OLD CHEFS, NEW HATS

As innovation and imagination wrestle on the plate, seasoned culinary masters are stirring up a fiery revolution. Spice meets up with six Indian chefs to explore culinary trends that are all set to capture and captivate our palates this year.

- RUPALI DEAN

Food today is as much about showmanship and skill as it is about flair and flavour, and this is where Indian chefs across the globe are upping the ante. And who better than Garima Arora to benchmark India's special moment on the culinary map as she wins her second Michelin Star for Gaa, a first for an Indian female chef. Chef Sujan Sarkar relocated to Chicago and opened Indienne during the pandemic, where he showcased traditional creative Indian cuisine such as Golden Ossetra Caviar with Medu Vada doughnut, Elaneer Payasam with crispy honey and alba white truffle, and Foie gras Galouti eclairs with cherry chutney, bee pollen, and gold. This inventiveness earned him the much-coveted Michelin. Meanwhile, the two-star Chef Srijith Gopinathan astounded diners with his upscale South Indian cuisine at Copra in Chicago. These extraordinary chefs have shattered the notion that culinary creations must adhere to regional boundaries. Instead, they have skillfully reflected the diversity of India and its diaspora in their kitchens, employing traditional techniques and indigenous ingredients. But great food is not just about being star studded, Spice tracks the trajectory of six avant-garde Indian chefs, who are cooking up a storm, reimagining the language of global gastronomy for 2024.

GARIMA ARORA 
Chef-Owner Gaa and Marigold, Bangkok

FORTE Arora has elevated Indian gastronomy with a modern perspective by promoting local ingredients and honouring her culinary heritage, securing a second Michelin star for Gaa.