Chef M U Kasture, who has cooked for heads of states, believes that finding healthy substitutes for mainline dishes is one of his most successful experiments. By Chahak Mittal
He has Presidents, Prime Ministers, UN General Secretaries as well as the Queen of England eating out of his hand — practically, if not metaphorically. For chef M U Kasture, who cooks for the President of India at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, is at equal ease representing the country internationally and serving many international names like Former US President Barack Obama, UN General Secretary Ban-Ki-Moon in 2013 and Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace.
He believes that taking up unconventional and uncommon food ingredients and making them the focus is his speciality. While other food connoisseurs would go for bread or potatoes, he prefers beetroot or elephant foot yam to make cutlets. He believes that finding healthy substitutes for mainline dishes is one of his most successful food experiments.
“I once made pizza healthier by replacing maida (white flour) with moong dal (small yellow lentils), and it worked,” says Kasture. Calling kitchen “an experimental place,” he tells us about how he prepared Sago dosa and soup with ivy gourd for a fasting treat at the Rashtrapati Bhawan which served the Prime Minister recently.
Since he has explored many different flavours across the globe, he says that Indians have accepted world cuisine with open arms. While looking at many small ventures, which are serving good pan-Asian and Continental cuisines, he says the global food culture in India is “thriving.”
He says, “Today, the guests or consumers are well-informed about the latest trends around the world. Hence, they always show an interest in trying something different and new. Was the Alfredo or Arrabbiata Pasta a common meal in our households 20 years ago? ‘No.’ We didn’t even have the scope to find out if other ingredients which were exotic to the household existed. But today, even a 10-year-old kid can check it on the internet and get all the desired information. Easier availability of various fruits, vegetables, sauces and all the other international ingredients in the Indian market is one of the prime factors that contribute to acceptance of global cuisine in the country.”
He also points to the growing trend of dining outside the homes or even ordering online and easy availability of different food choices which fuels this hunger. “The multi-dimensional growth of humans has led to the development of our tastebuds which can adapt to various cuisines,” says he.
As consumers, however, he believes, that Indians are always looking for some “Indian touch” to their dishes, be it Italian or Continental. He says, “Chinese cuisine has universal appeal in India because hawkers and chefs have Indianised its taste. We will always stay true to our masaledar, chatpata flavours.”
While continuing about global food culture in India, he also points out to how the cuisine from the country is also being accepted across boundaries and gradually becoming a world favourite. In fact, he believes it is already one in many countries as the essence of Indian spices and flavours is “known for its speciality of awakening the tastebuds.”
He says, “I believe that the Indian cuisine has an Ayurvedic base. Hence, it makes for a perfectly balanced meal. It is the versatility of Indian cuisine that one can relish both heavy and light meals. Also, one cannot ignore the rich Indian diversity and heritage that we have in regional cooking. One can feel the difference in dishes after every hundred kilometres while exploring India.”
Kasture suggests that to make people explore the country’s food culture more deeply, “we need to organise more cultural events related to Indian food across the globe. Just like a music world tour, we can explore an option of conducting an ‘Indian Food Tour.’”
The chef believes that cooking food is an art form. “Once you’ve learnt the seven notes and understood the base concept of cooking, you can prepare any dish. Cooking is the only art form that interacts with all of the senses — sight, smell, sound, touch and taste. Just like a painter who splashes his colours on the canvas, the chefs paint their plates with food.”
It’s also one of the reasons why he feels that it is justified when food bloggers and connoisseurs make their first mark of the dish on their social media profiles before even tasting the food. Since food is an art, he believes, it demands to be savoured by the eyes first. He says, “The day, when one would be able to savour the taste of a dish by just looking at irresistible food images, is yet to come. But it is undeniable that one cannot ignore the temptation that a photograph or video creates to attract the target audience by a picture of juicy burger or the melting cheese on a pizza. Though the picture doesn’t capture the flavour, but it does elevate the importance of presentation of food.”
Food is subject to everyone’s preferences and interests. Chefs are always bound to face criticisms. Kasture explains how to tackle them. He believes that a chef cannot expect everyone to like the food prepared by him or her. “Every one has his or her individual tastes. In India, the taste and ingredients of a meal vary with every few miles. The tastes are very region-specific,” says he. Giving instances — Maharashtrians cook in groundnut oil, many South Indians use coconut oil and Bengalis use mustard oil — he explains, “These differences are geographical. To like or appreciate a certain dish, one has to develop a taste for it or an acquaintance to the respective cuisine. Even when one criticises, I take it positively because as a chef, it’s my duty to satisfy my guest. So I customise the dish according to their choices in such situations.”
Talking about an evolution in his cooking habits over the time, he says that a lot of things have changed since he started as more global trends are being followed. Hence, he now prepares for the consumers as per their choices. “For instance, Indian food will be cooked differently if it is being prepared for a foreigner as compared to the native guests. Also, with health issues, I try to prepare meals that have a lot of nutrients and also have a great taste,” he says.
Adding to this, he tells us that since healthy eating is the best, he tries to incorporate such ingredients into daily cooking as well. He says, “Also, going back to the trend of pre-plating, the small and attractive portions don’t just make the food look tempting, but as well reduces its wastage.”
Women are considered to be kitchen experts, especially in India. Hence, male chefs could be called stereotype-breakers. Kasture feels that “women are born-experts. I got interested in cooking because of my mother. I feel that no one cooks like mothers. Maa ke haath ka khana always stays on the top of every Indian’s list. When I started hotel management in 1983, people used to mock me about taking up cooking as a profession. Earlier, the society didn’t appreciate men becoming chefs. Fortunately, times are changing and choosing it has become a passionate career option.”
The chef, who currently works as an executive chef at The Ashok, says that he is “proud of his profession.”