MASTER CHEFS COOK UP A STORM WITH WIT ON THE MENU
NEW DELHI: Regional food, humour and the changing world food scenario were on the menu as chefs Vikas Khanna and Gaggan An and cooke du pastor matt he 15 th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on Thursday.
Buoyed by wit, India’s Michelin Star chef Khanna and Kolkata-born and Bangkokbased restaurateur Anand had the audience eating out of their hands.
The session, moderated by Delhi-based chef and restaurateur Ritu Dalmia, saw the two push for regional Indian food, saying it was time to get out of the comfort zone of Punjabi cuisine.
“Everybody wants to stay in the Punjabi world. Big hotels are playing safe with Punjabi cuisine, there is such a rich tradition of food in our southern states,” said Khanna.
Dalmia grilled the two on whether they favoured retaining the ethnicity of the Indian food or making it progressive when served to customers across the world. It was not just Indian food but food in general that was changing, said An and .“Twenty years ago, the only food picture onecouldthinkof wastheimage of caviar. Cut to the present. We have started putting ants on plates and they have become more expensive than caviar,” he said.
Asked what qualities he wanted in his life partner, Khanna said the person should be sincere and a good dishwasher .“[ The last one] is important because kitchens are very small in New York… and I would also help[ doing the dishes],” he added
Advice for bud ding chefs ?“Give up your life and pick up the knife,” said Anand.