It is easy to locate the studio at the back of Survodaya society at Santacruz, Mumbai. Large garage is artistically transformed in state-of-art studio. Green and red entrance stirs the positive moods immediately. The studio is tastefully done with food quotes screaming on cabinets, hand-painted crockery winking on walls and freshly baked goodies boasting on the shelves, all under shiny brilliant spotlights. An open kitchen at the center of the room is the setting for workshops on different cuisines.
Four children and their mothers are listening attentively
to Rakhee Vaswani’s tips on selecting the right quality of chocolate required for
making an icing on the cup cakes. Women study the labels of the ingredients; inquire
about its availability, while children wait impatiently for instructions go on to
the next step of the session. They shrill with excitement at having
successfully baked the cupcakes and wait anxiously for the cakes to cool.
Everyday there are new workshops at the ‘Palate Culinary
Studio’ and everyday there is a new batch of students. During busy season,
there are 3-4 sessions per day. Most of the sessions are one-day workshops
although there are one-week crash courses on baking too. Specialized team of
chef work round the clock to organize and conduct classes on different
cuisines.
“First it was just me, managing the classes
alone, but I would go crazy with so many workshops, now I have a team of
professional chef, specialized in certain cuisine, who come to teach.” says
Rakhee.
Rakhee Vaswani is the master chef behind this state-of-art
culinary studio. During her frequent trips abroad, she has been a keen observer
of international cuisine. Her passion for food takes her to different cities to
study the various cuisines and culture; she interacts with chef to exchange
ideas, and upgrades her knowledge about latest trends.
The beginning:
It all started with humble beginning. At the age of
eleven, when her cousins played with dolls and other toys, she sneaked into the
kitchen to watch her mom and aunts prepare meals. She offered to help and her
interest deepened with age. Taking a
formal culinary course was not considered because family believed that future
lies in getting married and setting up a home, working after marriage was not
the option one would take.
“After I got
married (ours is the love marriage) my husband understood my passion for
cooking and he encouraged me to cook. He loves me and loves to eat out. During our frequent trips abroad, he would
encourage me to learn different cuisine and culture, this made me more
adventurous to try out new recipes, so in a way you could say I am self-taught.
He encouraged me to share my knowledge and thus I started cooking classes with
my friend at home.”
The classes gain Momentum:
“When I entered this industry, I started with
new concept. I broke the norm of long-term regular classes to just
one-day-workshops, mainly the dishes that we go out to eat. Initially it was
just once a week, the frequency increased to four times weekly. We were getting
popular. We didn’t do the usual Mughal or Chinese cooking stuff, we did all the
fancy stuff that you normally find at restaurants, but all from a scratch.”
Re-invent:
“I worked for few years then took a break
because I was raising small kids. My husband and my children encouraged me to
start again, so I was back after a gap of seven years to restart my passion for
cooking. I did a short term baking course at Sophia College, Mumbai, Le
Cordon Bleu Certificate course and Tante Marie in London, and my pme masters in
sugarcraft. With just two students, I started a set of 10 one-day workshops in
2009. For three years, we worked from a small garage. Workshops were popular
but the place was getting crowded, there was need to expand.”
To the present:
The Plate Culinary Studio was launched in
January 2013. There are 100 different workshops conducted at the studio; most
of them are one-day workshops, attended by locals and NRI’s, who wish to set up
culinary kitchen in their own home ground. They include all the basic and master
class techniques like the knowledge of ingredients, the plating and even how to
use the different electronic kitchen appliance.
“I want to teach in such a way that they are able to
replicate the dish at home. I literally give the history and geography of the
ingredients, where to get them and how to use them. There are no secrets. I
believe that students must know everything. The more we share, the more we
learn. We put everything in front of the students so that’s my USP. I don’t
want students to say that they don’t know what ingredients I was using. Combination
of every knowledge is what ‘Palate Culinary Studio’ is all about.”
Sense of satisfaction:
“Being a Virgo, I am hard working and
perfectionist. I cannot compromise even on one percent; my work has to be 100
percent efficient. I have been successful in meeting the expectations of my
students and I do feel proud when they send me notes of gratitude thanking me
for the knowledge I have shared with them. As a chef I love cooking, I need someone
to appreciate it, I cannot taste all my recipes and when I get positive
feedback from my students and my family, I am convinced that I am running a
successful kitchen.
Achievements:
“Opening my ‘Palate Culinary Studio’ has been one of
biggest achievements. I also do consultancy with restaurants and help them
organize menu, setting up the kitchen, appointing the staff, etc.”
Advice to
a budding chef:
“Be passionate about your cooking and cook with your
heart. Love is what makes food tasty.”
Favorite
Cuisine:
“I love Asian cooking, I can churn out flavored curries,
stir fries, Mongolian, I love wok style cooking. Also I like baking. The smell
that emerges from hot ovens is amazing.”
Getting there:
follow them on Twitter @PalateCulinary
By Pushpa
Moorjani
follow her
on twitter at @pushpz.
Recipe of Paneer in Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
Paneer 250gms
Soya sauce 1tbsp
Shaosing wine 2tbsp
Rice vinegar 2tsp
Oyster suace 2-3tbsp
ginger minced 1tbsp
garlic minced 2tbsp
pepper(d9ced) 1/2 each
spring onions minced 3
Black bean sauce (made earlier)2-3tbsp(as required for taste)
veg stock 1/2cup
corn flour paste 2tbsp
Method
Fry Paneer and keep it side
Mix all the sauces in a bowl (rice vinegar, soya sauce, oyster sauce and shoaling wine)
heat the wok add oil, fry ginger and garlic
add spring onions, black bean sauce and peppers
add fried Paneer and stir fry on high flame
add the stock and simmer for 5minutes
add corn flour paste and make sauce of desirable consistency.
tips
for dry appetizers black bean Paneer, add less stock and continue cooking the same way.
you can substitute paneer with tofu, vegetables or chicken
Black Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
Black beans 2tbsp
crushed garlic 2 cloves
sugar 2tsp
water/stock 1/4cup
oil 3-4tsp
water/stock 1/4cup
soya sauce 1tbsp
chili paste 1tsp
Method
soak the beans for 1 hour in water. strain the beans
in a wok, add oil, fry garlic and chili paste
add beans and stock and cook
stir in corn flour paste and stir it well remove from heat and use.
