Meet the Chef
When did you decide to become a chef?
I grew up in a family of chefs and restaurateurs so it’s fair to say cooking is in my blood. At school and college, my strengths were more of the vocational subjects, one of which was Food Technology. After winning a national award for my A'Level Food Technology project from the British Nutrition Foundation for Best Food Technology project in the country focussing on low-fat Indian, I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the field of food. It was at this time I decided that I would like to continue my journey in the hospitality and catering field. helping my father in the restaurant business.
At university, I achieved first-class honours and was given a masters scholarship. Whilst undertaking my scholarship in Hospitality and Catering with Food Studies, I was asked by a professor at the university as to whether I would be interested in teaching Indian cuisine at the university. I, therefore, carried out the teaching courses I required and found myself to be teaching at the same university I was studying at. I taught students on the module of Indian cooking and found I absolutely loved teaching and cooking. My passion for cooking has never stopped growing since then and my career as a chef continues to get even brighter.
What is your signature dish? What do people love about it?
My signature dish or actually dishes are samosa chaat which is smashed samosas lavished with chana masala, seasoned yoghurt and tamarind, a thali which consists of an entire Indian dining experience in one plate as well as my delicious gulab jamuns which are sweet soft dough balls dipped in sugar syrup.
People love the fact that my signature dishes are tasty as well as dishes that tell a story and those they can relate to. Many of these dishes have been by people on the television where I have cooked them on a show. The flavours, textures and balancing of spices in my dishes are, what I feel makes people keep coming back. It’s also the fact they relate to my story as a chef as many of my recipes date back to the 1950s when my grandfather created them.
How do you describe your overall cooking philosophy?
Cooking from the heart is a philosophy I take with me everywhere I go. When you cook with positivity and love, you find the food also follows suit and tastes good. One thing I have learnt from my father is that no matter what the challenge is, you must carry on and work to the best of your ability. Tackle everything with a positive mindset and this strengthens you and helps you achieve your goals. It’s also important to remember and appreciate that when you are a chef, you are learning new skills, techniques and recipes etc every single day, there is never enough to learn about cooking and therefore you are forever improving. This keeps me focussed, appreciative and humble in my field.
Name the three kitchen tools you can’t do without?
Three tools that I definitely need in my kitchen are:
1. My knife set
2. My spice drawer
3. My rolling pin
Name the three kitchen tools you can’t do without.
Three tools that I definitely need in my kitchen are:
1. My knife set
2. My spice drawer
3. My rolling pin
Name two of your strengths and one of your weaknesses as a chef.
Two strengths:
*I am a perfectionist so everything in the kitchen has to be perfect, including the recipe of course!
*My mum and dad are my two pillars and support me every step of the way, they are my biggest strength.
One weakness:
*I love doing things really quick, sometimes this can be too quick and therefore especially when teaching my recipes, I need to slow down!
What chefs do you follow on social media (or admire their work and career in general)? Please explain why.
Mary Berry is a huge inspiration as she has achieved so much and is looked upon by the nation for her recipes and nature, she is a true gem of a person and I have been very fortunate to have worked with her on the television.
Gordon Ramsay is a true legend in my eyes and I admire him for his courage. When Ramsay came to my restaurant the very first time for his cook-along series, we trained him on how to use the clay oven. Ten hours later when he was put to the test during service, I was amazed at how Gordon had mastered the art of clay oven cooking so quickly. A true sport, what a great guy. James Martin is another one of my favourites. who has given me the opportunity to be on his shows, not once but 6 times which for me is a real honour. He is very encouraging and has a great personality, its fair to say James rocks.