Oh! I See!

Curious clippings and graphic journals of a food illustrator.

[doodlenomics]

Quarantine Clutter. Episode 2.

My coffee table has more items on (unintentional) display than the V&A museum, I joked with a friend. Of course, I was internally wailing at what seemed like a deluge of props from the sets of ‘Stranger Things’.  Recipe books, cleaning sprays, honey cups, crumbs of something (was it alive once? Eeeekkk!!), ONE sock (!) and that too in this hot weather… May we all come out of this period as better…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

What's in your kitchen cabinet?

What’s in your kitchen cabinet?

Kitchen cabinets are museums of emotion. On a day you feel overly enthusiastic, equipped with nothing but foolish earnestness, you load your shopping cart with ingredients whose usage you know nothing about. I’ve had many such episodes and some managed to push me to try cooking something different.

Today’s post is an ode to those kitchen cabinets that house packets of powders, tubs of pastes,…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Coffee Table Chronicles during Covid-19

With almost everyone working from home due to the Covid-19, people have been sharing creative ways to spending their entire time at home. I have been making food, ensuring leftovers are properly utilised in the next day’s lunch and when in doubt, there are always what’s app groups with friends and family where people have been sharing recipes and ideas to cook with the available stock of food.

Wh…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

100 Tea cups

Somewhere around mid-June, I began work on a new project #100Teacups

The hashtag is self-explanatory but elaborating a bit won’t hurt so here’s what it is. I have been sketching tea cups for about two or more weeks. Only tea cups. So far, I believe I’ve drawn nearly 80 tea cups. The goal is to paint a hundred tea cups. I’d like to share a few images with you:

I’ll share some more soon. Let me…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

'Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food' by Nik Sharma

‘Season: Big Flavors, Beautiful Food’ by Nik Sharma

Nik Sharma has created a beautiful book titled ‘Season’ that describes his journey from the western coast of India, in a home with diverse influences from his Roman Catholic, Goan mother and Hindu father from Uttar Pradesh, to Cincinnati where he arrived with a pressure cooker, amongst other things and finally to Washington D.C. where he began chronicling his experiments in cookery, calling it A…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Jodie Kalla’s Baladi Palestine

Jodie Kalla’s Baladi Palestine

Joudie Kalla’s book ‘Baladi Palestine A Celebration of Food from land and sea’ is 256 pages of visual delight, apart from the obviously excellent recipes. The photographs in this book are my favorite and what makes them even sweeter is that the images actually have been crowd-sourced through people living in Palestine, so what you see is streets, orchards, fresh produce, beautiful bazaars, farms-…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

7 beverages you absolutely must try in Sharjah

Have you tried all seven of these beverages? When in Sharjah, these are an absolute MUST!

1- Green Tea, Fresh Zaatar & Pineapple Iced Tea at Shababeek | AED 30 Located in Al Qasba, Shababeek is a contemporary Lebanese restaurant with an extensive menu. Their signature iced tea (green tea, fresh zaatar, pineapple) is a fresh and fruity beverage that pairs very well with the succulent kebabs on the menu. 2- Turkish Tea at Emirgan Sutis | AED 12 Served with sugar cubes, this cup of tea…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

The UAE Cafeteria: Friendship over Chai Karak, Chicken Sukka and Chips Oman sandwiches

The UAE is a gracious synthesis of various people and cultures with a strong identity of its own. This is the heart-warming story of one such contribution by the Indian expatriate community to the popular Chai Karak culture today.

It is 9:30am and Vincent Joseph has just finished his breakfast of puri-bhaji at Tadmur Cafeteria; a place well-known for its value meals and snacks, apart from Karak Chai which is perhaps the hottest-selling item on its menu, on Jamal Abdel Nasr Street in Sharjah. Vincent has lived in Sharjah for over 13 years and works as a salesman in Ajman. Over this 13-year long period, he has never once…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Cinnamon Club: Indian Cuisine Reinvented

Chef Vivek Singh shows you how to cook away your Monday blues- Check it out!

