With television's health food chef

Down foodpath

Ever since my childhood, when I used to return from the school during afternoons, my mother would take a nap and I would get into the kitchen along with my elder brother Vijay and cook something innovative and different. After we were done, we would wash all the pots and pans and clean up the kitchen as if we had done no cooking. These afternoon cooking stints were my first attempts which created a lot of keenness in me and I became inclined towards the field.

It was my elder brother who inspired me to convert my passion for cooking into a profession. After passing out from school, my brother who was already pursuing Hotel Management got me enrolled into a catering college – Institute of Hotel Management, Pusa Road in New Delhi where I did my diploma and then began my culinary journey in 1982.

I began my Television career 12 years back with Mirch Masala, a cookery show on Star Plus. Then, I hosted the Tea Time with Chef Rakesh Sethi on Foodfood Channel and a TV news show Food This Week, where I covered food-related events in India, especially in and around Mumbai.

For my services in the culinary field along with 65 DVDs on my food shows and two book titles, I was recently awarded Golden Hat Award 2015 at 12th Annual Chef Awards 2015 hosted by Indian Culinary Forum on the occasion of International Chef Day.

What further fuelled my interest in giving Indian food, was the ‘Health Chef 2000’ award given to me by restaurant Salad Chef.

I have created and worked upon many dishes which have been my signature dishes, but my recent creation Kukkar Ka Kukkad is the dish currently on our menu in restaurant Dvar at Radisson Blu hotel, Dwarka. This dish is cooked in a cooker and brought to the table, whistling and steaming to be served in the same cooker. 

Recipe

Kukkar ka Kukkad

 Ingredients:
 Chicken full leg:     1200 gm
 Chicken mince:    200 gm
 Mustard oil:            200 gm
 Whole garam masala:
        20 gm
 Raw onion:     500 gm
 Ginger garlic paste: 50 gm
 Fried onion paste:    50 gm
 Tomato chopped: 200 gm
 Degi mirch:         20 gm
 Coriander powder: 10 gm
 Salt to taste
 Chicken stock:     200 gm
 Garam masala powder:         2 gm
 Jeera powder:     2 gm
 Green cardmom powder:
           2 gm
 Fresh coriander:        2 gm
 Julian green chilli: 2 gm
 Ginger Julian:        2 gm
 
Method:

 Heat mustard oil in a pan         and add whole garam         masala. When it crackles         add onion and sauté till         brown.
 Add ginger-garlic paste,         and sauté for another 2         minutes. Add chicken leg         Pieces and chicken mince.
 Mix well and cook for 5         minutes. Add salt corian        der powder, degi mirch         powder and mix again.
 Add chopped tomatoes         and cook  till oil seperates.
 Reduce the flame and add         fried onion cooked 2         minute, then add chicken         stock. And simmer till         chicken is done.
 When the chicken is         cooked add cumin powder,     cardamom powder &         Garam masala powder.         Serve hot garnished with         chopped coriander,green         chilli and ginger jullienes.

Rakesh Sethi
(As told to Jayashree Narayanan)