'Taste and simplicity rule while cooking'

Royal kitchens and recipes, their deep-rooted culture and warm hospitality are something that we have all wanted to experience. In an attempt to transpire in the kitchens of kings and queens of Gujarat, celebrity chefs Ranveer Brar and Gautam Mehrishi have come with a new Food Tripping on Living Foodz channel.

The show will take viewers on a royal expedition to six palaces of Western India by offering a rare peek into the lifestyle and culinary indulgences of the royal families of Balasinor, Gondal, Bhavnagar, Wadhvan, Chula and Sayla.

Read on as the chefs tell Metrolife more about the show and about cooking for royal families.
Excerpts:

Tell us more about the show.

Ranveer: It’s a show where Gautam and I are out on a royal food trip. We will discover the culture and cuisine of royalties across Gujarat. We will also be looking at history,
culture and local food and ingredients through a chef’s eyes.

How different is royal food and its preparation?

Gautam: Food for royal families is different because it is cooked with traditional family values and carries centuries of legacy with it. The process is an intense briefing by the queen, followed by cooking with a lot of care and time boundaries. After repeated checking and re-checking, the food is presented traditionally. Everything, from the dress codes to the cutlery is carefully chosen to be rich and refined. The ingredients are mostly local and seasonal, which are grown in their own farm lands.

How is it going to be different from other food shows?

Ranveer: Besides demystifying the royal traditions and cuisine, we look forward to deliver a chef’s perspective. It offers a fresh and practical look at the farm to table concept.

Why are regional delicacies gaining prominence?

Ranveer: Regional and sub-regional cuisines are now entering mainstream. The newer generation is now aware and curious of regional and sub-regional cultures and food is no more limited to political boundaries. For example, we now hear of a lot of regional cuisines like Kolhapur, Saoji, Malwani becoming bigger than just Maharashtrian
cuisine.

Gautam: With the advent of travel and technology, local flavours and the interest to learn about them has taken new leaps, and the diversity in the region has made this more intriguing.

Are we losing on some traditional royal recipes?

Ranveer: Some traditional recipes are indeed getting lost in translation because most recipes are unwritten and passed down by word of mouth.

Tell us about some ancestral dishes.

Ranveer: Chicken Gondal, a one pot recipe of tomato and coriander flavoured chicken with whole spices; and a take on Nargisi kebab called Dinosaur eggs from Balasinor, are two very interesting recipes which we will talk about on the show.

Gautam: Multi- flour bhakri, Chil ki bhaji and Shikar ka Gosht are a few interesting dishes to look forward to on the show.

What experience have you gained through the show?

Ranveer: That ‘taste’ and ‘simplicity’ always rule while cooking for both a commoner and a royal.

Gautam: The importance of taking pride in family values, ancestors and the focus on keeping royalty intact.