Chef Davinder Kumar spoke to Kritika Dua about experimenting with Indian cuisine, culinary explorations and his penchant for kebabs
Kebabs — pride of Peshawari and Awadhi households, and chef Davinder Kumar are often mentioned in the same breath. For he is the chef who has revolutionised the way we eat this delicacy. The chef is credited with having created some really unusual ones, including Murg potli kebab, Nasheela murg kebab and Jhinga mahi jugal bandi kebab. The vegetarian varieties include Kacche kele aur anar ke kebab and Arbi akhrot ke kebab. And some scrumptious Tandoori dishes like Saunphia paneer tikka and Tandoori lahsuni broccoli.
His recent book Just Kebabs - celebration of 365 kebabs, is an encyclopedia of the different varieties. “A kebab for each day and one for leap year ,” he said with a laugh and went on to add, “It has been written after intensive research. Recipes are simple to follow and the beauty of this book lies in the fact that it has more than 40 per cent vegetarian kebabs. The book comprises some of the more popular kebabs of India besides my own creations. They have been presented with a modern twist and each kebab is served with a different chutney or accompaniment.”
His creative kebab recipes are focused on healthy cooking and use a variety of vegetables, olive oil, new methods such as oven roasting, dum pukht cooking, open grill, and have a unique presentation. There is a fusion of spices from various parts of India to create tender and moist kebabs.
But not just kebabs, Kumar is also a pioneer in French cuisine. “French is my forte, as it has been a part of my entire culinary journey. Taking it as a base, I have created numerous dishes and improvised many cuisines in the French style. There has always been a French touch in everything I make. Pan seared chicken supreme, cauliflower mash, charred asparagus, mushroom and truffle glaze are some of the dishes of my culinary exploration with French cuisine as base.”
He has also worked on different Indian cuisines and given them international aesthetics and modern presentation. His credits include writing a couple of books and standardising authentic recipes. He introduced avant garde dishes to the world such as King prawns infused with blend of kaffir lime, basil, saffron and honey yoghurt; Textures of soya bell pepper kebab with hint of orange fennel marmalade; Pan seared sea bass with Madras curry, artichoke, asparagus and watermelon and goat cheese kebab, the last being his signature dish. Others include Chicken supreme using mushroom duxelle, fondant potatoes, balsamic glaze and couscous galette and Chicken black pepper phoenix style.
Talking about his experimentation with Indian cuisine, Kumar emphasised, “I have created a tasting menu with focus on innovation and creativity, low calorie healthy Indian food by using new methods along with local produce and introduced super ingredients including meat, sea food, poultry into Indian cuisine.” The deconstructed samosa is infused with green peas and tamarind glaze.
Having worked in some of the top hotels, he shared some interesting anecdotes, “While the working pattern of hotels might differ from one another, every property has its own culture, which gives its employees a unique experience, perspective of looking at things differently and learning from their experiences. Every hotel organisation presents themselves to their employees in a different form and has a different approach, aimed at ensuring that they bring out the best in their employees. My years of experience with the Oberoi group imbibed in me the concept of service, while le Meridien exposed me to the French way of working.”
The chef has worked on Indian as well as world cuisine for over 30 years. “I have given a contemporary touch to Indian cuisine by using modern technology, organic and seasonal produce yet retaining its original character. The unique and creative recipes include marinated oven roasted NZ lamb chop and star anise glaze.”
Kumar has tried to popularise Indian cuisine worldwide. “Although I have already made a lot of efforts in promoting Indian cuisine globally through my workplace and Indian culinary forum platform, my future plans are to host food promotions, culinary demonstrations, promote regional cuisine of India by visiting various countries as a culinary ambassador. This also includes conducting workshops on Indian food amongst international culinary institutes and organising gastronomy tours.”
The demand of chefs has risen over the years and it is now considered a lucrative career as compared to the time when he entered the industry. “Today, chefs are in the forefront and are considered to be the star attraction for any food and beverage business. In the light of the increased recognition of a chef, both inside the kitchen and to the outside world, the profession is being looked upon as a sought after one that not just helps one in satisfying the palate of their customers but also brings them recognition and fame. Being a chef today is more appealing than it ever was. A chef is now recognised, not just as an artisan of food, but also for their skills as culinary ambassadors. There are wider choices of career options and commensurately the rewards are also very satisfying.”
The Indian hospitality industry has revamped over a period of time. “Indian hospitality industry has gone through a sea change over the last few decades. Besides growth in the number of properties, both in terms of geographical reach and brands, professionals engaged within this industry have witnessed a great shift in the approach that people outside the industry have. This service industry has created a special place for itself and has today become one of the leading contributors, not just to the GDP but also increasing the employment opportunities. While there is a huge scope of growth for this industry (given that our inbound tourist numbers are still not comparable to the destinations which are much smaller than even the average size of our states), one has to be cautious that we do not compromise on our ethos of service and the quality thereof. Ultimately, it is the quality of service and the facilities that we provide which make this industry what it is today.”