My biryani finally impressed my mother
Vivek Singh, the British celebrity chef and founder of the popular London eatery The Cinnamon Club, will be in South Africa for the Good Food & Wine Show in Durban from August 8 to 11. He shared a few foodie insights with SIPHILISELWE MAKHANYA.
What sparked your love affair with food and what is your favourite food-related memory?
Insatiable greed sparked my love affair with food! My favourite food- related memory goes back about 35 years to the weddings I’d attend with my family. The wedding feasts were spectacular and something I’ll never forget.
What do you consider the best meal you’ve ever prepared and what made it special?
The best meal I ever prepared was a biryani I made for my mom last week. In my 20 years as a chef, I have recounted numerous memories of my mother’s cooking and how it has influenced my take on food. My best compliment so far was her saying that my biryani is the best thing she has ever eaten — that made it really special.
And the worst? What would you do differently?
I’ve not had many cooking disasters in my career, but one I remember fondly is when I paired south-Indian rice dumplings with Scottish salmon during my early career at a hotel in India. The combination just didn’t work and the end result was far too dry. What would I have done differently? Added more coconut chutney.
The Cinnamon Club states its aim is “to revolutionise the way Indian cooking is viewed in the UK”. Which moment has most embodied success for you in that regard?
In 2006, The Cinnamon Club won the best curry vote in the UK in Restaurant Magazine with our version of a deconstructed New Age Indian curry. It defined how far curry had travelled and how much The Cinnamon Club had been successful in changing people’s perceptions.
What do you consider the basic essentials of a well-made dish?
Fresh, good-quality ingredients simply cooked with bucket-loads of love.