I began cooking at an early age because my father passed away when I was young and I’d help my mother whenever I could. It started with peeling onions and other vegetable skins, and slowly progressed to cooking an entire dish by myself. I’d come home after school and whip up some dishes for myself, be it rasam and rice or omelette. Sometimes, I’d quickly make something for my siblings.
It didn’t take long before I started to try new combinations — if I could make ‘pakodas’ with onions, why not with other vegetables I thought. Instead of cooking dishes that are routine, I tried new things. Once, I made a dish where I stir fried ‘palak’, chopped it and added garlic, chilli and salt to taste — it was a disaster! This is how I learnt what works with what, and what doesn’t.
So, it was only natural that I pursued this passion I had for the culinary arts after high school. I figured, even if I was not the best, at least I would know what I’m doing. Once I finished my 12th standard, I did two courses in hotel management — one from the Indo-American Hotel Management Academy in Visakhapatnam, where I got a Diploma in Hotel Management and mastered the culinary arts. I have also completed 12 subjects under the Global Academic Plan of Educational Institute of American Hotel and Motel Association, USA.
After this, I worked and trained in many hotels, including Park Sheraton and JW Marriott.
I also spent a considerable amount of time in London with some noted hotels like Hilton, DoubleTree and Ramada. I came back to the City about a year ago.
As you can see, I like to travel a lot. I think that my profession calls for moving around and that provides an opportunity for one to express themselves. There isn’t any growth if one sticks to the same establishment for a long time, so I spend about two years with a hotel and move on to something different. Every hotel is different and unique so there’s always more to learn.
I remember how when I first decided to become a chef, in the 1990s, it wasn’t a very popular career choice. There weren’t many chefs who were popular other than Sanjeev Kapoor, who you’d see on ‘Khana Khazana’. But things now are different and hotel management courses are actually popular.
Right from the start, I have leaned towards a modern European or continental style of cooking. But the basis of every cuisine is the same, and food is more about balancing tastes than making it look good (though we do eat with our eyes first). That’s why I will never stop loving India food — there are so many flavours and spices to play and experiment with. But in comparison, the European cuisine doesn’t overdo it with the spices and uses more meats and vegetables.
This dish, the ‘Tillwala bhurwan aloo’, is simple to make and has all the right ingredients.
Tillwala bhurwan aloo
Ingredients
n Black salt - 10 gms
n Salt - 5 gms
n Hung curd - 100 gms
n Mustard oil - 20 ml
n Jeera powder - 5 gms
n Coriander powder - 10 gms
n Coriander stems - 50 gms
n Ginger - 50 gms
n Garlic - 50 gms
n Kashmiri red chilli
powder - 5 gms
n Butter - 5 gms (for basting)
n ‘Kasuri methi’ - 5 gms
n ‘Chaat masala’ -5 gms
n Baby potato - 500 gms
n Cottage cheese - 100 gms
n Pistachio nuts - 5 gms
n Almonds - 5 gms
n Raisins - 5 gms
n Broken cashew nut - 5 gms
n Khova - 20 gms
n White sesame
seeds - 5 gms
Method
Wash, peel and boil the potatoes. Then scoop out the inside.
Grate cottage cheese, ‘khova’, almonds, broken cashew nuts, pistachio, raisins, chopped green chillies, ginger, chopped, coriander stem, roasted cumin and coriander powder, ‘chaat masala’ and salt to taste — mix well together and fill the potato with it.
Mix ginger garlic paste, red chili powder, ‘jeera’ powder, hung curd, mustard oil, coriander powder, salt, ‘kasuri methi’ powder, ‘garam masala’ powder and black salt.
Add the potatoes to this marination then sprinkle some white sesame seeds on top and cook in ‘tandoor’.
Serve the ‘bharwan’ with mint chutney.
Sridhar Sigatapu
Executive Chef , The Grand Mercure
(As told to Ananya Revanna)