Technology plays an important role for a chef in evolving the cuisine to a finer version, in delivering consistent product, improving the shelf life and in reducing the cost to a great extent. It helps a chef to reimagine his processes, cut off lengthy prep methods and look at increasing the productivity. Chef Ajay Chopra, in a tête-à-tête with FoodService, shares his thoughts about the changing culinary paradigms in India.
How would you describe your approach to cooking and the food service business?
The restaurant and food service industry is going through a major transformation. It is thus very important for all of us industry stakeholders to reinvent our approach towards how we engage with food and beverage. My baseline approach is and will always be that flavour is king. But with the introduction of newer food techniques and innovation in food, our style of cooking does take a shift. I believe in simple chef-crafted food with the emphasis on local ingredients and relevant food presentation.
What do you consider the most distinguishing features of your work as a chef?
I would say that it is my reimagination of local flavours, re-thinking and rekindling of regional flavours using modern techniques. I totally believe that Indian food, in its vastness and greatness, is still so unexplored. I want to bring glamour to local flavours.
Which culinary styles have influenced your career?
French classical cooking, imaginative European cooking & modern Indian cooking. I would like believe that as a chef I want to take Indian cooking to new dimensions.
What is your approach to slipping in healthier ingredients in your menu items?
Healthy food is the need of the hour and, also in the whole reimagination of Indian food, it is imperative that we think healthy across our menu, for e.g: slow cooked sous vide Nihari.
Who have been the people in the culinary profession and foodservice business to have shaped your professional philosophy and career?
• Chef Barnidharan, who was my professor at OCLD, taught us that being a chef is the most fulfilling profession but it will extract great pains of you to become an accomplished chef.
• Chef Rajeev Sing Gulshan, who taught me to focus on wholesome dishes and ingredients.
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Denne historien er fra May-June 2018-utgaven av foodService India.
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