<p> Ever since he came to India, Italian chef David Rocco has piled on 15 pounds (6.8 kg) thanks to spicy daals, delectable chicken tikkas and tongue-tingling biryanis.<br /><br /> So impressed is he with the desi cuisine that he is planning a new TV series on Indian food.<br /><br />"I'm working on a series on Indian food. My show 'Dolce Vita' has become of interest for people across the world and I received e-mails from Indian fans asking me to come.<br /><br /> So I had talks with FOX Traveller and here I am. I find a lot of similarity between Indian and Italian food and culture," Rocco told IANS.<br /><br />Rocco will begin shooting the series from February.<br />"The surprising thing in both places is that within a 10 km radius, one can find the same dish being made in 25 different ways.<br /><br /> The nature of my current trip is to explore Indian food, the ingredients and find out what makes Indian food tick," he said.<br /><br />So far, he has been loving the experience and says "it's been life-changing".<br />"I came to India to explore food. And it is evident that I have loved it.<br /><br /> I have put on 15 pounds; I have had no discipline on eating and everyone has just been feeding me - chai, food, snacks, and they keep giving second helpings here! I love it," he said.<br /><br />The 42-year-old chef, known for his shows "David Rocco's Dolce Vita" and "David Rocco's Amalfi Getaway", says his understanding of Indian food has improved since he came here.<br /><br />"I have tried some Indian stuff in Italy and North America, and my understanding of it is not very nuanced.<br /><br /> It was not very authentic food, but here I have experienced the real food -- I tried Rajasthani cuisine in Jaipur and in Chennai, I tried various 'dosas' and chutneys.</p>.<p> They use some amazing spices. In Delhi, I went to the Bukhara restaurant and the 'dal' was amazing," he added.<br /><br />As of now, he is scouting the locations for his new series and wants to get into the heart of India for interesting recipes and concoctions.<br /><br />He has especially loved 'tandoori' chicken dishes, tomato chutney and Rajasthan's famous 'laal maas'. He also loves the simplicity of the chapati.<br /><br />With Indian television currently experiencing a boom as far as cookery content is concerned, what is the best recipe for a good cookery show?<br />"I think a good cooking show inspires you to cook, and a bad cookery show is the one which only teaches anyone to cook," he said, adding that people must cook with immense love and care because food binds people.</p>
<p> Ever since he came to India, Italian chef David Rocco has piled on 15 pounds (6.8 kg) thanks to spicy daals, delectable chicken tikkas and tongue-tingling biryanis.<br /><br /> So impressed is he with the desi cuisine that he is planning a new TV series on Indian food.<br /><br />"I'm working on a series on Indian food. My show 'Dolce Vita' has become of interest for people across the world and I received e-mails from Indian fans asking me to come.<br /><br /> So I had talks with FOX Traveller and here I am. I find a lot of similarity between Indian and Italian food and culture," Rocco told IANS.<br /><br />Rocco will begin shooting the series from February.<br />"The surprising thing in both places is that within a 10 km radius, one can find the same dish being made in 25 different ways.<br /><br /> The nature of my current trip is to explore Indian food, the ingredients and find out what makes Indian food tick," he said.<br /><br />So far, he has been loving the experience and says "it's been life-changing".<br />"I came to India to explore food. And it is evident that I have loved it.<br /><br /> I have put on 15 pounds; I have had no discipline on eating and everyone has just been feeding me - chai, food, snacks, and they keep giving second helpings here! I love it," he said.<br /><br />The 42-year-old chef, known for his shows "David Rocco's Dolce Vita" and "David Rocco's Amalfi Getaway", says his understanding of Indian food has improved since he came here.<br /><br />"I have tried some Indian stuff in Italy and North America, and my understanding of it is not very nuanced.<br /><br /> It was not very authentic food, but here I have experienced the real food -- I tried Rajasthani cuisine in Jaipur and in Chennai, I tried various 'dosas' and chutneys.</p>.<p> They use some amazing spices. In Delhi, I went to the Bukhara restaurant and the 'dal' was amazing," he added.<br /><br />As of now, he is scouting the locations for his new series and wants to get into the heart of India for interesting recipes and concoctions.<br /><br />He has especially loved 'tandoori' chicken dishes, tomato chutney and Rajasthan's famous 'laal maas'. He also loves the simplicity of the chapati.<br /><br />With Indian television currently experiencing a boom as far as cookery content is concerned, what is the best recipe for a good cookery show?<br />"I think a good cooking show inspires you to cook, and a bad cookery show is the one which only teaches anyone to cook," he said, adding that people must cook with immense love and care because food binds people.</p>