Master Chef Vicky Ratnani is a chef with a difference.
Extraordinarily talented and inventive, he combines a magical approach to making and preparing food with great people skills. Colorful, funny and highly original, he brings the most everyday cooking experiences to life with Do it Sweet & the recent show on air – VICKY GOES VEG on NDTV Good Times. Sandeep Hattangadi spoke to the affable chef about his life and times as a chef known worldwide.
How did your culinary journey begin?
I have always been an explorer and a lover for flavor and taste. Being a Chef for the most prestigious ocean liner company Cunard and helming the largest kitchen at sea, has made my dream and my life have the best of the best. Travelling to the most exotic places, working with 37 nationalities and cooking for Queen Elizabeth, Nelson Mandela, Rod Stewart has made me open my mind and think out of the box. I have kind of developed a style of my own cooking where produce is king. Global influences, local ingredients and modern techniques is the trinity of my cuisines. Aurus & Nido in Mumbai were the restaurants where I created some crazy food and were considered among the top eateries in the country.
Which cuisines are your favorites?
I enjoy Italian cooking which is my most favorite and South American cuisine and closer home, I like the Kerala cooking dishes served on banana leaves which is simple, tasty and hygienic.
You are also into cookery books and TV shows?
Television is another medium where I share my recipes and belief that people can cook & eat at home very well. My vegetarian cook book Vicky Goes Veg is a cutting edge veg cook book where world flavors meet local markets in your homes. The book won the prestigious Gourmand Award for Best Vegetarian Cook 2015 this year. My newest show VICKYPEDIA which starts in February on Zee is a fun filled show with amazing recipes from all over the world.
What do you feel is the reason for resurgence of chef as a career?
Fifteen years back, there were few opportunities but now the market has opened up and there is a great demand for trained Chefs with many international hotels coming to India and even abroad, and there is a great demand for Indian cooks and Chefs and dishes. There are Chefs who can style dishes and be innovators too.
What are the qualities required to be a good Chef?
First of all, he should have a passion for cooking and should be ready to work hard and learn all the time and be patient and focused and should be a team player and always be ready to learn new dishes and travel.
What are your present activities?
Currently I work as Culinary Director for Everstone Capital and am responsible for Harry’s Bar all over India which is a relaxed bar with tasty comfort food and great cocktails. My new venture The Disgruntled Chef will open shortly in Mumbai. It is a produce and technique driven place which will boast of delicious small plates, tapas, and hearty main meals to share. I will also be going to Australia to start my hotels and bistros.
Have you been a part of Masterchef?
If I am invited , I would certainly like to be.
Your brother Daboo Ratnani, is a famous photographer. Is He a foodie too?
Yes. Very much so. And I am a great photographer too. We enjoy exchanging notes when we meet and share a great bonhomie. He is a good cook too.
And on that note, Vicky signs off with a promise to treat us to some of his sumptuous dishes! Bon Appetit!
SLOW COOKED MUTTON BIRYANI
For The Rice:
· 1 star anise · 500 gm basmati rice, washed & drained
· 2 bay leaves · 2 black cardamom · 2 tsp black cumin seeds
· 6 black peppercorn · 6 green cardamom
· 2 cinnamon sticks · 6 cloves · 1 tsp fennel
· 1/4th jaiphal · 1 javitri · 3 tsp salt
For mutton marination:
· 1 kg mutton, cut in 2 inches pieces, preferably front leg part and avoid shoulder cut
· 1 Tbsp garam masala · 1 Tbsp garlic paste
· 1 Tbsp ginger paste · 3 Tbsp raw papaya paste
· 4 Tbsp hung curd · Juice of 1 lemon
· coriander powder · cumin powder
· 1 Tbsp red chilli powder · 1 tsp salt
Other ingredients:
· 4 onions, thinly sliced · 2 tomatoes, chopped
· 1/4 th cup milk, warm · Ghee · Saffron strands
· Oil · Rose water · Kewra essence · 4 green chillies
Marinating the mutton:
To the mutton add the beaten curd, ginger-garlic paste, raw papaya paste, chilli powder, salt, lemon juice, garam masala. Allow the mutton to marinate for 3 hours.
