From The Chef’s Table

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor needs no introduction,
over the last three decades, this globally famous
Indian Masterchef has shared his secrets to
finger licking food with Indians, who in turn
were glued to his show ‘Khana Khazana’ that ran
for 22 years! Many Indians started their culinary journey with his recipes and he undoubtedly put Indian Culinary in the world map with his innovative recipes like Shaam Savera!

Chef Sanjeev Kapoor has also built a culinary empire that allows him to champion several social causes. He’s actively involved with the non-profit Akshaya Patra, he works closely with autistic children, he has joined hands with the World Central Kitchen, and recently, he took on spreading awareness about clean cooking apart from shooting for a new cooking show.
Four Magazines gets up, close and personal about his life, his favourites and how it all begun.

Indians love Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and his
recipes, but whose recipe and ‘haat ka
khaanaa’ is the real ‘khazana’ for the Chef
himself?
Sanjeev Kapoor: For me, it will always be my mother’s Rajma Chawal and Punjabi Kadhi, the spectacular Undhiyo that my mother-in-law makes and my wife Alyona’s Khandvi, too. They are brilliant cooks and I have to admit, that they
make these dishes better than I do.

Interestingly, I was introduced to Gujarati Kadhi after our marriage. So yes, I discovered some real ‘khazana’ after getting married and even after being an Executive Chef. Also, my research on Indian food, the intricacies involved in regional cuisines, the innovative combinations and when
on my food trails, I still continue to discover many amazing new dishes.

You wanted to be an architect but later
decided to be a Chef… what changed you mind?
Sanjeev Kapoor: It was a father’s friend’s advice that hit me hard when I was in a dilemma about deciding between architecture and hospitality. He said, “It is better to excel in a mediocre field than being mediocre in an excellent field.” This comment impacted me so much that I found my profession and later, the direction my work life was to head in.
Also, my brother Rajeev always said that the ‘right
person, should be doing the right job’. He noticed I was better in this job.

Why the name The Yellow Chilli for your
restaurant?
Sanjeev Kapoor: The idea behind The Yellow Chilli (TYC) is the yellow chilli, an ingredient that adds a unique, extra punch to the recipes. At TYC, I have reproduced some very eclectic dishes from North India and a few from the rest of India.

What dishes from TYC will you suggest to
someone who is about to taste Indian cuisine
for the first time?
Sanjeev Kapoor: For somebody tasting Indian food for the first time, I would recommend Harippa Paneer Tikka, Lalla Mussa Dal, Shaam Savera and Subz Roohani Biryani from the vegetarian options. From within the non-vegetarian fare, I would recommend, Peelee Mirch Fish Tikka, Jheenga
Tamatar Kut Lawrence Road Tandoori Murgh, Puran Singh da Tariwala Murgh, Peele and Nalli Rogan Josh.

Tell us the stories behind creating your
iconic dishes, Shaam Savera and Lalla Mussa
Dal?
Sanjeev Kapoor: The story of Shaam Savera is linked to my comeback on Khana Khazana. I felt like I was on a reality show when Hansal showed me a few ingredients including, paneer, spinach, onion, tomatoes and stuff and asked me to
create something innovative. I said I would come up with something for sure and thus, Shaam Savera was born. It is now my signature recipe and features on The Yellow Chilli menu.

As for Lalla Mussa Dal, it is believed that this dal was cooked at the Lalla Mussa railway station in the North West Frontier Province. I recreated it with the addition of green gram, which is light, while retaining the base of whole black

gram that is heavy and heaty. To this dal that is cooked overnight, I added the richness of ghee, cream and butter.

What are your most favourite ingredients to
work with?
Sanjeev Kapoor: Lots of love and a wide smile makes the food taste better!
On a serious note, I love spinach. The other ingredients that are my favourite are cardamom, cumin and pepper.

Do you believe that a cuisine’s future lies
in reinventing it by making fusion dishes
suitable for foreign palates?
Sanjeev Kapoor: Today’s generation is aware of the food trends around the world. They are well-travelled; their purchasing powers are high and are gourmands so to say.
They look for variety when they eat out and of course the restaurants too cater to this elite class of food aficionados as they see an increasing trend of such food enthusiasts.
Look at the Chinese fare we get here in India. It is even called Chindian and is completely different from the way it is made in China. Here, it has a lot of veggies, spices and sauces. But look at the popularity!! Our very own Chicken
Tikka has already entered European eateries.
Not that traditional recipes are not getting their due recognition, we, as chefs are also inspired to recreate.

«and present dishes that are innovative, bring together different ingredients, apply different techniques in preparing them and thus come up with dishes that appeal to the palates of a global demography. But, I am definitely against doing fusion just for the heck of it.

You have supported children with autism
for several years, fed medical workers
extensively during the pandemic, what’s the
recipe to being a Good Samaritan?
Sanjeev Kapoor: I owe this to the humble upbringing we had, the values instilled in us and above all, God has been kind. It is my moral duty to contribute in whatever little way I can.

Which celebrity/VIP did you feel most happy
creating meals for? (In terms of research,
planning, and final outcome)
Sanjeev Kapoor: It was cooking for our Prime Minister,

Narendra Modi in the UAE. This was at an event where our honourable Prime Minister dined with the Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. I had prepared a Royal Gujarati Thali.Also, I had the honour to cook dinner for our soldiers atthe Batra Transit Camp in Dras on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, 2019. The Indian Army was commemorating 20 years of India’s victory over Pakistan.

We are curious to know what’s coming next
from the Chef’s table.
Sanjeev Kapoor: We launched The Yellow Chilli (TYC) restaurant, Preet Vihar, New Delhi in July 2022. We have another TYC launch scheduled in Kanpur and Ghaziabad.
We are very excited about it! We also launched Indii in New Delhi. This is an outlet based on the QSR format. Also, in the pipeline is collaboration with Fast & Up for GoodEatz. The latter is a 100% plant protein based vegan nutrition range of health supplements