Doctoring in the kitchen

FOODIE

Running India's largest diagnostic laboratory doesn't deter its chairman, Dr Sushil Shah, from spending some time labouring over a hot stove.

But my dad has never set foot in the kitchen," chuckles Ameera Shah. Dr Sushil Shah, chairman, Metropolis Health Services, India's first and largest organised diagnostic laboratory chain, begs to differ "" "I cook on weekends in my farmhouse, and in any case I cook better than my wife," he retorts. Shah recalls the last time his wife did cook for him: it was 25 years ago, when she burnt the dal. "We eat out these days," he laughs.

Shah is a man in a hurry. He is in the process of raising private equity to the tune of Rs 100 crore to fund the expansion plans of his company, and he is also considering tapping the capital market for funds. Metropolis' two-and-a-half-decades-old network now extends to countries like the Seychelles, Sri Lanka and South Africa, and they're gearing up to take on pharma giants in the US besides expanding their range of services that extends from imaging services to hospital laboratory management. Radiology is their next big bet. But Shah manifests little of that urgency as a host.

The chef's special today, kopra pak, is Gujarati in provenance. Over lots of stirring the pot, literally, that is, we chat about Shah's public school education at the Scindia School, Gwalior, and his persistent interest in the family's mining business before he was sweet-talked into studying medicine at Cornell. "Am I allowed to have an assistant?" he asks. The best chefs always have a battery of assistants, we reply, as his Maharashtrian Old Faithful comes to rescue him from the heat of the flame and a potential stiff arm.

We have a protracted discussion about our collective (as a nation) weakness for ghee. Shah tells me that his neighbour in Khandala is Dr Tambe of Atmasantulana Ashram. Tambe is known for overturning conventional medical wisdom, treating serious heart ailments with the sustained use of medicated ghee, including a very unappetising routine of ghee enema. "I believe that regular exercise is the answer, not depriving yourself of any food you crave," says Shah, who burns off his sins on the squash court.

Shah picks up the ladle again and dismisses the assistant. "I make a great palak bhaji by the way," he announces. While he waits for the barfi to cool on the platter, he organises a slew of snacks for us "" a high tea if there ever was one. "Please stay and eat, I don't have much to do. Isn't that what being a chairman is all about?" he asks. That isn't, of course, true. Shah has enough on his plate with big plans to tap into the burgeoning potential of the outsourced diagnostics market. Meanwhile the barfi on our plates begs consumption. "I knew I should've bought some silver foil for decoration," he says.

FAVOURITE RECIPE

Kopra Pak

1 tsp ghee 1 big coconut, grated ½ litre milk 150 gm sugar 100 gm mawa 1 tsp saffron 1 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cardamom

Melt ghee in a pan, add grated coconut and fry until it becomes slightly brown. Add milk and stir until milk thickens and then add sugar to the mixture. Stir until the sugar melts and consistency is sticky. Add saffron and cardamom powder and mix well until the mixture is hard. Remove from heat and spread it on a plate. After it cools, cut it in desired shapes and serve.