Chef Safari, Sameer Taneja
Gautam@2022 
Meet Chef Sameer Taneja, the UK-based chef who revolutionalized the face of Indian Gastronomy.
A culinary journey that spans cuisines and locations, Chef Sameer Taneja’s story is an awe-inspiring one. Growing up in a quaint little village in Nepal, he first discovered his love for food with Nepalese cuisine. In a village that didn’t see a lot of money, going out for a fancy restaurant meal wasn’t common. But it was here that the freshest homegrown produce and ingredients were used, resulting in mouthwatering local delicacies.
He moved to Delhi as a young boy and was introduced to the culinary diversity the city offers. With Kashmiri and South Indian neighbors pampering him with all kinds of foods, he was spoiled for choice! He recalls the versatility of Indian gastronomy in Delhi, especially the visits to Old Delhi for the famous Mughlai Biryani and the beloved Delhi chaat that remains his favorite to this day. His father loved experimenting with food, an interest that inevitably got passed down to Sameer. One would think that this interest was what initiated his professional culinary career, but it wasn’t. In fact, getting into the culinary arts was mere happenstance, serendipity almost. He claims he wasn’t an outstanding student, and since Hotel Management was thought to be an easy degree, he set out to Mangalore to pursue it. And we’re all glad he did!
Mangalore gave him the chance to explore a whole new world of South Indian ingredients and foods. He absorbed all that he was learning through his degree and local experiences. While North India uses a blend of simple spices to create magical flavors, the south uses more bold ingredients like kokum and tamarind to create their flavors, both of which he loved to experiment with. For him, it was about the deliciousness of the food, and more importantly, the love and hospitality that goes into creating that food.
Even though he adores Indian cuisine, for the next 15 years, Taneja worked with European food. He would write letters to the chefs he looked up to and, over time, got to work with most of them. Pierre Koffmann, French culinary genius and Taneja’s mentor, played an important role in his journey. Taneja was his sous chef at Koffmann’s at the Berkeley, Brasserie Joël, and Waterside Inn. During this time, Koffmann was sure that Taneja could make waves in Indian gastronomy and asked him to explore that. Taneja had never professionally cooked Indian food before. When asked why, he jokes that Indians are always looking for international food, even if they have to take a loved one out on a date! But he took the plunge into Indian gastronomy after receiving encouragement from Koffman.
The experimenting bug that was in him ever since he was a young boy is still very much alive and is what makes Benares stand out as one of the most sought-after dining experiences in London. His aam Panna tiger milk enhanced the flavors in many of his dishes, and more recently, he concocted a sea bream and oyster chaat that was applauded by his diners and even converted some non-oyster eaters or occasional oyster eaters to regular oyster eaters. He charmingly admits that this makes him happy and proud! Even after excelling in Indian gastronomy for over a decade, he claims he has barely scratched the surface. “The Indian cuisine is extremely diverse. I’m constantly learning new things, and exploring new ways in which the ingredients can be used, and there’s so much more to take in. I’ve barely covered one or two percent of it.”, he says matter-of-factly.
When asked what’s next, he talks about the team at Benares being determined to move towards a zero-waste policy. “We will continue to evolve and grow in our cooking techniques and offerings, that’s in the DNA of Benares. But now, we are also working towards making 100% use of our ingredients. What you think is waste or residue can actually be used in numerous ways in the cooking process. And because of the digital age, we’re finding inspiration and learning new things every day, and that will surely help us enable this endeavor.” Chef Sameer Taneja has redefined Indian gastronomy in the UK, and his advice to aspiring chefs is the same that was given to him by Pierre Koffmann – keep your head down, focus, push yourself to do better.
Getting Candid with The Chef
Favorite comfort food
Ramen, beans on toast
One dish you never will experiment with
Butter chicken. I use fruits instead of sugar for the sweetness quotient. Everything else remains the same.
What did you cook for the Her Majesty The Queen?
Canapes. I’d like to know if she liked them!
Which personality would you like to cook for?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
The one Indian ingredient you always rely on
Pepper. It’s not an ingredient; it’s magic, an emotion.
The next cuisine you want to explore
Peruvian, Jamaican, Spanish
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