Chef Kunal Satish Arolkar | New Generation Indian Chef Copy title

Chef Kunal Satish Arolkar: A New Generation Indian Chef

We at Fine Dining Indian are proud to feature Chef Kunal Satish Arolkar as part of our vision to showcase highly skilled and talented young chefs of India and the new age of Indian cuisine.

We aim to give Indian chefs greater online exposure and recognition for their work. Chefs interested in being featured can write to us at thefinediningindiankitchen@gmail.com or supriya.premaraj@finediningindian.com.

The author is a pastry chef by profession who operates Professional Hotelier India (www.professionalhotelier.in). He can be contacted at ka@professionalhotelier.in for kitchen solutions, food events, training, procurement and other kitchen-based requirements.

Got Your Flavours in a Twist?

“Traditional Approach to Cooking”, “Authentic Style”, “Culinary Classics”, “My Gran’s Recipes” — terms like these no longer adorn the covers of many new-age cookbooks, unless they are reproductions of an old classic or a nostalgic take on this form of art.

The new wave of cooking literature uses phrases such as “Fresh, Fast, Health-Furious”, “Nouvelle Cuisine”, “Gastronomic Artistry” and “New Ways of Cooking Old Classics”.The shift reflects not only what is in demand these days but also the changes that the current generation of chefs would like to bring to their style of cooking.The need for something different stems from the fact that consumers are constantly exposed to regular fare. A fresh and unique take on food is therefore a welcome trend.Gone are the days when serving a vanilla crème brûlée in a ramekin would receive rave appreciation. Why stick to tradition when you can cook it in a silicone mould, freeze it, unmould it and then torch it with a perfumed sugar crust? That would certainly win quite a few compliments.Innovation in the kitchen is essential when it comes to creating something wonderful with common ingredients. This is where experience and flamboyance walk hand in hand.

FACTORY Chef Kunal Satish Arolkar's:Chef Kunal Satish Arolkar's :A New Generation Indian Chef

Chef Kunal Satish Arolkar's :A New Generation Indian Chef

The Flavour Factory

New-generation chefs tend to use the concept of Nouvelle Cuisine when developing innovative menu options. From salads to desserts, their combinations of fresh ingredients are noticeably different from traditional, old-school practices.

The caveman concept seems to highlight the natural composition of food over added flavours.Would that mean a Chicken Makhni tastes any less delicious today than it did 20–30 years ago in its unrestricted, full-fat version?Would a shot of gazpacho taste different today because of organic tomatoes and the introduction of more flavours?Difficult to say.But it is important to understand why our cuisine has become so simplified, so straightforward and, in some ways, returned to Neanderthal methods of cooking!Apart from the need to give an otherwise regular product a unique touch, several factors have contributed to the development of this modern flavour factory.

There is less time devoted to cooking, a growing preference for fresh, individual food flavours over complicated combinations, and a desire to bring contemporary tastes together with culinary classics.To illustrate a few such combinations and get your creative juices flowing, I’d like to share some of my favourite recipes. They really are as simple as they sound.

A Final Twist on Success – From Chef Kunal

In the words of media mogul Rupert Murdoch:

“The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow.”

A twist to every tale provides an out-of-the-box approach to any issue. In today’s times, this is what is required of every culinarist.

One should keep creating and innovating. Getting your flavours twisted while earning your clients’ appreciation and loyalty seems like a successful approach to building a good business.