I was born and brought up in Thailand. My father served in the Indian National Army with Subhas Chandra Bose and was posted in Burma. During World War II, he moved to Thailand and settled in Phatalung. We happened to be the only Indian family there and though we were strongly Indian in some ways, everything else about us was Thai. It was thus my fascination of Thai food began.
When I was 10, my brother and I came to India to familiarise ourselves with our roots, to learn the language. After the years passed, he shifted to Bangkok and started a restaurant there. later, I joined him as well and began to assist him. Actually, ever since I was a tiny tot, say, two years of age, I cultivated a certain curiosity towards anything culinary. Even when someone made paan, I would be drawn by the sound that the iron mortar and pestle would make in the process. And I often tried cooking at home, thinking and experimenting with original ideas. For instance, I once made Singaporean noodles at a friend’s wedding. So there were these now on, now off endeavours in cooking that would frequently motivate me to push it further.
After getting married, I moved to Agra. I began to supply food to the military canteen there as well as arranging for cooking classes for beginners at home. After over a decade, I joined Holiday Inn (now The lalit) in Delhi as their food consultant. I also went to England to train for their restaurant Blue Elephant but left after two months. I wanted an ambience where nobody would interfere in my decisions and approaches. I sat at home for a month and then got a call to join The Imperial. The Spice Route had not opened then and I was asked to join as a consultant. My only demand was that I would not be dictated and that I wouldn’t tolerate any meddling in my affairs. They kept their word and it has now been almost two decades since I started the journey with them. When people come here again and again and also remind me which dish of mine they had had earlier, it overwhelms me and that feeling is more precious than the awards I have won.
Having said that, this profession has its own challenges. For instance, the Thais love home-cooked food. They care for authentic, nutritional food which they prepare for themselves. Even their soup is prepared at home methodically with utmost care. They also like to maintain hygiene and even their street food is healthy, which is not really the case in India. Here the street food, though popular, is hygienically challenged. Besides, Delhiites have not been too experimental with their food but now they are opening up to new ideas. To generalise, they would not opt for completely authentic Thai food but are gradually experimenting at the basic level. Say, they will have the noodle in soup. So time and again, certain issues crop up from both sides, though we always try to overcome them.
The biggest concern for a woman in this field is that the hotel industry is male-dominated. What makes it so is the fact that it is largely glamourless. The working hours are long and the job is difficult. It is exhaustive and not considered conventionally comfortable for the lifestyle of a woman.
At the same time, it should be noted that it is male-dominated only in India. Anywhere in East Asia, for that matter, you would find only women running the regular restaurants. like several other pressing issues in India, this is another socio-cultural problem for women in the country. They are not seen as people who can endure long and hectic working hours.
Personally, I try to overlook the constrictions and strive for the better. I am often asked how I have sustained myself so far. Well I have grown up playing with boys, and you know how it is in boarding hostels. You learn to be naughty, independent and strong. Besides, I am an Aries! It is indeed a competitive field and the challenges are cutthroat. Here in The Spice Route, I am like a mother figure to my staff and I always tell them to not accept anything derogatory. I try to train them to be fearless and instill confidence in them. At The lalit, I saw men passing remarks on me and there was an instance when I didn’t answer back and went towards the backyard and cried to myself. But otherwise, in this field, it is essential to be courageous and vocal about your opinion. My daughter is, in fact, fiercer than I am.
Often, my feminine consciousness also manifests in my engagements with food. For instance, if I cut broccoli, I would not waste the tiniest bit of it. Or if I am checking for dirt and dust, I would find the minutest traces and clean it. You don’t expect men to do any of that! The woman in me helps me look beyond the surface level. The carefulness and sentimentality of my feminine side translate into my work too.
I have been in this profession for two decades. It is crucial for me to keep coming up with new ideas. I consistently try to invent new ideas. I have been making the Mango Appam for 15 years now. It is something that I created. Or the Pineapple Delight, which I make with palm sugar, cinnamon and charcoal flavours. I have created these recipes and keep thinking for more. I am also a keen observer, always on the lookout for plans to borrow. My mother loves eating rice with fruit, so I came up with the idea of cooking rice with mango and coconut milk. That is how I try and keep bringing in newness. However, I am strictly against fusion. If I am cooking a Keralite dish, then I would not give it a Thai touch. Or if I am cooking Chinese, then I would not add Indian spices to it.
Usually, you would not find too many educated people in the kitchen in the hotel. Working in a hotel has many difficulties. We have to maintain recipe files and keep them discreet so that other organisations do not find them; we also have to constantly monitor our equipments and the walk-in coolers. The ingredients too have to be scrutinised well. Since sambar tastes better the next day after it is cooked, we have to look after the curries that have already been cooked.
Besides, to maintain the nutritional aspects of the food, I add a lot of vegetables as well as white pepper. I also use olive oil which is low in fat. This way, I can maintain good taste without compromising on health issues. As for my staff, I always pick recruits who are freshers and usually from the street-side stalls, because they come with a clean slate of a mind. If I bring someone from another restaurant, they will come with a baggage of their earlier experiences. They will try to put in their own ideas into mine and I don’t like such fusion. So I prefer to have a complete fresher.
When I am not cooking, I like reading the newspapers and watching television. I also have a Thai kitchen-garden at home and like to cultivate it. My husband and children are excellent cooks and we experiment with food at home too. It is important to uphold your individuality. In the day and age we live in, it is essential for women in particular to be vocal, confident and alert. I have just one suggestion for them: Be strong, focused and fight for your right. Bring it on!