Interview: Satish Arora, co-author, Sweets and Bitters

You have cooked for several high-profile guests like Indira Gandhi, Dhirubhai Ambani, Queen Elizabeth, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Amitabh Bachchan and Margaret Thatcher. How do you manage to stay so humble?

When I served these dignitaries as part of my work, they felt happy and that truly was my reward. If you become a snob when appreciation comes your way, you stop performing well and lose your gift. God has given me a lot. And with luck and blessings on my side, I have been able to serve these guests. I did the best that I could when I was assigned any responsibility. When I look back, I feel grounded and grateful to God for my success.

In your book, Sweets and Bitters, you mention that your mother was your first teacher. Please share a favourite childhood memory about her cooking?

I come from a Punjabi family, and I am sure you know that Punjabis are very fond of eating. My father was an army man, so we got to enjoy the mess food. But during the summer vacations, we used to travel to hill stations like Ranikhet, Nainital, Mussoorie and many others. I used to be full of excitement because it was a chance to discover new bakeries and eat new and delicious things. Apart from our clothes, we also used to carry utensils and groceries with us because my mother liked to cook for the family. I used to love eating the various kinds of garma-garam bhajiyas that she used to make for me, my brother, my sister, and my father. Our stay, whether it was for a week or two, felt like a grand picnic. When we had cooks coming in to help, I used to watch them make dishes that I was not familiar with. Paying attention, my natural curiosity about food and cooking, and my habit of making detailed notes taught me many things. One forgets, so I always used to write things down.

This habit must have helped a lot when you were sent to Germany for your training. What was it like to be there for a whole year, and experience a new culture?

It was an unforgettable experience. Even today I am grateful that the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai sent me to Dusseldorf and Frankfurt to learn. I wanted to make the best use of that opportunity, and become a chef that the Taj would be proud of. But I also had some challenges. Beef and pork are a big part of German cuisine, and I don’t eat them. I had to figure out how to feed myself. One day, I made a simple chicken curry and told the chef that I had made an Indian specialty. When he tasted it, he loved it. He called all his assistants and asked them to try it. I am a keen observer of facial expressions. When people put a morsel of food in their mouth, I can look at them and tell whether they really like it or not.

Apart from feeding myself, I was also making new friends at work. They were eager to try out new Indian dishes. They had lots of questions about the cooking techniques, and I was happy to answer. These interactions brought us closer. They too were generous with sharing their knowledge and their skills. I was offered a position in Germany but I turned it down. I was committed to the Taj because they had given me the opportunity to go to Germany.

The eight notebooks that I filled up with recipes were put to good use when I came back. I wanted to present what I had learnt in Germany, so I made 32 dishes to show my gratitude.

How did your mother react when you became the youngest executive chef in the world at the age of 26, and that too at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai?

Mummyji was happy, of course, but my father was really thrilled. His reaction was worth seeing because he was the one who had major objections about my joining a catering college as a young man. “Tu bawarchi banega? Tu waiter banega? Mere dost kya kahenge?” (You’ll become a cook? You’ll become a waiter? What will my friends say?) That’s how he used to talk. He was worried about his reputation. I do not blame him. He knew very little about the hospitality industry, which was just coming up at that time. People did not look at it with much respect, so my father had his reasons for being upset. The remarkable thing about him was that he made an effort to learn more about the future prospects of the industry.

Because of his army sources, he was able to set up a meeting with SN Chib who was the Director General of Tourism in those times. That one meeting was a turning point in the way my father looked at my career choice. Mr Chib convinced him that the tourism sector and hospitality industry would grow in a big way, and graduates from the catering college — which was under the Ministry of Tourism would find employment at prestigious five-star properties. My father’s fears were put to rest. Once that happened, he went all out to support me. He made me read a lot and taught me presentation skills before my interview. When I got the admission, he distributed laddoos in the whole neighbourhood. I would not have become the youngest executive chef in the world without his blessings. He was really proud of me.

A lot of chefs do not like to tamper with traditional recipes; you seem to take great delight in experimenting with fusion cooking. Tell us about your thought process.

I have tasted many cuisines, so I like to incorporate what I have learnt. For example, coconut is extensively used in Thai cuisine. After I spent some time in Thailand and learnt more about Thai cuisine, I thought to myself: We have an abundance of coconuts in India, so I should try using coconut milk in place of dahi in some dishes and see what the results are like. I like traditional recipes and I also like experimenting. It is good to have an open mind. If I had been rigid, I would have never come up with something unique and delicious like the dish that I like to call Idli Chaat Chatori, which we also served at the Kolkata Literary Meet. When people think of idlis, they don’t usually think of tamarind chutney and red chilli powder. I wanted to experiment with that combination, and see what would happen.

How did you deal with the challenge of adapting to new technologies?

If you want to be in this profession, you have to keep learning and updating yourself with new kitchen equipment, new recipes and new cooking techniques. You cannot remain stuck in the past. I have been a chef for more than fifty years but I am still learning every day.

You also experimented with new systems. In the book, you write about how your own experience as an intern was so frustrating that when you got a leadership role you set up training protocols for the mentorship of interns. What made you channelize your frustration in a constructive way instead of letting things be the way they were?

If you do not like something, you can change it instead of just growing bitter. Interns are new to the profession but they need to be treated with respect like any other human being. When there are clear training protocols, their time and talent are not wasted. They get to learn on the job, and the organization also benefits from this in the long run. Apart from training protocols, there was another area of improvement that needed attention—the variety and quality of food available in the staff canteen. After all, the staff is the backbone of any hotel. They need to be treated well. You need to show them that their work is truly appreciated.

Chintan Girish Modi is a freelance writer, journalist and book reviewer.