Global Indian with Chef Ajay Chaudhary

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.

Dinner with Fred Tibbitts and Associates

Fred Tibbitts & Associates or “FTA” is a global social entrepreneurship, giving all profits to those less fortunate; and the leading global wine, spirits and related services consulting agency for National Account chain hotels and restaurants with offices at Bangkok, Thailand and Menands, New York, USA.

The Third Annual Fred Tibbitts & Associates “A Summer-Monsoon Evening in Mumbai with Very Special Friends” at The Westin Mumbai Garden City proved to be another memorable event. The reception was hosted by Phillips Foods Asia, which provided their finest Lump Crab Meat for many of Executive Chef Ajay Chopra’s marvelous canapés and hors d’ouvres.

The four-course gala dinner commenced with Fred Tibbitts welcoming the guests and asked that they consider “Service as the Highest Calling”.  Tibbitts explained that the primary purposes of the FTA dinners are to recognize hospitality excellence, provide scholarships in the names of those whom are honored and to make charitable contributions to benefit those less fortunate.

Tibbitts next asked The Venerable Acharya Gyaltsen, Executive Director, Pema Ts’al Monastic Schools at Mundgod & Nepal to take the podium to chant a Buddhist prayer in Tibetan and summarize it in English.

Following the dinner toasts, Tibbitts announced a donation of $500.00 USD from a portion of the dinner proceeds to UN-HABITAT (United Nations Human Settlements Program); and he then called to the podium The Venerable Acharya Gyaltsen, Executive Director, Pema Ts’al Monastic Schools at Mundgod & Nepal to present him with a donation of $500.00 USD from a portion of the dinner proceeds.

The Recipient of the 2012 FTA Hospitality Awards are as follow:

• Lifetime Excellence - Julia Stewart, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, DineEquity, Inc. (Parent company of Applebee’s and IHOP Restaurants)
• Excellence as an Operator - North America - Dan Hoffman, Director, Equipment Beverage Specifications, Global Operations Services Food & Beverage, Marriott International
• Excellence as an Operator – Asia Pacific - A. Patrick Imbardelli, President & Chief Executive Officer, Pan Pacific Hotels Group
• Excellence as an Executive Recruiter & Human Resources Leader - Benoit Gateau-Cumin, Chief Recruiting Officer, The Boutique Search Firm
• Excellence as an IT Innovator - CLK CLK, Inc
• Excellence as a Humanitarian - Dr. Joan Clos, MD, Under Secretary-General and Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT)

Following the Dessert Course, Tibbitts asked Lance Ourednik, General Manager, The Westin Mumbai Garden City to return to the podium to “Summon the Brigade”.  Ourednik’s summons was answered by a resplendent parade of the kitchen seniors who prepared the dinner, led by Chef De Cuisine, Amit Kumar Suri as well as the service staff led by Devendra Kushwaha, Manager, Kangan & Bars and the rest of the dinner service team. 


The dinner menu was artfully created by Executive Chef, Ajay Chopra and supervised by Chef De Cuisine Amit Kumar Suri.

To Start

Phillips Crab
Avocado| Papaya | Mint
Or
Tart
Goat cheese | Onion | Chive

The Main Event

Roulade

Milk Fed Lamb | Green Peas | Mustard Carrots

Or

Roulade

Milk Fed Lamb | Green Peas | Mustard Carrots

Selection of Cheeses

Manchego| Organic Ecorico Fig | Walnut

Red Leicester | Prune | Apricot Chutney

Baked Brie | Green Apple | Green Tea Compote

The Finish

Bitter Chocolate Cake | Hazelnut | Raspberry Tartar

Coffee & Tea

CNN provided each guest with a stylish dinner premium gift, while Luzerne provided the evening’s platinum show plates, which were afterwards placed in the beautiful Luzerne Signature Blue Gift Boxes and presented to each guest upon departure from the dinner.

Ancient secret now in your kitchen!

Rajasthan with its varied culture and tradition has always been an intriguing place for travelers. The state is well known for its history, people, palaces, forts and cuisine. The land of princes is a place for fine gastronomy, cooked up by the 'Khansamas' (the royal cooks). It was a place for cooks to show their culinary skills to the royal family. The cuisine is spicy in flavour, rich with ghee, rustic in nature and delicious in taste. The recipes passed from generation to generation, making Rajasthani delicacies one of the most renowned cuisines in the Indian subcontinent.     

It is a myth that Rajasthani food consists solely of vegetarian offerings. Very few people know that Rajputs were non-vegetarian unlike the Marwaris who were vegetarian. The food is made with less water and contains more milk and buttermilk making it rich in taste. Apart from Dal bati, which is a famous Rajasthani dish, there are many dishes depicting an age old era of warriors. Our Chef De Cuisine – Kangan, Ajay Chaudhary, dipped deep into the Rajput kitchen to bring authentic recipes for you to try in your very own kitchen.  

Jodhpuri mirch paneer

Ingredients:

Paneer                         200gm
Tomatoes                    80gm
Onions                         50gm
Green chillies             50gm
Cumin seeds              10gm
Ginger julienne         10gm
Garam Masala          10gm
Ghee                           50gm
Salt                             10gm

For paste
Ginger                         20gm
Garlic                          20gm
Dry red chillies           15gm

Method of preparation:

1. Cut the paneer into cubes and deep fry and keep aside.
2. Chop onions, tomatoes and slit whole green chillies and keep aside.
3. Heat ghee in a pan, crackle cumin seeds and fry onions until slightly brown.
4. Add the ginger julienne, ground paste, tomatoes and whole green chillies and cook it.
5. Cook until the masala leaves the sides of the pan; add salt and garam masala powder.
6. Add paneer and cook for another 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Bhuna kukda

Ingredients

Chicken                                   250gm
Curd                                        80gm
Garlic                                      40gm
Red chilli whole                     40gm
Green Cardamom                 5gm
Cinnamon                               5gm
Clove                                       5gm
Mustard Oil                           50ml
cumin Seeds                          10gm
 Turmeric powder                10gm
Coriander leaves                   50gm

 Salt                                        10gm  

Method of preparation:

1. Clean and wash chicken and keep it aside.
2. Soak red chillies in lukewarm water for 30 mins. Grind everything garlic, red chillies, cloves, green cardamoms, cinnamon and turmeric powder to a fine paste.
3. Apply the prepared masala and salt to the chicken and keep it to marinate for 2 hours.
4. Heat oil in a kadhai, mix cumin seeds, when they crackle mix in the marinated chicken and stir fry on a high flame.
5. When all the moisture has evaporated, mix in beaten yogurt and a little water and continue cooking on high flame heat.
6. Stir fry till all moisture has evaporated and chicken has cooked.
7. Check for seasoning and stir fry till the masala coats the chicken.
8. Serve hot and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. 

Maas ka bootha

Ingredients

Lamb piccatta                                   5no

Lemon juice                                       25ml

Ginger garlic paste                           30gm

Raw papaya paste                            15gm

Hung curd                                         80gm

Brown onion paste                           50gm

Desiccated coconut paste                10gm

Red chilli powder                              15gm

Salt                                                     10gm

Ghee                                                   50gm

Method of preparation:

1. Rub lamb piccatta with lime juice, half of the ginger garlic paste, salt and raw papaya paste and keep it aside for 30mins.
2. Rub hung curd till it becomes into a smooth paste, add the remaining ginger garlic paste, brown onion paste and desiccated coconut paste red chilli powder and salt into it.
3. Marinate lamb piccatta with the above paste and keep it in the refrigerator overnight.
4. Cook marinated lamb piccatta in a pan over sigri.
5. Serve hot with garlic and onion chutney.