Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 4 Kanchan Ahuja

If you really want to make friends, go to their house when they invite you and eat with them. People who will share their food with you, will also give you their heart. Food is the safest conversation one can have, it is easy to relate, its creates good vibrations and you make no enemies there. If you enjoyed the food and conversation, then you may viist them again, otherwise the next meeting might be at Bistro café, but friendship will remain the same.

 Because, food is not about kitchen efficiency, its not even about what you learnt from cook books. Food is about home chefs, about pride, and about passion

 

 

If you have met Kanchan Ahuja, you might have felt the warmth that envelops her, and the glow when she talks about food, her travel stories, her experiences about tasting of foods around the world and her efforts in bringing back the food stories alive in her cooking skills. She keeps herself busy with her cooking demos on breads, desserts, cakes and also takes orders for the same.

 

She talks passionately about her visit to Seattle when she visited her friend, Manpreet;  “I really loved that toasted and buttered sourdough bread with a spat of pine nut butter topped with grilled peaches in rosemary and finished with a sprinkling of the most luscious goats cheese and honey. The taste still lingers in my mouth. “

 

Her passion for food reflects on her son Sannat Ahuja, who has taken the food on to yet another level.

 

Sannat is extremely passionate about getting Sindhi Cuisine on the Indian food platform and as the demand increased, they started Sindhful that reads –From Sindh and around-with food that also included North Indian and neighbouring Chinese. This was followed by JUSS by Sindhful,  a cosy sit-in vegetarian restaurant specialising in first ever Sindhi Thali and other Sindhi delicacies. The interest in SindhiCuisine grew and that led to Sadak Chaap, specialising  in soya based vegetarian and vegan tikka, called mock meat, ( that seems and tastes like chicken but is pure vegetarian.)

 

Sannat has catered to many celebrity weddings like Ranveer Deepika's lake Como Sindhi wedding pheras, Ambani's at Jio garden, Krishna Kapoor's 13th day meal, etc.

 

Kanchan shares her authentic Sindhi Cuisine called Bhee Aloo ji Sabji (Lotus Stems With Potatoes)

 

 

1.     Clean and peel 250 gms Lotus stems (bhee), nicely removing all the mud that covers it externally and inside the grooves.

2.     Slice it into 1 inch pieces

3.     Pressure cook Bhee (lotus stems) for 2 whistles. Remove and keep it aside.

4.     In a Pressure cooker heat 2tbsp oil, add 1tbsp Cumin seeds , 2 Green Chillies, ¼ tsp Asafoetida (Hing,) 4/5 Curry leaves and 2 tomatoes and cook till soft

5.     Add 2 peeled and chopped Potatoes

6.     Add chopped small bunch of Chukka (Green Sorrel leaves)

7.     Add boiled Lotus stems (from point3)

8.     Stir fry, adding  2tsp Coriander powder, 1tsp Red chilli powder, ½ tsp Turmeric, 1 inch (finely chopped) Ginger. Salt to taste.

9.     Cook till oil leaves the sides of the cooker

10.  Add 2 chopped Brinjal,

11.  Add a glass of water.

12.  Check seasoning and pressure cook for 2 whistles

13.  Serve hot with phulkas

 

People have begun to relish Sindhi Cuisine because it is rich in taste and flavours, and is infused with aromatic spices.

 

You can view few of her video recipes on her Instagram posts at kanchandahuja

 

You can order for cakes, desserts and bread at Kanchan’s Watsapp no 98700 26261

 

To order from Juss or Sindhful or Sadak Chaap Call 98209 49394

Home Chefs Of Mumbai – Part 3. Anjali Bhargava

Cooking is an art. It’s also a kind of meditation where every thing else is forgotten, except the food and the concentration is solely on producing the most innovative dish. Its like you dip your brush into your own soul and paint your own nature.

 Lucky are the people who surround such artists because they are the beneficiaries of the fruits of their efforts.

 

Who doesn’t like good food?

 

 

Anjali Bhargava ( of MySocialTable fame) is one such artist whose cooking skills are appreciated by all her family and friends. She excels at every cuisine and can confidently vouch for the simplicity and purity of the ingredients used in her cooking. Whenever she tries any new cuisine, she always researches on the authentic way of cooking, the right sources and the cooking culture of that place. Although being a vegetarian herself, she cooks amazing non-vegetarian dishes without tasting (as it is required to do)

 

“I always had a dream of opening up a bistro cafe with a reading corner but due to some or the other reason kept delaying...I was always a good, lavish host and used to try all new things at every event. My food was well appreciated by all friends, relatives, acquaintances. Apart from all the fancy things I cooked, my simple food too was loved by many. Over a period of time I realised, taste and purity is in simplicity .The traits of a good efficient cook is in coming up with healthy options for all in the family and getting the flavours of all ingredients out in a dish.”  She says

 

People really drool over her Dahi Badas, Malpuas, Chicken preparations, simple UP dishes, Rajasthani cuisine,  and also the Chinese, Italian that she cooks at home. But her forte has always been and will be event planning for niche parties and social gatherings. She was into event management too, is freelancing now, handling mainly the social functions & gatherings. In fact, she prefer even conceptualisation, planning and execution which involves menu planning too

 

Her first memorable eureka moment of good food was in Rome.  “My best flavourful memory would be of a crunchy salad plate with fresh Mozarella and bread served with a rich red wine in a small cafe in Rome!” she says.

 

Her Mustard Chicken Salad In Lettuce Cups will leave you wanting for more.

 

 

1.     Boil 200gms Chicken breast and dice in chunks

2.     In a bowl, take 2tbsps of Mayonaise, 1tsp of English Mustard. 1 tbsp Tobasco. Mix it well.

3.     Add 1 medium sized Onion, handful mix of chopped green, yellow, red Bell Peppers, few shredded Basil leaves.

4.     Add the diced Chicken chunks

5.     Toss it well

6.     Take one big Iceberg Lettuce. Wash and wipe it dry.

7.     Place it like individual bowl on a flat tray.

8.     Put the Chicken Salad in it

9.     Eat one mouthful to get the crunch and all flavors in one mouthful

 

 

“I want to streamline everything but not spread too much  as I can then control the quality ... Once the corona thing gets over, might have a food studio.” She says

 

One can order directly from her on Watsapp no 9820959470

 

You can also follow her on her Instagram handle  anjbhargava