American celebrity chef MANEET KAUR speaks with SANGEETA YADAV about her show, Chopped in India on NDTV Good Times and tells about her experience in the culinary world so far
What did it feel like judging NDTV Good Times Chopped in IndiaIJ
I’ve a true passion for mentoring and this show gives me a platform to share my experience and knowledge gathered over the years. Every episode of this show gives the judges an opportunity to guide and mentor accomplished as well as upcoming chefs.
Any preparations for the showIJ
My life has been spent (indirectly) preparing for this. I always think about the unfaltering honesty that my mentors used to guide me. It’s those honest critiques that made me the chef I’m today. It’s at times difficult to hear the truth, yet when peppered with kindness, it is easier to stomach.
What’s the format of the showIJ
Chopped... pits four chefs against one another in a three round competition. In each round the contestants are given a basket of mystery ingredients that they must use to deliver an appetizer, entrée or dessert, within a limited time span. After each round one chef is ‘chopped’ (eliminated).
What’s the judging criteriaIJ
Creativity and cooking techniques score high on my list. Also, I look carefully at the way these chefs understand how to mingle flavours that at times can be seemingly very foreign to one another. I also see if the chef shows respect for the ingredients and the mystery basket that he has got.
How is this show any different from other cookery showsIJ
The biggest difference is that Chopped... brings pure spontaneity in its format on TV. It’s really very difficult and the countdown for the preparation of each course is in real time. It’s a competition about time pressure and performance under a difficult situation.
What is the winning prizeIJ
The winner of each show receives $10,000 and more importantly the right among your peers of being a Chopped champion.
How did you manage time — shooting for this show and other workIJ
This has always been the most difficult balancing act. I’ve a two-year-old daughter and she is the center of my world. Balancing being a mother, a wife, author, restaurateur, chef and a TV personality is challenging, but challenges that are warmly embraced. I love my life. I push myself harder for continued success so that I can show my daughter that anything is possible.
How did you get into cookingIJ
I grew up in Ranchi, in eastern India in a small steel colony. There were people from all over the country living there—neighbours from Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala, etc. I was always so fascinated with the food they cooked. It was so different from the Punjabi fare that I got at home.
As a child I would go to neighbour’s houses, after having had a meal at my house, and tell them that my mother hadn’t fed me which, as you can imagine, mortified my parents. But my neighbours would quickly whip up some mysterious snack for me. I would sit in the kitchen watching the aunties cook and ask them questions about why and how of cooking.
Tell us about your culinary styleIJ
My cooking style is what life is to me. It needs to keep evolving. I’m influenced by cuisines from all corners of the world. I take these influences and put a slight Indian twist on them to create what I feel is an original global fusion.
What is your signature dishIJ
So many, but I’m partial to an amazing dish from my new book, Flavors Of My World. It’s the Saagpaneer spanakopita—best of two culinary countries—Greece and India.
What makes an author who writes on food stand out from the crowdIJ
I feel that a good writer is one that brings a sense of romance and adventure into their writing. A well written cookery writer should truly take one on a journey and yet not be too complex for people to understand.
Any kitchen disaster stories..IJ
I once had made a wedding cake, four layers for an event. It looked amazing and beautiful. I was walking to the kitchen when I turned to see the cake and saw that one of the people from the bridal party was moving the table with the cake all by himself, it was like in slow motion. I saw the cake fall, all the hard work all over the floor. It was a miracle how I managed to put together another cake in such a short time.
Your future plansIJ
We are in discussions for a co-production deal that will focus on making food-related TV for India. I’ve always enjoyed shooting for TV in the US but I wish to return to India and share all that I’ve learned.