Features

Version 2.0

31 Aug 2015 by Clement Huang

Every state in India boasts of culinary specialities that are regarded as hallmarks of its culture and history. Be it the robust flavours of Chettinad  in the south to the intense aromas of the tandoor in the north, the versatility of Indian food is tremendous. Spices or masalas are the essence of such preparations across all regions – of which cloves, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, chillies, bay-leaves, carom seeds, cumin and turmeric are most common.

Indian cuisine traces back almost 5000 years to the Harappan era when wheat, lentils and vegetables were dietary staples. These essentials form the elements of a balanced Indian meal, even today. Step out of India and you predominantly find eateries that mimic Indian food as depicted in popular culture. Curry houses all over the globe boast of menus that are considered too hot for Western palates. The line between masala and chilli is often blurred and the presumption that Indian food is “very spicy” prevails.  

This scenario, however, began to change a few years ago when some visionary entrepreneurs decided to give Indian food a face-lift. When Gaggan Anand first moved from Kolkata to Bangkok seven years ago, he had an ambition – to change the face of Indian cuisine. His eponymous restaurant now ranks first on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. “It took me three years to convince people. The idea was to take the original to higher ground and present it in a new format,” says Anand as he passionately speaks about his distinctive menu. Finding pani puri on the streets of India is no surprise, but a white chocolate pani puri (a white chocolate shell filled with spicy coriander water and topped with edible silver foil) can only be found at Bangkok’s Ploenchit Road at Gaggan’s restaurant. He calls it progressive Indian cuisine, a term that has become a phenomenon in the past few years. 

“A phenomenon lasts, a fad doesn’t, and progressive Indian cuisine is here to stay,” states Zorawar Kalra, managing director of Massive Restaurants, who introduced Masala Library, a restaurant that prides itself on this avant-garde format.  “At Masala Library, traditional Indian food has been modernised to meet global standards and taken to the next level; this is its version 2.0,” explains Kalra. A restaurant that is buzzing irrespective of time and day with expats, tourists and locals, this concept found its place in the heart of Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex. I was amused to learn that along with food, the restaurant also serves progressive Indian cuisine-inspired cocktails. Their signature star anise martini is a concoction of the spice and your choice of alcohol topped with foam crafted through the science of molecular gastronomy. 

Perhaps a few years ago, the concept of intermingling molecular gastronomy with Indian food seemed implausible. Anand and Kalra can be credited for changing this scenario. Much of this science revolves around altering textures and presenting recognisable flavours in unique presentations, and that’s precisely what’s attempted with progressive Indian cuisine as well. For instance, Gaggan’s take on the classic frozen Indian dessert kulfi is nitro-flambeed reduced milk with sun-dried figs, served with freeze-dried figs. A meal at Masala Library will also alter your perception on how palate cleansers can successfully be adapted into Indian flavours. The mishti doi sorbet is the smoothened flash-frozen version of the Bengali yogurt presented with strawberry coulis and served in between courses. Most dishes on their menus are crafted through molecular techniques such as powdered foods and foams.  

The fundamental focus of this concept is to maintain and uplift the authenticity of the food, not only through scientific methods but also befitting ingredients. In order to modernise the food, the restaurateurs have indulged in the finest international products to enhance their dishes. The tomatoes used in Masala Library’s butter-chicken are imported from Italy. Gaggan manages to merge a French foie gras with an Indian onion chutney and cold raspberry foie gras powder for an appetiser. 

While these restaurants have successfully positioned themselves as progressive Indian, Indian Accent at the Manor hotel in New Delhi calls itself modern contemporary. The restaurant, rated as the best in India by Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice Awards, specialises in inventive Indian cuisine that follows a similar format but with a touch of fusion.

“Indian food needed a makeover as it was stuck in the rut of chicken tikka masala and naan bread”, says Manish Mehrotra, who was moved when students in an Italian culinary school thought he was there to teach them the aforementioned dishes only.  “We are known for a dish that was invented in the UK (referring to chicken tikka masala), why don’t people know about dosas of South India or Kashmiri food?” His approach differs as he does not use molecular science in his food.  “Molecular methods can’t be applied to create hot dishes, and my target audience prefers their food steaming,” he explains. If you’re looking for pork ribs in Delhi, Indian Accent might be surprisingly the right place for it. Its Canadian pork ribs are served with an Indian sweetened pickle, instead of barbecue sauce.

But don’t let the sound of pork ribs fool you – Indian Accent’s Khandvi Ravioli, the Italian avatar of the Gujarati speciality, is prepared without onion or garlic. Certain Indian cultures don’t encourage the usage of these roots, and the restaurant has been sensitive to these values. Masala Library has a host of vegetarian dishes as well, like crispy bhindi and papad ki sabji (an okra and papadum dish) and Chaat 2020, a rendition of Mumbai’s popular street food. 

These conceptual eateries have altered the perception of Indian food in the country. “Going out to eat at an Indian restaurant was never considered cool enough. Indians preferred Italian or Chinese. We’ve attempted to change that approach. Indian food can now be considered hip,” says Kalra.

The image overhaul is not merely the result of experimental flavours, though. The restaurateurs also understand the importance of presentation while crafting their menus. Gaggan serves a fiery spiced sea bass with curry leaf powder and basmati rice on a platter with a charred fish fossil that resembles a seabed. “Savouring a meal is the work of all our five senses. We eat with our eyes first and presentation is as important as the taste of the dish itself,” says Gaggan.  You may be taken aback when tea is served to you mid-meal at Masala Library, only to realise that the beverage isn’t what it appears to be. Wild mushroom soup is presented in a perfectly glossy stainless-steel tea set, in which dried shiitake mushrooms are disguised as tea leaves. Truffle oil is converted into powder through the clever use of molecular science (by using maltodextrin, a common, starch-like food addictive) and is presented as powdered sugar.

Along with impeccable presentation, Manish Mehrotra incorporates the concept of nostalgia into his food. The heartwarming elaichi banana sticky cake is mildly spiced with cardamom and saffron and presented with a certain Phantom sweet cigarette, a candy that can take any Indian back to the ‘90s. The restaurant’s besan ladoo tart is another example – the pastry is a rendition of the traditional gram flour sticky dessert that’s synonymous with a classic Indian childhood.    

An inventive format, conceptual Indian cuisine questions conventions while respecting traditions to offer an exciting dining experience. The food of India has received global acclamation thanks to these iconic concepts whilst giving culinary enthusiasts around the world a chance to taste the country’s flavours in a new avatar. These experiments are examples of how the marriage of creativity and passion can lead to not only path-breaking products but also successful businesses.

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