“If not a chef, I’d have been a DJ!” Chef Ritu Dalmia cracks up!

If not a chef, what would you have been?

I would have been a DJ!

Two things you can do better than cooking...?

Making playlists and drawing cartoons.  

The worst and the best thing about being a celebrity chef is...?

The attention one gets.

And what do you love about Indian food? 

The mix of flavours and techniques is just mind-boggling. And the versatility is absolutely amazing. 

What would we find in your fridge right now?

This is seriously embarrassing – Kefir, milk, champagne, Coke Zero and some tomatoes.

How often do you eat the sweet dishes that you make?

I am a diabetic so this does not happen very often. 

Most chefs are known to be screaming and shouting in the kitchen. What are you like?

I hang my head in shame. I wish I could say I am a calm chef, but unfortunately I am not.

The essentials for your romantic dinner date would be...?

A very nice bottle of bubbly and amazing music. 

If you were an ice cream, what flavour would you be and why?

Pistachio. It is strong yet earthy.

Your favourite Indian chef is...?

Manish Mehrotra. 

Your greatest extravagance is...?

A case of Vega Sicilia, Unico, a very special and expensive red wine.

If you had to choose between Gordon Ramsay and Vikas Khanna, who would you pick?

Vikas Khanna, hands down. More than anything else for his humility. 

What’s your strategy in a crisis?

Telling myself again and again that I don’t have control over everything.  

One dish that always lifts your mood when you’re feeling low?

Kachori and aloo petha sabzi.

And the best dish someone created for you is...?

No one ever cooks for me!

The most versatile vegetable is...?

Pumpkin. I can make a soup, a soufflé, a side dish and an amazing dessert out of it. 

What’s your favourite in social media platform?

I have discovered Instagram very recently, and I love it.

Follow@VeenuSingh12 on Twitter

From HT Brunch, May 6, 2018

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch