evening with Madhur Jaffrey showcasing 

food from her cookbooks; a sustainable Millets 

Lunch hosted by Slurrp Farm and curated by 

Chef Vipul from Andaz; an earth-friendly menu 

designed by Chef Abhishek Basu in the spirit of 

the India Food Manifesto, which was endorsed 

and launched at the Park hotel on December 15. 

The resolutions of the ‘Indian Food Manifesto: 

Working Towards A Sustainable Food Culture’ 

include: “to create a smart food network, support 

traditional produce, and raise awareness about 

India’s food traditions.” 

Chef Manjit Gill, President of IFCA said that 

responsible procurement is key in the 

culinary industry: “People in the food 

business have to consider it their 

responsibility to feed their diners 

responsibly.” ●

Young Chef Olympiad 

The international Young Chef Olympiad 

organised by the International Institute of 

Hotel Management (IIHM) will take place from 

January 28 to February 2, 2018 with over 50 

teams from as many countries competing 

for the winner’s trophy and a cash prize of 

$10,000. Talking about the event, Dr Suborno 

Bose, Chairman of YCO 2018 Committee 

said, “It was conceptualised as a platform 

for young chefs-in-training from around the 

world to interact and showcase their talent.” 

Opening at Delhi’s Talkatora Stadium, the 

first round of the competition for each team 

will take place in Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, 

culminating in the finale in Kolkata. 

Gourmet Getaway 

Food festival ‘Gourmet Getaway’ described 

as “a melting pot of global cuisines attracting 

food enthusiasts seeking unique experiences” 

by curator-founder Dushyant Singh, brought 

to Jaipur, food demonstrations by Chefs like 

Antonio Scirocco, an engaging talk on ‘the 

history of Indian culinary and the evolution 

of food with time’ by Chefs Manjit Gill, Sudhir 

Sibal, Rakesh Sethi and others, along with 

tastings and music at the 200-year-old 

beautiful heritage property, Nand Mahal. 

Chef’s Connect 

In January, the Western India Culinary 

Association (WICA) hosted Chef’s Connect 

2018 in Mumbai. Chef Hemant Oberoi 

received the Lifetime Achievement Award 

at the event which included a knowledge 

session on ‘Changing Food Trends in Modern 

India’ with Chef Sabyasachi Gorai and others, 

as well as the launch of a coffee table book 

‘Culinary Treasures of Western India.’ 

Madrid Fusion 2018 

This January, Spain plays host to the Madrid 

Fusion Summit - an event that transforms 

Madrid into the world capital of gastronomy 

for three days. International speakers and 

celebrated Chefs testify year after year to the 

extraordinary draw of this event. The event 

is divided into two Congresses that will deal 

with the possible future pathways of haute 

cuisine: environment, energy efficiency, 

human relations, applied psychology, social 

integration and recycling among others. 

National Street Food Festival 

Organised by FSSAI along with NASVI from 

January 12 to 14, 2018 at Delhi’s Jawaharlal 

Nehru Stadium, the National Street Food Festival 

represented “a myriad of Indian tastes with the 

purpose of bringing street food vendors in the 

mainstream food scene.” Almost 500 select 

vendors put up stalls attracting food enthusiasts 

and tourists. FSSAI launched “Street food 

vendor has a heart” campaign – encouraging the 

vendors to donate every tenth meal to the needy. 


65

chef buzz 

What’s Cooking With Chefs? 

Fortune of a Cook 

Guess what the first job of the 

richest man on earth ever – Jeff 

Bezos – CEO of Amazon.com 

was? Back in the 1980s, Bezos 

worked at McDonald’s as a fry 

cook to prepare burgers. 

Tallest Cupcake Attempt 

Hyderabad-based Culinary 

Academy of India attempts 

Guinness record for making the 

Tallest Cupcake Christmas tree 

of the world on December 23, 

2017. The X-Mas tree measured 

57 feet tall with 51 branches 

designed like tiers holding 7,500 

Cup Cakes. 

Chef Appointment 

Chef Tarun Dacha joins The 

Claridges Hotel in the capital 

as its Corporate Chef. Initially 

with the ITDC, Chef Dacha 

has worked with brands like 

the Radisson Hotel, Old World 

Hospitality and Sarovar Hotels 

& Resorts Group among others. 

India Week at Paris 

Prestigious Club des Chefs des 

Chefs hosts Indian President’s 

Chef – Montu Saini at Paris’ 

Plaza Athénée in November 

2017 for India Week and Charity 

Gala for Jaipur’s Princess Diya 

Kumari Foundation helping 

disadvantaged women. 

Virushka Wedding Chef 

Chef Ritu Dalmia leads the 

catering when Indian skipper 

Virat Kohli wed actress Anushka 

Sharma in Italy last December 

– serving “a mix of Indian and 

Italian delicacies – from porcini 

mushroom wraps to stuffed 

ravioli with paneer kurchan.” 

SICA – Kerala Chapter 

South India Chef’s Association 

(SICA) launches its’ Kerala 

Chapter at Cochin on November 

30. Vice President Chef Ramu 

Butler also announced a 

chapter for culinary students at 

the event. 

For any change of assignments and hiring news of significance from your property, share your contributions with us at editorial@cuisinedigest.com 

66 


Phone: 0124-4722800, 4722824 

E-mail: eprindia@electrolux.com

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CD 03 - Cuisine Digest by Chef Sudhir Sibal and Chef Manjit Gill

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