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Sheetal
Celebrity chef, Kunal Kapur, who was in Chandigarh to inaugurate a restaurant on Friday, also curated twodishes. So, what goes into making these delicacies? The former judge of Masterchef India says, “It’s a mix of expertise and travel, which goes into your subconscious, with a dash of local zayka.”
I like my coffee strong with no sugar and prefer Cappuccino. I usually have it when the schedule is hectic in a bid to stay awake. Chef Kunal Kapur
Kunal, who recently visited Nagaland, prefers to travel solo. While that and his love for automobiles in some sense aligns him with the Roadies spirit (he was here to inaugurate the third outlet of Roadies Koffeehouz), Kunal says he is too shareef for the show! “As far as my favourite gang leader goes, it’s Rannvijay,” he adds.
Experimental mode
With so many terminologies — gluten-free, lactose-intolerant, nut-allergy, veganism— around, Kunal feels the whole experience has only become more educative and will only seem tedious to those who don’t want to understand it. Little wonder then, he has created dishes like the Bocconcini Airy Dahi Kofta (Veg), Chicken Korma Platters (Non-veg), Dhokla Chaat and fire-oven cooked Khameeri Roti. One millennial trend he doesn’t understand is: “Unki har dish mein se dhuan kaise nikalta hai.”
Kunal is sealing the year 2022 by opening a restaurant in Dubai and is working on his third book, Table for 2.
Host of challenges
Deciding the menu for different occasions and restaurants comes with its own set of challenges. He adds, “While for a wedding, one has to accommodate the flavours for all age-groups and guests from different parts of India, for restaurants it’s more of tried and tested flavours of the region. Portion sizes, keeping it enticing for the customer and health factors are also as important. I remember when I made satvik bhojan for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, it was also important to translate the meaning of the whole process, from how it was about freshly cooked food with less spices. It was a seven-course meal and during the sixthone, the guests asked where the meat was. Then our Prime Minister explained it all to our German guests!”
Chandigarh days
“During my college time here almost 25 years ago, it felt like jannat, since less number of vehicles were present on these wide and planned roads. There’s not just one thing that fascinates about Chandigarh; for me, even the roundabouts are as exciting with each having distinct features,” shares Kunal. At that time, his college was newly shifted from Sector 32 to 42, Kunal recollects, “We had seen the labour that went into making that work of art, which you witness today. If in first year, we studied in the basement (ground floor was under construction), second year was on the ground floor; by the time the whole building was inaugurated, we passed out.”
Kunal recalls Night Food Street’s midnight parantha binge. “Also, the Aroma bakery was the hot-spot for some midnight desserts,” he signs off.
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