The Indian twist

FOODIE

Alok Aggarwal wants to revamp eating-out habits. He starts by cooking us a fusion dish of shrimp.

In the shiny, red hues of his restaurant Veda in Connaught Place, central Delhi, Alok Aggarwal raises a toast to times to come. Partnering with celebrity designer Rohit Bal, he hopes to turn their venture into India’s biggest food company in the next few years.

Today we are sampling a winner from their kitchen — shrimp masala, South-east Asian style, with an Indian twang. With his staff curiously looking on, Aggarwal expertly wields the ladles to muster up a lovely red portion of the dish — pausing midway to indicate that “this is where the South-east Asian chef would stop”,  adding a generous portion of green and red chilli and sprinkling Indian spices on the pan before declaring: “This where the Indian twist comes in”.

It’s the deficit of “good, decent, medium-priced” eating joints across the metros that has Aggarwal’s plans ticking, and he primarily wants to tap into the demand of the common man. “Most of what I plan to do will not be out of reach of the middle income class,” he says. With another Veda opening in the city, at Vasant Kunj, Aggarwal will soon take the brand across the metros, while at the same time concentrating on creating a chain which will be less exclusive, more standardised.

“We do not have an organised food market. India is the market of the moment. So many people from outside the country want to invest here. We need to corporatise the sector, have more of the same places,” he reasons, taking a cue from the family’s popular chain of Indian cuisine restaurants, Baluchi’s, in New York City. Also on the list is a brand of Italian eateries, and, come November, Delhi will be looking at more variety in the pasta category.

Also on his mind are multiple-model restaurants for the highways, especially with a significant improvement in the infrastructure of roadways in the country. “Have you seen many good places to eat along the highway from Delhi to Chandigarh?” he questions. Dhabas, yes, but the ever-popular shacks are not everybody’s cup of tea, Aggarwal argues.

And, in keeping with the health-conscious habits of many customers, he has tweaked his menus to keep his food low on fat and high on variety: whether it’s experimenting with chaats   (try their crispy spinach chaat), sugar-free phirni and litchi-rabdi or even the parmesan cheese naan. At home, though, Aggarwal prefers very light cooking, and loves his meals steamed and cooked the Chinese way with minimal oil. Easy come, easy go.

FAVOURITE RECIPES
2 tsp oil
¼ tsp coriander seeds
1 red chilli
1 onion
½ capsicum
1 tomato
4 medium-sized shrimps
4 tsp tomato purée
¼ tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp coriander powder
A bunch of fresh coriander
A few pods of garlic
2 tsp fresh cream
¼ tsp garam masala
4 green chillies
Salt to taste

SHRIMP MASALA

Slice the onion, capsicum and tomato. Stir-fry a small portion of tomato, onions and salt separately. On medium flame, add oil to the pan. Once oil is hot, add coriander seeds, red chilli (cut into two or three pieces) and onions. Stir. Put in capsicum and tomato, and mix. Add the shrimp to the mix. For the Indian twang, add the stir-fried tomato and onion. Sprinkle a pinch of red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Add garlic and a dash of cream. Put in tomato purée and salt to taste. Cook for seven or eight minutes. Garnish with sliced green chillies and serve.

CRISPY SPINACH CHAAT
A bunch of spinach
100 gm besan
1 cup water
1/2 litre yoghurt
1 packet bhujia
4 tsp tamarind chutney
4 tsp coriander chutney
1 tsp chaat masala
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Douse spinach leaves in besan and fry. On a plate, add crispy spinach leaves to yoghurt mixed with salt. Garnish with chaat masala, tamarind and coriander chutney and red chilli powder. Sprinkle with bhujia. Serve.