No one dish for us...

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In one of the many gullies of Lucknow, there was once a 17-year-old guy who yearned to learn the art of making kebabs.

The boy was fascinated by the lips-smacking grilled meat treats that not only satiated his tummy, but also steered him into the delightful world of cooking. A proud owner of many world-class restaurants today, Ranveer Brar is a popular face on Indian television, where he’s often seen exploring the country’s corners through his taste buds.

As a 25-year-old, he earned the distinction of being the youngest executive chef in the country and moved to Boston to start his restaurant ‘Banq’ — awarded the best new restaurant in the world.

“Till I was 17 years old, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in life. But there came a point where I realised people were so passionate about food and there are so many stories around it. That’s when I got hooked on to it and believed I could do this for the rest of my life,” says the 38-year-old chef. His cooking is creative, something which is drawn from his own experiences, he says, in an interaction with Deccan Herald. Excerpts:

The constant evolution of food...

I believe food has evolved with the society and its needs. Post independence, for the first 20 years, people we were still grappling with tough times and food wasn’t really a priority. The subsequent generations started to travel and see what other countries had to offer, which opened the doors for Western and Eastern influences in our country. Today’s generation is very secure and comfortable in being Indian and being recognised by the same and that reflects in our food as well.

We are going back to true Indian food and are comfortable talking about it. In fact, we are taking pride in it. Also, I have noticed that we have also depoliticised food a fair bit. Earlier, political boundaries used to drive our tastes. We only knew Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Rajasthani and other such cuisines. But today, food has gone regional and sub-regional. For instance, now we don’t just say Gujarati cuisine, we say Surti or Kathiawadi cuisine. 

But how do we retain the Indianness?

I am very secure about our cuisine. You see, this has always been the norm in our country as Western influences have always been there. We were invaded by so many empires, but that didn’t mean the end of the road for our food. Such invasions have only enriched our cuisine. Our food evolved and got better with time. The influential part is only a small fraction. In the long run, it won’t matter. I strongly believe in the ability of food to deal with anything that is thrown its way. Taking the best of everything, food will carry on with its journey, without any worries.

Food trends for the year...

I think Korean food will be big on our plate this year. Our understanding and exposure to oriental flavours has increased and that will reflect in our food. Also, our own cuisine is going to go even more local. Regional food will invade our menus. Also, cooking at home is becoming a big thing right now. Be it home barbecues or lunches, home cooking is gaining more significance.

Indian cuisine finding a place on the global plate...

We haven’t got our due but we are getting there. It’s a work in progress. The problem lies in our cuisine and its larger-than-life appeal. Our cuisine has been in existence for ages and we cannot even begin to comprehend its true colours. It’s very hard to do justice to it. We have to go way back in time to really understand its technicalities; there are so many layers to unfurl, so many recipes to discover. A lifetime won’t suffice for this humongous work. The sheer variety of our cuisine definitely spoils us for choice and it’s a great thing. But the thing is no dish can truly represent Indian cuisine. Because ours is a melting pot of various cultures and food represents that in various forms, so beautifully. There’s so much within the country itself that, technically, there is nothing called ‘Indian’ cuisine.

What are the must-haves in every kitchen?

Mortar and pestle is a must. There’s something about freshly ground spices and pastes. Of course, modern gadgets also need to find a place in your kitchen as convenience matters too. But you should stick to original methods at least sometimes as freshness makes all the difference.

On the nuances of setting up a restaurant...

Setting up a restaurant is easy and hard; easy because on a basic level, it’s all about setting up a few tables and a kitchen and the hard part is about getting it right. The main things to factor in are the location and the people you would be serving. It’s important to understand the people you will be cooking for and what kind of experience you want to give them. One thing you have to understand is that you cannot create a restaurant for everybody on the planet. So, narrowing down is vital.

Heading into the cookbook space...

Come into my Kitchen is my first cookbook and it talks about me, my childhood, food influences, my parents and my food philosophies. It’s like spending a day with me in the kitchen, where you will enjoy eating breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner with me. So, the book has recipes across all these sections.

For me, the most interesting part of the book is a chapter called ‘Ranveer’s Hierarchy of Taste’, which is my take on the famous Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. So, you will have every detail on elements like taste, flavour, texture and
appearance in this section.

Do men make better cooks?

Women are way better cooks than men! Yes, we don’t see too many women in the industry. But that’s because it has been like that for a very long time.

Remember the age of khansamas and maharajas in Indian kitchens? It has
always been the men, right from the beginning. It’s all a matter of time and I am sure things will change.

Is the invasion of technology in the food space a good thing?

Technology invading food space is a part of the evolution we are going through. For instance, take the current trend of online food portals. Such platforms put the consumers in touch with food. We are in an age where we cannot ignore our lifestyles and eating is one of the most primal choices of humans.

We can in no way question that choice. Whether I want to eat at a restaurant or get food delivered at my home, it’s my choice. Such trends are, in fact, representations of how passionate people are about food.