IndoCarib
ELITE MEMBER
- Joined
- Jul 12, 2011
- Messages
- 10,784
- Reaction score
- -14
- Country
- Location
Even a decade ago, Indian restaurants in the U.S. would serve no more than greasy, creamy, rich dishes like palak paneer, malai kofta, butter naan, paneer butter masala, and other tandoori items. Not really authentic home cooking. Now though, Indian chefs are gaining a reputation as connoisseurs in their own right, popularizing Indian food that is more traditional, closer to the real food made at home, while at the same time experimenting with different versions of these flavors.
Any foodie would recognize the names of chefs like Suvir Saran and Floyd Cardoz. The likes of Padma Lakshmi provide glamour, while equally admired are Vikas Khanna, who has cooked for President Barack Obama, Maneet Chauhan, a frequent judge and participant in many Food Network shows, Thomas John, who headed the menu revamp of the international chain Au Bon Pain, a completely non-Indian establishment, and Sachin Chopra, named by Esquire magazine as one to watch. These are but a few of the many trendsetting Indian chefs in the American culinary landscape.
With so many Indian chefs attaining recognition, will Indian cuisine finally come of age in mainstream America?
Yes and no, says Mr. Saran, one of the most popular Indian American chefs and author of several bestselling books, including the recent Masala Farm.
I do think folks are more cognizant of Indian food and we are certainly coming of age. However we are not there yet. A valid case in point is the fact that only two Indian chefs were invited to Top Chef Masters: Floyd Cardoz and myself. Yes, India is relevant, but we are popular but still ethnic chefs. There is still a lot to be done, Mr. Saran says, adding: We are not wedding food yet.
Mr. Chopra, executive chef of All Spice restaurant in San Mateo, California, feels that the American palate is growing bolder. Indian American chefs are becoming very popular in the burgeoning foodie movement in the U.S. because diners are excited to try ethnic cuisine, and Indian chefs who are able to bring interpretations of ethnic flavors through the use of modern techniques are finding success.
Letting go of the familiar norms of Indian cuisine, our goal is to be ingredient driven. Diners appreciate being able to enjoy bold flavors without the heaviness of traditional food, says Mr. Chopra.
Our love for flavorful food surpasses that in any other country, and that is the reason why ethnic food is so popular in the U.S., according to Mr. Cardoz, who won the latest Top Chef Masters with his Upma dish.
Besides having a lot of flavor [Indian food] also has an added element of texture. Using the principles of flavor (salt, spice, bitter, sweet) comes easy to Indian American chefs, says Mr. Cardoz, who believes that more business travelers are introduced to the many flavors of the Indian Subcontinent than ever before, providing an opportunity to explore Indian tastes and culinary techniques. Conversely, Mr. Cardoz believes that Indian chefs have an advantage because India is so vast, has many religious groups and such a large geographical area that most Indian chefs are aware of the subtleties in the different cuisines.
Some of these successful chefs prefer traditional ethnic cuisine while others seem to enjoy playing around with fusion. Chef Chopra believes that Indian cuisine is essentially an alchemy, which seeks to create harmonious flavor out of many ingredients. Reiterating that the cuisine is incredibly varied and rich in styles, ingredients and textures, he says: In addition to classical French and American cookery, Indian chefs possess a huge library of flavors and techniques unfamiliar to the typical American chef. The best of our genre can make meaningful connections between classical Eastern and Western styles, presenting the results in a way which is approachable and novel.
Chef Saran calls this Fusion Confusion, noting that culinary artists cant have every style in their repertoire. Well arrive when we make real Indian home cooking available, says Mr. Saran, whose new Chicago restaurant Sacred Monkey will emphasize home cooking, as do his cookbooks. The magic that I see in Indian food comes from home cooked foods, food indigenous to various regions of India. These magical foods without calories come from the Indian home where the recipes have been traditionally cooked for generations, he says. This is the real Indian food. This is what we need to capitalize on.
Is Indian Cuisine Coming of Age in America? - India Real Time - WSJ
Any foodie would recognize the names of chefs like Suvir Saran and Floyd Cardoz. The likes of Padma Lakshmi provide glamour, while equally admired are Vikas Khanna, who has cooked for President Barack Obama, Maneet Chauhan, a frequent judge and participant in many Food Network shows, Thomas John, who headed the menu revamp of the international chain Au Bon Pain, a completely non-Indian establishment, and Sachin Chopra, named by Esquire magazine as one to watch. These are but a few of the many trendsetting Indian chefs in the American culinary landscape.
With so many Indian chefs attaining recognition, will Indian cuisine finally come of age in mainstream America?
Yes and no, says Mr. Saran, one of the most popular Indian American chefs and author of several bestselling books, including the recent Masala Farm.
I do think folks are more cognizant of Indian food and we are certainly coming of age. However we are not there yet. A valid case in point is the fact that only two Indian chefs were invited to Top Chef Masters: Floyd Cardoz and myself. Yes, India is relevant, but we are popular but still ethnic chefs. There is still a lot to be done, Mr. Saran says, adding: We are not wedding food yet.
Mr. Chopra, executive chef of All Spice restaurant in San Mateo, California, feels that the American palate is growing bolder. Indian American chefs are becoming very popular in the burgeoning foodie movement in the U.S. because diners are excited to try ethnic cuisine, and Indian chefs who are able to bring interpretations of ethnic flavors through the use of modern techniques are finding success.
Letting go of the familiar norms of Indian cuisine, our goal is to be ingredient driven. Diners appreciate being able to enjoy bold flavors without the heaviness of traditional food, says Mr. Chopra.
Our love for flavorful food surpasses that in any other country, and that is the reason why ethnic food is so popular in the U.S., according to Mr. Cardoz, who won the latest Top Chef Masters with his Upma dish.
Besides having a lot of flavor [Indian food] also has an added element of texture. Using the principles of flavor (salt, spice, bitter, sweet) comes easy to Indian American chefs, says Mr. Cardoz, who believes that more business travelers are introduced to the many flavors of the Indian Subcontinent than ever before, providing an opportunity to explore Indian tastes and culinary techniques. Conversely, Mr. Cardoz believes that Indian chefs have an advantage because India is so vast, has many religious groups and such a large geographical area that most Indian chefs are aware of the subtleties in the different cuisines.
Some of these successful chefs prefer traditional ethnic cuisine while others seem to enjoy playing around with fusion. Chef Chopra believes that Indian cuisine is essentially an alchemy, which seeks to create harmonious flavor out of many ingredients. Reiterating that the cuisine is incredibly varied and rich in styles, ingredients and textures, he says: In addition to classical French and American cookery, Indian chefs possess a huge library of flavors and techniques unfamiliar to the typical American chef. The best of our genre can make meaningful connections between classical Eastern and Western styles, presenting the results in a way which is approachable and novel.
Chef Saran calls this Fusion Confusion, noting that culinary artists cant have every style in their repertoire. Well arrive when we make real Indian home cooking available, says Mr. Saran, whose new Chicago restaurant Sacred Monkey will emphasize home cooking, as do his cookbooks. The magic that I see in Indian food comes from home cooked foods, food indigenous to various regions of India. These magical foods without calories come from the Indian home where the recipes have been traditionally cooked for generations, he says. This is the real Indian food. This is what we need to capitalize on.
Is Indian Cuisine Coming of Age in America? - India Real Time - WSJ
u must have confused india with pakistan, where u have right to kill based on relegion. i grew up in india eating beef