Cured Trout Rillette on Wheat Crisp Rillette is a traditional French preparation very similar to a paté mainly made from cured meats. For this recipe, we have used trout, but you can use any other oily fish like salmon or mackerel. Preparation time: 2 hours | Curing time: 32 hours | Serves: 4-6 Ingredients: 2 sides of trout, approx.. 675 gm each Zest of 1 orange, 2 limes and 2 lemons, finely…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

'I Love India' by Anjum Anand

Goan pork pies, Andhra Chicken 65 & more- Anjum Anand's recipes and her love for Indian food!

Introduction I believe that each of us is the sum of all our parts. I know that everything I have done and experienced in life has brought me to this place in my career and, looking back, I see how all the dots join up. In my case, these indelible markers started before I did. My father was born in India towards the end of the British Raj, only 12 years before the Partition. His family were…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Rana Safvi's Digital Dastarkhwan

The fabulous Rana Safvi's Dastarkhwan is a delightful treat! Discover recipes and food history

The past few days have been glorious. I illustrated some delectable recipes from the incredibly insightful and perceptive Rana Safvi. Rana, as you already know, is an author and historian with a passion for culture and heritage. She is the founder and moderator of the popular #shair platform on Twitter which is credited for reviving popular interest in Urdu poetry. Her book Where Stones Speak:…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

The pleasures of a cup of tea

The pleasures of a cup of tea

Hotel Breakfasts Few things are more pleasurable than hotel breakfasts. Who doesn’t love elaborate spreads of  baked goods, eggs and cold cuts, chicken and vegetables dressed in ways one only sees in beautifully illustrated volumes of the 1001 Arabian Nights? What a splendid start to the day! What I actually love about these busy spreads is that their variety replicates the random jumbles in the…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Delhi - Day 1

Delhi – Day 1

…and I’m back on a short sketching trip. This time in Delhi. The flight was delayed by at least 1.5 hours, of which quite some time went in the aircraft, amidst a sea of confusing remarks, panic and crying babies. Phew. Glad ‘that’ got over. I got busy sketching though – https://videopress.com/embed/UyR8uzqv?hd=0&autoPlay=0&permalink=0&loop=0 By the time I reached Delhi and left the airport with…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Sweet Middle East: Anissa Helou

The enchanting world of Middle-Eastern Sweets unraveled in Anissa Helou's book- Check it out!

I have a strong sweet tooth and often say it’s because my family name, Helou, means “sweet” in Arabic. In truth, that has nothing to do with it. Most people in the Middle East and North Africa have a serious penchant for all things sugary. Sweets occupy an important place in our lives, and every important occasion, rite of passage, or religious event has a specific sweet associated with its…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

In Search of the Perfect Curry: Chef Rick Stein

In Search of the Perfect Curry: Chef Rick Stein

Whenever I hear the word ‘curry’, I’m filled with a longing for spicy hot food with the fragrance of cumin, cloves and cinnamon. I see deep-red colors from lots of Kashmiri chillies tinged with a suggestion of yellow from turmeric. I think of the tandoor oven, and slightly scorched naan shining with ghee and garlic; of a bowl of dark dal to assuage the heat of the curry, a green chutney of…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Marryam Reshii's Home Style Kashmiri Mutton

Marryam Reshii's Divine Kashmiri Mutton Recipe!

Some days back, I had tweeted asking for Kashmiri home style cookbook recommendations. Thanks to the wonderful people who replied, I learned of a charming blog called ‘Daan Kutth’ which has great content and you should check it out too! I also discovered some great books through your recommendations, of which I am currently checking out ‘Kashmiri Cooking’ by Krishna Prasad Dar. A huge thank you…

View On WordPress

[doodlenomics]

Remember British author Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’? Of course you do. And surely the most memorable character, Willy Wonka; the innovative chocolate visionary and his scrumdiddlyumptious creations come to mind. For a moment, would you now imagine what Willy Wonka would whip up in an Indian rasoi? Welcome to the kitchen of Chef Vineet Bhatia. 

Blueberry and black cardamom kulfi

Blue cheese naan

Cumin-infused chocolate

Goat’s cheese and coriander khichdi

These curious compositions of ingredients with volatile textures and consistencies are distinctive of Vineet’s kitchen (and these recipes are included in his book ‘Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen’ for you to try at home). Earlier this year, during a short trip to Mumbai, I had visited Ziya at The Oberoi (food sketch below) where even the walls taste of pecan nuts and chocolate. Just kidding. Actually, it was almonds.

