Satish Warier's idea of doing his own thing has landed him in a good-natured spot.
Satish Warier’s eyes are bloodshot on a warm Thursday afternoon. He is desperate to catch up on some shut-eye, but there’s no such luck. “It will have to be a can of Red Bull later in the evening,” he admits, though the caffeine could be of use immediately.
Warier quit his job as a full-time journalist to pursue his own ideas. Little did he expect his creation, the restaurant Gunpowder — The Peninsular Kitchen, would have him working almost 24x7, seven days a week, he confesses. And one doesn’t need to add that in whatever time that is left, he has to manage the rock band Menwhopause.
The unofficial beginning of Gunpowder was on July 5, but it was July 11 by the time the cat was really out of the bag, and since then even reserving a table here doesn’t mean you get to taste the best that south Indian cuisine has to offer. “Initially, I wanted to start an official branch of Bernardo’s, the Goan restaurant in Delhi. The owners, who are good friends, had moved the restaurant to Gurgaon. But then when I started working on the idea, I realised why not do my own thing, keeping the Goan flavour by borrowing recipes from Bernardo’s,” says Warier.
According to Warier, the plan initially was to create a space for both good food and live music, which Delhi lacks. But the plans were shelved when the large investment needed became apparent. In fact, the only sources of money finally turned out to be penny savings and well-wishers who pitched in with loans. The icing on the cake though was finding the space for the restaurant by sheer chance. Though Gunpowder requires navigating Hauz Khaz Village’s meandering alleys and climbing three flights of stairs, it boasts a fantastic view of Hauz Khas tank and the south Delhi skyline beyond it.
The work of shaping the restaurant, Warier says, happened with inputs from designer friends. The logo is the traditional south Indian floor painting. Notice the antiquated Bakelite electrical switches and the walls left bare for aspiring artists. Most of the kitchen was a hand-me-down from a friend whose restaurant folded up. And while he could hold his own on Keralite food, Warier had a friend, Kiranmayi Bhushi, a cultural anthropologist, chip in with Andhra and Tamilian cuisines. Finally, viral marketing for Gunpowder was done through social networking.
Today, there is a cult following for Gunpowder, whose daily menu is scribbled down in a notebook. Warier admits that serving a full house daily has meant he has yet to come to grips with the serious side of running a business. “Money comes and money goes,” he rues.
FAVOURITE RECIPE
SPINACH YOGHURT
300 gm finely chopped shallots
300 gm chopped spinach (wash the spinach thoroughly before chopping)
Few green chillies slit vertically into halves
50 gm each of finely chopped fresh ginger and garlic
A cupful of tomato cubes
400 ml of yoghurt
Mustard, fenugreek
Vegetable oil
Salt
In a large pan heat some vegetable oil. Sauté the mustard and fenugreek with the chopped shallots. When the shallots are golden brown, add the tomato cubes, ginger and garlic. Then add the green chillies, spinach and salt to taste. Stir and let the spinach cook. Switch off the flame, add the yoghurt and mix well. Leave aside for a few minutes for the yoghurt to soak in and serve.
