Cooking up a storm

Shashi Sunny

He is busy creating magic with flavours when we catch up with Kapil Sethi. Magic that has a lingering aroma and that you want to take home! “You can definitely take back memories of food, if not aroma,” laughs Kapil, as he serves food that you want to preserve as souvenirs. A chef at Tanddav in New Delhi, his resume boasts of work experience at many popular restaurants and hotels but he believes, “For a chef, each day, each dish, each job should be as important. I love to experiment with food and that has helped me grow as a chef.” He has had successful runs at hot spots like Lapp and DLF Emporio’s Cavalli Café. Here he reminisces about his exciting journey through a world of flavours and how he has served a wide range of palates at home and abroad. Excerpts from the interview.

Why did you want to become a chef?

Even as a teenager, I was interested in cooking and would try my hand at creating new dishes with something as basic as Maggi. I inherited this quality from my father. Although he was a successful businessman, cooking was his hobby and he would make many delicious dishes. Since we are Punjabis, food is very important for us, it is a way of celebrating life and that developed my love for food.

What do you think is the most important quality in a chef?

Patience and passion. I tell my staff that though they can use standard recipes for dishes, but it is important to put your heart and soul into everything you cook. If a chef fails to do that, then even the best of the recipes won’t turn out well.

How has the Indian food industry evolved over the last few decades?

There has been tremendous growth in the industry. We get fresh imports from all around the world. With people and chefs travelling extensively, the world has become a smaller space, resulting in cultural exchange and introduction to many great cuisines. The Indian food industry has ably tossed up new dishes and is offering a wider variety to food lovers.

Do you think the restaurant culture varies from city to city in India?

It’s pretty much the same, not just in India but internationally as well. With globalisation, people have started travelling extensively for work, so eating out has become a norm. Restaurants are offering global meals. Also, in all cities, eating out has become a weekend recreational activity and food joints are doing everything possible to make eating out a memorable experience.

How is the Indian food received internationally?

I have worked in the United States and never faced any issues while embracing any cuisine. As for our own cuisine, everyone was very welcoming and eager to learn more about the Indian food. My colleagues and customers would get very excited whenever I cooked an Indian dish on any special occasion. They started loving aloo paratha for breakfast. I even made them replace their colas with our shikanji in summer.

What challenges have you faced in your career? Any interesting anecdotes you want to share?

I have always regarded any challenge as an opportunity to outdo myself. I worked with the European cuisine and confectionery areas for about seven years and then I got the opportunity to work for an Asian restaurant (Circa1193), which mainly served contemporary Japanese cuisine. Initially, I cursed myself for taking up that job. What I found the most challenging was the terminology. Almost all the sauces were in black, which made recognising them very difficult. But thanks to my team’s support, I was able to master them in a week’s time. When I look back now, I realise that taking up the job at Circa1193 was a wise decision. I now have the experience of working with so many interesting cuisines and as a result, I have become very experimental with my recipes.

How would you like to change or contribute to the Indian restaurant scene?

I am still young in the industry and I still need to learn a lot to be able to change anything.

Who would you like to cook for and why?

I would love to cook for chef Andrew Scott Zimmern as he loves to try unique and bizarre foods and I love experimenting with that.