One on one
with our very own Chef De Cuisine – Kangan, Ajay Chaudhary on Global Indian.
People across the world are now craving
for Indian food. What is your view on this?
A lot of Indians
are travelling within India and abroad thereby getting exposed to different
cultures and with liberalization of the economy many foreign nationals are
visiting India for business and tourism.
As a result, the awareness of Indian food has spread. The most important
reasons that an expatriate gets drawn to Indian cuisine are because of the use
of various spices within a particular dish that imparts flavor and vast
vegetarian repertoire of recipes.
What are the main ingredients in Indian
food which make it so tasty?
Spices and local
abundance of ingredients. Most regional Indian cuisines rely on locally sourced
ingredients. For example, coconuts are used throughout coastal recipes but
souring agents vary from limes in Maharashtra to toddy vinegar in Goa to fish
tamarind in Kerala etc. Indians are spoilt for choice for freshly grown and
locally sustained ingredients.
The variety of
spices used in India is unmatched anywhere else in the world and its pairing
with other ingredients is not only meant to induce taste but also has medicinal
and nutritional values. Different spices are used for different purposes. Each
spice has a particular effect on the body. Cardamom has a cooling effect;
turmeric has antiseptic and anti-carcinogenic properties and so forth. Almost
all spices are aromatic and some even lend color to food in which it is used.
Which is your favorite Indian dish and
why?
Dal Makhani. It
was upon tasting Dal Makhani that I knew I had to be able to make this dish and
hence decided to be a chef.
Do you believe that we need to modify
traditional Indian dishes to suit the western palate?
Certainly!
Indian cuisine is a riot of flavors on the palate due to use of various spice
compositions coming together and creating a harmony of flavors in a particular
dish. In comparison, western cuisines might just include one or two dominant
flavoring ingredients that stand out.
This makes it
slightly difficult for expatriates to adjust to Indian flavors initially.
However, if certain spices and use of chillies and sharp flavors are toned as
well the use of ghee/butter kept in check, Indian cuisine can have a wide
appeal.
As a chef with
focus on Indian cuisine, I would feel immensely proud if our cuisine is
appreciated and sought after globally. More people eating Indian food the world
over just means that its popular, affordable and easily acceptable just like
Chinese food which you can get in almost any civilized country.
A tip to make delicious Indian food at
home?
Keep flavors
simple, use fresh ingredients. Of course having said that, nothing makes food
so delicious than company of friends and dear ones and at times, a glass or two
of wine or fine Scotch.
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