Kitchen resolutions>> From gender equality to optimal usage of food. Mumbai's top chefs share the changes they plan to bring in their workspace this year
Thomas Zacharias
Partner Chef at The Bombay Canteen
In 2018 I will Strongly advocate for gender equality and sensitivity in the workforce
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IN the two years since it's been launched, the restaurant has made a mark for itself as a Lower Parel must-stop. While the kitchen is already a bearer in promoting Indian food, chef Thomas Zacharias has bigger plans for his workspace: Gender equality.
"Society has ironically classified professional kitchens as high-testosterone environments which encourage boisterous, abusive behaviour, where women 'have no place'. Women, therefore, are strongly discouraged even from applying to hotel management institutes," he says. This year, he hopes to make The Bombay Canteen an equal opportunity employer, welcoming "anyone who is passionate, driven and dedicated at the restaurants, regardless of gender, religion, education, ethnicity or sexual
orientation".
He adds that the top management in the restaurant is always alert and constantly making sure that the working environment is positive, nurturing and conducive to growth. "We coach our staff constantly on important values like respect and empathy, and make it very clear to our team that we have a zero tolerance policy to any form of abuse."
Jasleen Marwah
Homechef specialising in Kashmiri cuisine
In 2018 I will Make Kashmiri cuisine more approachable
Homechef Jasleen Marwah's life motto is 'Namak Swaad Anusaar' (salt to taste) which she interprets as 'Live Life Your Way'. Marwah grew up cherishing Kashmiri flavours and their authentic preparations. Thus, after years of mastering those traditional dishes she decided to introduce them to food lovers in the city by hosting pop-ups at home. In the new year she wants to give her menu a slightly modern makeover while keeping the flavours intact. "I mostly plan to change the presentation so people are curious enough to try it along with wanting to know more. For instance, koftas are served as keema with pav and nadru monj as lotus stem fries in outdoor stall pop-ups. In the same way, I am still experimenting with other forms of presentations like a bunny chao or a chaat but with original ingredients." She also plans to compile a book on ingredients and recipes. With every trip she makes to the mountains, she brings recipes and stories to add to her book, she adds, "I still have friends and family in Kashmir, so I go back once a year. This year I attended a traditional wedding and ended up spending more time with the waza (chef) than my friends!"
Nagraj Bhat
Head chef, London Taxi, Lower Parel
In 2018 I will Reduce food wastage in my kitchen
The biggest issue restaurants have to deal with after closing hours is waste management. Chef Nagraj Bhat of London Taxi plans on finding a way around this wastage. He says, "In order to reduce wastage, we plan on using the skins of vegetables to make a charcoal ash or use meat trimmings in staff food. We will also use chicken skins to make garnishes and crisps and bones for reductions, jus and gravies." Basically, use the ingredients to the fullest. He wishes to take this issue up at the chefs' association and get a few more restaurants on board with the idea. He encourages using electronic equipment, like thermal circulators, ovens, induction cook tops and microwave ovens in order to reduce the carbon footprint. He adds, "I have used a sous vide machine and this is one of the best methods of cooking, which gives us precision, consistency and keeps the flavours intact." He
soon hopes to distribute leftovers from the kitchen to the city's underprivileged.
Heena Punwani
Baker at Tiffin Tales
In 2018 I will Research into sourcing fruits from different parts of India
Engineer turned-pastry chef Heena Punwani is the brain behind those innovative desserts at the newly launched Goan eatery — O Pedro. For a while now, she has been using only fruits that are local as well as seasonal. She won't bake a cheesecake with frozen blueberries because it does not taste anything like fresh ones. In the past she has worked with fruits such as kairi, jamun, jackfruit. Punwani says, "The most common struggle for me is that fruits grown in different parts of India either don't find their way into our markets here or do so for a very short period of time — even commonly known fruits such as fresh apricots, peaches, cherries, gooseberries and mulberry. Things have become readily available in the last few years, but you will still
probably find imported peaches more easily than you would find peaches from Kashmir in our supermarkets."
This is where her resolution comes in play. Punwani plans on starting research into sourcing fruits from different parts of the country. "I want to speak directly to the farmers and understand how we can start sourcing, using and highlighting these beautiful fruits." In the new year she also wants to focus on baking breads using local grains that are never considered in bread making process. She wants to use natural methods of baking while expanding a bit more into healthier baking with items that are made using less sugar or are gluten free.
Sahil Narvekar
Head Chef, AKA Bistro, Fort
In 2018 I will Use food as medicine
Sahil Narvekar, who has been a chef for 16 years, feels that eating healthy meals is the best way to combat the dust, pollution and stress that Mumbaikars face on a daily basis. That's why this year he plans to work alongside nutritionists and doctors to design menus that match the health centric, specific diets that help heal, increase immunity or tackle specific medical issues. "Every single food produce eaten in the right amount and ratio is healthy for your body. Currently, we are in talks with several leading nutritionists, researching, paying attention to the superfoods in 2018, global food trends, ever-expanding nutrigenomics and also trying to incorporate ancient medicinal ingredients into modern cuisines."
According to him, come 2018, AKA will focus on retaining originality and nutrition of ingredients. Farm to table, superfoods, whole raw foods and organic locally sourced ingredients, similar to what our ancestors ate.
Rishim Sachdeva
Head Chef, Olive Bar & Kitchen, Bandra
In 2018 I will Shun processed foods
While super markets and online grocery delivery apps are convenient, most of the products they stock are pre-packaged with an added shelf life. This is only possible because they contain preservatives. In 2018, Sachdeva plans to throw artificially preserved foods out of his kitchen. While it might be a time-consuming and expensive process, Sachdeva believes that in the long run, it will not just reduce the overheads but will also be time well spent in designing the foundation on sourcing locally.
The effort that he makes will also be communicated to the patron. He says, "This is a really important way for us to interact with them. We also find that patrons are already quite well versed in homegrown and preserving activities, so it's always fun to speak with them to see what they already know, and to answer more of their questions. We also use traditional media channels and social media to educate customers and
interact with them. Sachdeva's team plans to grow its own produce
as well.
Gaurav Gidwani
Food and Beverage Director, The Bar Stock Exchange
In 2018 I will: Support local produce and local cuisine.
Bar food is usually considered greasy and unhealthy. Well, that is a notion that is changing since last year where local pubs also offer an elaborate menu for you to relish. The Bar Stock Exchange has been pioneering the idea. Chef Gaurav Gidwani has some elaborate food plans for the coming year. He plans on putting his love for local cuisine on the plate. And for that, he has decided to cook local produce while also promoting local dishes. He says, "If I am using an ingredient from a particular region, I would want to use it in the dishes local to that area, instead of infusing it in any other cuisine. So, for instance, if I pick green gram which is a winter produce, I would pick a region that cooks it in a certain way and recreate that, rather than make hummus out of it." He also wants to ensure that he designs seasonal menus with fresh produce which will help in bringing back rare
ingredients that are getting lost with time.
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