Slurrp Great Indian Cookout powered by Weikfield and Glen was an event filled with food, fun and laughter, where we not only got Delhi’s finest home chef but also witnessed cooking masterclasses by many renowned chefs of India. From interactions with iconic Chef Sanjeev Kapoor to Masterchef Pankaj Bhadouria and celebrity chefs Harpal Singh Sokhi and Kunal Kapur cooking live, the 3 day long star-studded affair during HT City Unwind was a wonderful experience.
The Cookout was a huge success and every participant, chef and each member of the audience had a great time. “The Great Indian Cookout by Slurrp was an incredible opportunity for us to connect with a large audience at a time. As it is a dynamic process that goes beyond just selling products or services; it's about connecting with your audience on a deeper level.” says Anand Rai, GM Marketing Glen.
The sentiment was shared by Mr. Bimalendu Tarafdar, Vice President-Marketing, Weikfield Foods. He says, “The Great Indian Cookout was an exhilarating journey for us! What set it apart was the harmonious fusion of masterchefs and home chefs on a single, inspiring platform—an extraordinary exchange of culinary expertise. This unique blend of flavors and skills conjured a truly enchanting atmosphere, infusing our brand journey with the perfect zest and uncovering tastes and talents we might otherwise never have encountered”.
Chef Kunal Kapur, who runs the wonderful restaurant Pincode, graced the event on the very first day and displayed how to make mushroom khichda with jowar. Team Slurrp caught up with Chef Kunal in a quick conversation about food, cooking and his experience cooking for the First Ladies at G20 Summit. Here is an excerpt from the engaging and invaluable interaction.
What does brand “Kunal Kapur” stand for?
I think my brand, in my vision, is a very honest, friendly one-stop shop for understanding food, culture, facts and understanding the culinary world in a very simple way. You will not find heavy jargon there, whether it is my communication or my food or how I explain things. That is what I want it to be – friendly, relatable and boy next door!
You have been to a culinary school and properly trained. How important do you think training in a culinary school is for budding chefs?
There was a time, my time when I joined the culinary school. The books were so very limited. A lot of what we studied in the college was obsolete. When we came to the hotels, we knew the old classic French techniques, whereas the world had moved on to the global cuisine. Of course, French cuisine is important to know but it wasn't something that people would ask for.
We had limited means then and I remember students in culinary college would collect money to buy books once in a while. We would go to Connaught place and pick up a very expensive Rs 1500 book, which we rotated between us so that we have something beyond what we were taught in college. Fast forward today, the culinary schools - whether it's the government or private setup, they've hired some of the best faculties. I see that the culinary schools take the subject very seriously and the kids are learning some serious craft! When I passed out of my culinary college and when I see budding chefs passing out now, I think they are ahead of us new in terms of both theory and practicality.
Being born and brought up in Delhi– whenever you open a restaurant, how much of that menu is inspired by the food of the city?
Of course, you tend to go to your comfort zone, you tend to go to your home and sometimes, it makes for a great dish and a great story as well because the moment you add a personal touch, it makes a whole lot of difference. But at times, it becomes a trap because then you become predictable. Your shelf life as a relevant chef is as good as what your last dish was. If you keep harping on the same thing and keep going in the same direction, keep making the comfortable choice, there are certain advantages in the short run. But in the long run, it is going to hit back. You start becoming predictable. Your hunger to do something new has to be insatiable.
Delhi has 2 Pincode outlets – your own restaurant! In terms of the menu and expanding the brand, what are your future plans?
As the names suggests, the brand is very local, and we would like to do is bring regional food of different pincodes from India. So, it's a menu which will keep evolving. It will be something which is very relatable and modern. We are trying to keep food as it is, so the presentation is not over the top. We are inspired from a lot of street food of India, different pincodes! It's still a baby and the first one opened in Dubai 6 months back while Delhi is a couple months old. We are trying to figure out and research more and more of different pincodes with different foods to try and get it on to the menu. Pincode is a warm, friendly and relatable place and the response to our honest efforts has been great till now.
You are in news for the G-20 Summit and your special menu for the event. How was the experience?
The G20 was a marquee event for the year, an international event. And when you have to cook for the First Ladies of the nations, you don't want to give them what they eat already. You have to showcase a little bit of India. If you look at my dish, it was the mushroom khichda. It is a very old classic, typically a non-vegetarian dish. The idea was to showcase millets and how India has openly embraced millets. The Government is encouraging the people to have millets as well.
I used all the ingredients which are regional. The meaty mushrooms were a highlight and the jowar and bajra came from Haryana. So, all the ingredients made it special. Khichda looks like porridge, but adding a salad, a crunch makes it unique. Thankfully, it was well received. The moment you see people having their second and third helpings, you get to understand that they liked it.