Best known for winning the second season of MasterChef India, chef Shipra Khanna is a successful restaurateur, cookbook author and television personality. She is also the face behind many popular cooking videos on YouTube. Shipra who hails from Shimla completed her graduation in Economics and Psychology from St. Bede’s. She was only 29 when she bagged the coveted MasterChef title and there has been no looking back for her since then. In the year 2013, she opened her first restaurant in Ahmedabad called ‘H.O.T - House of Taste’ and in 2017, she started the popular Darzi Bar and Kitchen in Delhi. Shipra has been honoured by Le Cordon Bleu, the single mother of two, has also won the title "Women Chef taking taste beyond borders" by SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council. We caught up for a brief chat with the chef extraordinaire. Excerpts from the interview:
1. What was the first dish you cooked that you were proud of?
Yam mousse with apple compote and caramelized lotus stem crisps. It was my first dish in the MasterChef kitchen which got me the first apron and lots of appreciation by all the judges.
2. How daunting is it to cook in a MasterChef Kitchen? Especially if you are dealing with cuisine or ingredients that you have never dabbled in?
The MasterChef kitchen is all about challenging oneself. Doing and outdoing yourself is something you have to get accustomed to if you are eyeing a long run. It is one thing to play to your strength, but working in your comfort zone isn’t something expected out of you when you are in the MasterChef Kitchen.
3. Are you allowed to ask chefs or anyone for recipes or tips and tricks?
Chefs might give hints and it’s up to you to understand. And of course, put it to use.
4. What is the most difficult and the easiest dish to prepare for you and why?
Most difficult would be ‘Mille fuelli’ and most easy, would be my favourite, Dal chawal.
5. How often do you cook at home for your family? Are they always expecting something elaborate?
I am cooking every now and then. And yes of course each time I cook, expectations are high, especially by my father as he’s a big foodie like me!
6. What is your comfort dish?
Anything from a quintessential Indian veg thali is very soothing to me.
7. Hypothetically speaking, if you had just one day left on earth, where would you travel and what would you eat.
I would go to Paris for Oysters and Champagne.
8. How often do you refer to recipe books or recipes on the internet for inspiration?
Since I travel a lot, I always like to ask people what they like to eat or prefer eating, their food preferences etc, and that inspires me to create new recipes. Because I’m a foodie I also travel across the globe especially to try out new restaurants/ cuisines and that inspires me a lot. Having said that, yes sometimes it’s good to get inspiration from the web, it is convenient, and now that travel is limited, it is our best bet to continue creating magic in kitchen.
9. The best compliment you ever received for your cooking?
It was from a food connoisseur/ journalist in France. After trying a fusion dish created by me as part of my pop-up menu in a restaurant in Reims called Un Indien Dans de Ville, he said that it was the ‘best thing he had’.
10. An easy-peasy recipe that got you through the lockdown. Please share the recipe as well.
Chocolate Truffle Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 cup roasted Oats (grind to powder)
- 3tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 cup melted dark chocolate
- 3 tbsp thick coconut milk
- Mixed seeds for garnishing
Method
1.Mix all the ingredients and form a dough.
2. Refrigerate for 30 mins
3. Then divide the dough into equal-sized balls
4. Lightly coat with mixed seeds
5. Serve. It can be kept up to 2-3days.