Making fried onions or Barista:
Slice 2 onions very thinly. Separate the slices. In a pan or kadai add oil and fry the onion slices till nicely brown. Take care not to burn them. Fry in small batches. Do not put all the slices at a time, that will lead to lumpy messy onions. Make sure all the onion slices frying are dipped in oil, if needed add more oil. Keep stirring continuously but gently for an even brown color. Take the fried onions out with a slotted spoon or ladle. Keep them on a paper-towel lined plate. This crispy brown fried onion slices are called Barista.
Cooking the mutton:
Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. Add remaining sliced onions and green chillies. Cook, stirring continuously, till onions are light golden brown. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and mix well. Add marinated mutton and cook on high heat for seven to eight minutes. Add coriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Mix thoroughly. Stir in three cups of water, bring it to a boil, reduce heat and cook covered till mutton is almost cooked. Add tomatoes, salt, garam masala powder and fresh coriander leaves Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally. The ghee would be separated from the spices and there should not be any watery gravy to the meat.
Preparing the rice:
Use only good quality long grain Basmati rice. Soak the rice for 20 minutes in water. Wash well till the water runs clear. Drain all the water. In a small piece of cloth take cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, javitri, jaiphal, black peppercorn, shahi jeera, star anise and tie a knot to make a bag (potli). Bring 750 ml water to boil, add rice, bay leaf, salt and potli, cover and cook till rice is done 1/3rd. Drain the water & remove the whole masala potli.
Preparing the saffron-milk:
Take 1/4th cup warm milk in a cup and dissolve saffron strands in the milk. Cover and wait for 20 minutes. Add rose water and kewra essence in the milk. Mix well and cover. Keep aside.
Layering the biryani:
Take a large heavy bottom pan with tight fitting lid. Add 2tbsp ghee to the pan. Melt the ghee on low heat. Turn and rotate the pan carefully so the ghee can coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Switch off the heat. Add a layer of cooked rice, then cooked meat pieces, sprinkle saffron water, add fried onion slices and ghee. Again add a layer of rice, then meat…go on like this till you are done. Top and bottom layer will be of rice. Cover with chopped pudina and coriander, fried onion and slit green chillies and juice of half a lemon. Put the lid on. Seal the pan with flour dough or aluminium foil, then put the lid. Keep the heat to lowest. And cook the Biryani in this ‘Dum’ process for 40 minutes. Make sure your pan is heavy-bottomed or the rice will burn. Or you can place a flat tawa then keep the pan on that tawa. After 40 minutes switch off the heat and let the biryani stand for another 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with raita and salad.
SINDHI KADHI
Ingredients
•Gram Flour 4 teaspoons
•Lady Fingers 8-10
•Drumstick 1
•Potatoes 2 medium
•Asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon
•Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
•Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) 1/4 teaspoon
•Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
•Curry leaves 8-10
•Oil 4 tablespoons
•Cluster beans (gawar) 10-12
•Tomatoes grated 2 medium
•Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
•Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon
•Salt to taste
•Ginger grated 1 teaspoon
•Tamarind pulp 1 teaspoon
Method
•Heat 2 tbsps oil in a deep non stick pan. Cut drumstick into 1½ inch pieces.
•Cut potato into big cubes. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves to the pan and sauté till fragrant.
•Add gram flour and mix and sauté till fragrant. Add 1½ cups water and mix till smooth. •Add another 1½ cups water and mix. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a shallow non stick pan. Add bhindi and guar and sauté.
•Add tomatoes to the gram flour mixture and mix well. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
•Add drumstick and potatoes and let them cook. Add ginger, bhindi and guar and mix well. •When the vegetables are cooked, add tamarind pulp and mix well. Cook for 1-2 minutes. •Serve hot with steamed rice.