Bursts of color pop on brilliant white plates and after a while, your brain tells you to stop trying to guess flavors. Yes, you will be wrong most of the time. How am I to identify a pecan nut kheer, a black sesame panna cotta or even a coconut-caramel drizzle on top? Take a look at Chef Bhatia’s Instagram page to really appreciate the originality of his creations- turmeric caviar, khandvi with a twist (literally) and mini explosions of color and texture on plates!

Here’s a book excerpt from ‘Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen’ where you learn of Vineet Bhatia’s journey from a little boy who wanted to be a pilot to the young man who revolutionized Indian cuisine:

I did not set out to be a chef. My first love was planes, and as a child I wanted to be a pilot and fly high above the clouds. My alarm clock was the sound of the Gulf Air DC10 flying over our flat in Bombay at 6 o’ clock every morning. My brother and I would cycle through the Juhu Aerodrome on our way to school and I would look with awe at the Cessnas and Bell helicopters stationed in their hangars, so close to me yet so distant. How I longed to fly in one of them! On the journey home from school, the guards would allow us inside to get some ice-cold water from the drinking fountains. I would stand in those huge hangars as a little boy of eight, dreaming of flying. When I was 17, however, my application to join the Indian Air Force was rejected. Now I advise British Airways on their menus and fly almost every month, and moreover was fortunate enough to marry a pilot’s daughter, so fate has its funny little ways.

After the air force turned me down, I was so disillusioned and frustrated that I had no idea what to do next. I was sure of one thing, though- much to the dismay of my lawyer mother and accountant father, I wasn’t cut out to follow in their footsteps. After I had eliminated all the’respectable’ career choices, the only avenue left to me was catering and hospitality. For the first time since I failed to enroll as a pilot, I found myself intrigued. It fascinated me that something like eating out, which we take almost entirely for granted, had so much thought and labour behind it. Eventually I was accepted at an undistinguished catering college in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The last to join the course, I was the shortest and smallest, but I had what most of them didn’t: ambition and a determination to prove myself. When my father dropped me off at the hostel, he told me, ‘You go through this rough patch and you will shine.’ I promised him I would, and after doing well in my exams I was transferred to the prestigious catering college in Dadar, Bombay. This is where my career really began, and after two years’ hard work I was selected for the prestigious Oberoi School, where trainees were expected to learn both French and Indian cuisine.

It was like living a dream. At the end of each grueling day’s training, I would spend hours in the Indian kitchen watching the khan sahibs, or master chefs, preparing delicacies. Occasionally I was allowed to help, chopping vegetables here and there, handing out utensils or spices. Gradually, as I gained their trust, I was even allowed to prepare these dishes myself. I had finally found my calling. The cream of the class was usually absorbed into the French kitchen but, much to the horror of my teachers, I elected to stay in the Indian one.

In 1990 I was appointed to the Indian kitchen at the Oberoi Mumbai. I learned a huge amount there but, while my French counterparts were being applauded for developing an innovative and exciting cuisine, there was no opportunity in the traditionally rigid Indian kitchen for me to do the same. Frustrated, I realised it was time to move on. Faced with a choice of Dubai, Bangkok, Tokyo and London, I opted for the latter, assuming that with all its connections with the Raj, a good standard of Indian food would be guaranteed. How wrong I was!

My first job was as head chef at the Star of India on the Old Brompton Road. To my horror, I quickly discovered that Indian food in the UK was aggressively macho, illogically hot and spicy, and usually washed down with a pint. Fortunately, the restaurant’s owners were supportive of my desire to offer authentic Indian cuisine. When some members of staff rebelled and a fair few of the regulars took their custom elsewhere, however, I was forced to question whether I was doing the right thing. My answer came from Fay Maschler, who reviewed the restaurant in 1993, writing, ‘Bhatia has lifted the cooking into a new league, providing convincing proof that Indian food is capable of evolving.’ It was exactly what I needed to hear, and over the next five years the Star of India won a clutch of awards.

