Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar talks about similarities in the food cultures of India and Pakistan
Ranveer Brar recently joined the Clubhouse app to be a part of the Aman ki Asha campaign. In the series, Brar talks about how India and Pakistan share history, culture, language, and cuisine and how food has the power to blur the differences between the two.
Brar shares details of the show and how India and Pakistan have a lot in common when it comes to food culture.
Tell us about your debut on Clubhouse and being a part of Aman ki Asha series?
It feels fantastic to debut on Clubhouse, I think it’s a great platform. As a kid I’ve always been fascinated by audio media, having grown up listening to a radio. The power of audio has been a big driving force in my life and it’s good to see audio coming back to the forefront again. So, yes, I am excited to be a part of it.
Your recent video, where you posted the recipe of Lahori malai kofte, also spoke about the unity that food builds between two different countries/cultures, how do you connect yourself with different cultures?
I’d say it’s serendipity that I put up a recipe of Lahori malai kofta when I did and spoke about Punjab on both sides of the border, and then Aman ki Asha came up. For me, as a chef, and a food explorer, it’s important to connect with culture as much as with cuisine. Food doesn’t stand alone. It has evolved and continues to evolve along with geo-socio-political factors. Hence, when I study the food history and cultural evolution of any region, it helps me connect to the dish better.
India and Pakistan practise a similar food culture. According to you what are the similarities or differentiation?
A: With respect to similarities, both countries share similar climates, terrain and agriculture and the last one is the dominant factor behind what you eat. We’ve grown up on this side of Punjab, listening to stories about the other side, more so, in terms of food. I think the similarities lie with the spices, spice-mixing and elaborate cooking methods that are primarily born out of similarities in climate and agriculture.
Your favourite dish from Pakistan?
A: My favourite dish is Murgh choley, a dish I got introduced to in New York.
You are one of the fastest-growing content creators in the culinary space with over 5 million followers on your social media platforms. How is the transition to digital space treating you?
Social media or digital medium, in general, helps me express myself beyond a format and showcase content unlike on television or other mediums. The volatility that social media brings with it is an advantage and allows you to start afresh each day despite making mistakes. I’d say, I’m very trend-agnostic but platform-friendly. For me, trends are relatively short-lived, you just have to continuously say what you are saying, do what you are passionate about and keep finding newer ways of being in touch with people who want to be in touch with you.
How was your experience cooking with celebs in You Got Chef’d Season 3?
It was a fun experience, to say the least. Given the hard times over the past year, it’s great to reconnect with people in the physical space, cook in a different setup. All the celebs I cooked with were super fun, especially Arjun Kapoor. And Myles Carrol’s highball concoctions are the icing on the cake.
How has your journey in the industry been so far?
When you are truly passionate about something, you just pursue it wholeheartedly. I am someone who started by romancing food in the lanes of Lucknow, roughing it at Munir Ustad’s kebab stall and worked my way up the ranks. All I knew through it all, was that I was doing what I love and wanted to do it for the rest of my life. And I’ve always believed that food is a giver. When you invest so much in it unconditionally, it will surely give back. Above all, God has been kind.