Hard work never goes out of fashion so keep practising
LEARN The key to being a good chef is to have the right balance of hard work and knowledge
Chef Naren Thimmaiah joined the Taj group of hotels after completing his Hotel Management and has been the face of the iconic Karavalli restaurant at The Gateway Hotel, Bengaluru for over two decades. He was in Delhi last week for bringing a Karavalli pop up that was organised for celebrating Varq’s 11th anniversary at Taj Mahal, New Delhi and spoke about his journey as a chef and tips for those wanting to get into culinary arts. Edited excerpts:
Tell us about your journey as a chef.
My earliest food memories are of me helping my mother when I was probably eight or nine years old. She would make me pluck curry leaves and chillies from the backyard for her; the aromas of all these ingredients in an aromatic wild mushroom curry still lingers in my memory to this day. But then I did not know that I would make a career out of it. After finishing my B. Com, whilst appearing for MBA entrance exams, I decided to appear for a Hotel Management entrance exam at Mangalore University.
The journey as a Chef has been a long one and I’m happy about what I have done over the years. At Karavalli, we replicate the authentic recipes; you could say grandmother’s recipes, to the hilt. No experimentation with the dishes is carried out. The steadiness of the dishes ensures that guests return to us. It only matters when we live up to and exceed guest expectations. When it comes to banqueting, I like to cook a variety of cuisines because my profession needs it. Even 28 years into this profession, you keep learning everyday — new cuisines, newer dishes and variations as taste
No experimentation with the dishes is carried out. The steadiness of the dishes ensures that guests return to us. It only matters when we live up to and exceed guest expectations
profile of the guests keep changing. My quirk when it comes to cooking is to have everything in order and all ingredients in front of me before I begin cooking. I am quite particular about that and I try to use as many locally available and seasonal ingredients as possible to ensure food miles are practiced.
What are the ingredients that go into making a good chef?
Yes, a good chef is like a perfect recipe – well balanced. The key ingredients are: knowledge, skill sets, eye for detail, patience, consistency in what you do, passion in the concept and being current on the trends.
What is the secret sauce behind Karavalli?
Both Karavalli and Varq have treaded the same path though there is a contrast in the way we interpret our offerings, one stickler to traditions and the other a modern take on Indian food!
We believe in the basics, keep it simple where the comfort food
CHEF NAREN THIMMAIAH, Executive Chef of the Gateway Hotel, Bengaluru
speaks. Guests also gauge the quality of product offered by the restaurants from their shelf life as well. That’s also a parameter for them to decide on where to dine. The authenticity of cuisine, quality of ingredients and the innovations are also the common thread between Varq and Karavalli.
Any tips to youngsters who want to get into culinary arts and hotel management?
I would like to tell all budding Chefs that hard work never goes out of fashion, so practice, practice and practice is what makes you perfect! The other one is, I believe “Haste makes waste”; In Indian cuisine the masala is of utmost importance so any process that it goes through needs to
be done by slow cooking, because that is when the aromas and the flavors of the ingredients would unravel. Never compromise on this! A quick little tip to give coastal food a spin is to keep the marination simple for the core ingredient to delight you.
Your favourite dishes?
A chef can never choose his most beloved dish. I am a foodie. There is no dish that I don’t like. That just about says everything. I have no regular food habits. They keep changing on a weekly basis. Just to name two timeless classics from Karavalli menu, Koli Barthad, a dry chicken preparation learnt from my mom and Tiger Prawn Roast which is immensely popular at Karavalli.