Keeping it local

Bindu Gopal Rao

Chef@Heart, Chef@Soul, Author, TV Show Host, MasterChef India Judge, Foodsufi — that is how Chef Ranveer Brar describes himself on his Instagram and Twitter handles. Well, after all, he is among the most well-known chefs, courtesy his numerous television appearances that have made him a household name.

Hailing from a family of landlords in Lucknow, Ranveer was just 25 when he became the executive chef of a five-star hotel. However, the seeds of his interest in food were sown as a child. “My earliest food memories revolve around cooking of langar at the gurdwara every Sunday. I was around five and, every Sunday, I would sit and watch people cook. I began helping out in cooking langar when I was 12 and it turned out OK. Later, the city’s passion towards food attracted me to serious cooking.” 

Besides, there were vivid memories of his grandmother’s cooking that stayed with him and he decided to become a chef. “She was an amazing cook and could create 10 dishes out of the same ingredients. It’s these memories that have continued to stay with me and inspire me.” For Brar, food is all about eating well. He starts his day with a bowl of Kellogg’s cornflakes and believes that the inherent nature of food is to nourish. “Every food item has its own distinctive taste. So, if nature has already made food healthy and tasty at the same time, our job is to simply enjoy and play with everything in moderation and the job is automatically done.” He understands that sustainability is a necessity in everything, not just food. “It is very important to understand that everything we do has a carbon footprint and leaves a much deeper impact than we realise. I do not think sustainability is an option anymore, it is a need.”

Looking ahead, he says his sole objective in life is to promote all things Indian. “I want to draw attention to the fact that we have a very rich culture. Go back to your regional, authentic, local flavours and make them the hero. It is part of my larger scheme in life and is a major step and I’ll keep promoting my cause and the cause is Indian food. Also, I want to venture into restaurants that are very detail oriented. I am concentrating on attention to detail and well-researched concepts and continue my research in Indian food.”

Healthy takeaways

Barnyard Millet Fried Rice

Ingredients

• 1 cup barnyard millet
• 2 cups water 
• 1 tbsp oil 
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1-2 fresh red chillies, chopped
• ½ cup spring onion bulb, chopped
• ¼ cup carrot, chopped
• ¼ cup French beans, chopped 
• ¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tsp soy sauce 
• 1 tsp vinegar 
• Salt to taste 
• Black pepper to taste 
• For garnishing: Spring onion, chopped

Method

• Dry roast the barnyard millet in a pan for a few minutes. 
• Add water and salt and mix well. Cover and cook till the millet soaks all the water. Set aside. 
• Heat oil in another pan, add ginger, garlic and red chillies; sauté well. 
• Add onion bulbs and sauté till fragrant. 
• Add carrots and French beans; cook for 4-5 minutes. 
• Add red and yellow bell peppers, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
• Add soy sauce and vinegar; mix well and cook for a minute. 
• Add salt and pepper and mix well. 
• Add the cooked barnyard millet. Mix well and cook for a minute. 
• Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot.

Amaranth waffle

Ingredients
For the batter

• 1 cup amaranth flour
• ¼ cup oats 
• 1 medium banana, peeled 
• 2 tbsp honey 
• ¼ cup melted butter, room temperature 
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp dark chocolate chips
• 2 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• ¾ cup milk 

For serving

• 1 banana, peeled & sliced 
• A few strawberries
• 3 tbsp honey
• A few fresh mint leaves

Method

• In a blender jar, combine amaranth flour, oats, banana, honey, melted butter, salt, baking powder, vanilla essence and blend till you get a smooth homogenous batter. 
• Heat the waffle maker according to the instruction label. When it is hot, brush the butter all over the waffle iron.  
• Pour 1/3 cups of batter and close the waffle maker’s lid. 
• Cook for 4-5 minutes. Open the lid and brush some butter on the waffles. 
• Open the lid carefully and remove the waffles. 
• Repeat till all the batter is used up. 
• Serve with banana slices and honey drizzled on top.