In 1999, I opened my own restaurant, ‘Vineet Bhatia’, in Hammersmith, in partnership with a traditional curry house owner. Money was tight, so my wife, Rashima, a trained pharmacist with no experience of catering, pitched in to help me. We painted the restaurant ourselves, turning up at 7 o’ clock every morning with our baby son, Varaul, and after a very quiet opening were desperately concerned for our survival. Salvation came once again in the form of a positive review from Fay Maschler, followed by one from AA Gill, who wrote, ‘It is shaming to point out, but if Bhatia cooked in the French or Italian vernacular, or came from New York, he would be hailed as a superchef.’ This statement affected me immensely. It felt like a powerful vindication of my decision to focus on refining Indian cuisine. The impact of these reviews on the restaurant was instantaneous. The phone started to ring constantly, and there was now a waiting list for tables.

Despite the restaurant’s success, we never found the financial stability we hoped for. I quickly formed another business partnership and opened a new restaurant, Zaika, in April 1999. My goal was simple: to cook to the very best of my ability and to settle my family (our second son, Ronit, was on the way). It was good to get behind the stove and not worry about anything except creating dishes that exceeded expectations. It was here that I devised the ‘Indian gourmand experience’, an entirely new approach to Indian cooking that offered five courses spanning the length and breadth of the subcontinent. In January 2001 I was awarded a Michelin star, the first Indian chef-patron to receive this honour in the Guide’s hundred-year history. Obviously we were thrilled. We had neither planned for nor expected a star, but it could not have been more welcome. At the same time, it is almost frightening how powerful the Guide is. All of a sudden the spotlight is switched on and directed at you. The pressure is intense. Journalists suddenly became interested in us, and there was a proliferation of articles about the restaurant.

Almost five years after we opened, Zaika was forced to relocate to larger premises on Kensington High Street, which meant we had to start all over again in terms of Michelin stars- the star is awarded to a restaurant at a particular site and does not move to other premises even if the restaurant does. Moreover, I was not receiving the money I was due from the partnership, despite all my commitment and hard work. Rashima and I decided that the only solution was to do it alone. In 2004 we took out a large bank loan with our house as collateral and opened our most cherished jewel, Rasoi.

  It was the culmination of an immense amount of hard work. Rasoi is set in a small Chelsea townhouse, with just 13 tables in the two reception rooms on the ground floor, two private rooms upstairs and a small kitchen to match. Rashima did the whole place up herself, and we hoped to create a feeling of coming to dine at our home. Guests have to ring a doorbell to get in, which serves to heighten that impression.

We had a lot at stake, with many people confident that we would soon be back on the job market. Housed in a residential street with no passing trade, a closed-door policy, a no-smoking rule (in the days before the outright ban on smoking) and no music for ambience, the restaurant appeared to check all the boxes for downright failure. While setting up, we experienced every emotion from elation to satisfaction, despair, anger and also quiet anticipation. We knew we were doing the right things and we had to make a success of it.

We have cherished every moment at Rasoi and feel very fortunate that we are able to live our dream, with the support of the most amazing people working for us. While I run the kitchen, Rashima runs the service- something I can never do and will never understand! The food I cook here is straight from my heart. The purists might not always approve but at least we are comfortable in our surroundings, following our instincts and generally being driven by our passion.

Rasoi received much critical acclaim and in January 2006 it was awarded its own Michelin star. How could we forget that day? We had finally arrived!

I think it is appropriate for me to end this narrative by saying that a genuine compliment from a satisfied guest is more than enough to make one forget all the difficulties involved in running a restaurant. Such compliments warm our hearts, giving both Rashima and myself renewed energy to pursue our passion. There are evenings when the restaurant is full of friends, loyal guests and happy diners, and on those nights there is a buzz, an excitement, that no other experience can match. It is visible amongst diners and staff alike, and it makes me a very, very happy man.

Vineet Bhatia

London, August 2009

Chef Vineet Bhatia and his uber- talented wife Rashima (Image: http://www.greavesindia.com)

  Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen is available in stores and is a 272 page treasure of unique recipes (and a lot of very useful information too) divided in ten categories (spices, invisible work, chutneys, dips, relishes and raitas, pre-starters, soups and salads, starters, main courses, accompaniments, pre-desserts,  desserts and petits fours). The recipes are written with much clarity and are easy-to-follow. Definitely get your hands on this one!

If you loved what you read, please like and share this. Also, you can get yourself a copy of Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen by clicking on the image below:

How a man who wanted to become a pilot, revolutionized Indian Cooking. Meet this Chef Inventor Remember British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'? Of course you do.