How Atul Kochhar took Indian food to the world (even Antarctica!) - michelin star restaurants dishes

Like the man, his restaurant is also low-key.
I was at the Benares restaurant and bar and at the Berkeley Hills tower in spiffy Mayfair, London, where I won India-born, British-based owner-
Chef Atul Kochhar's second Michelin star in 2007.
Handmade furniture, water and glowing lights occupy 80-
Sit carefully.
An elegant bar occupies a large part of the restaurant.
The waiters were busy around.
The fragrant masala chai soon appeared on my table.
When I was drinking beer, the man was hanging out. "Hi, I'm Atul!
Said Kochhar, pulling a chair from across from me. He is a two-Michelin-
The star chef, who hosts a culinary empire of 15 restaurants on three continents, has a negligible reputation among chefs --entrepreneur. He's soft-
Charming to speak, urging me to have at least one meal at Benares.
He actually looks disappointed when I'm sorry for beeping tter "very busy, next time.
Still, he gave me a signed copy of his best-selling recipe with 80 recipes from his well-received restaurant.
Kochhar's journey-
From the shy Jamshedpur boy to the globally acclaimed chef--
This is a classic story about hard work and ambition in return for achievement.
"My grandfather was a baker and my father had a small catering business so I was surrounded by food and grew up trying it!
When my friend rushed to become an engineer and doctor, I chose hotel management and luckily my father supported my ambition.
"Kochhar's career began in 1993 at the Oberoi hotel in New Delhi, where he led a team of 18 people as a deputy head chef.
Baan Thai and La Rochelle partnered with iconic restaurants such as Kandahar to teach him the details of the finedining kitchen.
This drove his transition to London in the late 1990 s, where he was hired as a tamarind, an established Indian restaurant.
Kochhar launched a quirky new menu in Tamarind and soon got chi-from London-
It can be said that chi began to eat with his hands.
Food redefines the British view of Indian cooking.
Kochahar was invited to meet with the Queen at the Palace of St. James and cook for Prince Charles.
The warm praise of food critics like Tom Parker Bowles did not hurt either.
"Kochhar is not only one of the pioneers of high-techIndian food. . .
But he is also a Master of Spices, more like a magician than a chef. . .
"He did something to the taste buds that made them blush," Bowles wrote . ".
In 2001, Kochhar became the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star as head chef.
At 2002, he attacked Benares alone.
The restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2007 and has been retained since then.
Since then, the chef has continuously expanded his business interest, combining his understanding of the vagaries of the catering market with his understanding of the tastes of the customers.
In 2012, he launched the Indian Essence restaurant in Kent, followed
Dine at restaurants in Mauritius and Dubai.
In November 2014, he launched Sindhu in Marlow, low County.
Madrid made its debut in September 2015;
NRI (not a real Indian) and Lima in Mumbai in 2016;
Earlier this year, Hawkyns bar and restaurant in Amersham.
How can Kochhar ensure that his food remains exciting "because my main area of focus is modern Indian cuisine, I promise to visit the country at least once a quarter.
My travels in India and around the world have helped me deconstruct traditional Indian dishes to improve and modernize them while retaining the original flavors that originally made them so tempting.
Kochhar said that whenever he travels, he will also go to the local market to find new ingredients.
"When I see something new or cooking techniques that interest me, I also try to eat and take notes with the local chef.
At Oberoi school, I was told that one should know all about ingredients and if I did, my food would always be linked to people.
"So, you can call me a lifetime researcher for the new raw material," he explained . ". In a cut-
Throat industry, does he feel the pressure to keep a Michelin star "I have been cooking for my customers and only for the dishes I want to cook.
If I change my cooking style just to please a Michelin inspector or worry about losing my star, then I won't be fair to my craft, "said the 48-year-old shruggingyear-
The old author of six cooking books.
A picky father also shaped his view of food.
Kochhar recalled: "My dad visited me early in tamarind and asked me to do threecourse meal.
I made curry goats, bhaji and dal.
But he is not happy.
When I asked him why, he said, "I can't see where India is on your plate.
What I have seen is these obvious Northern Indian dishes that are not represented from your rich and diverse country!
This accusation marks a turning point in kokhar's career.
This allowed him to reflect on his attitude towards food and to pay more attention to his environment.
For example, in order to better understand seafood, Kochhar signed a contract with a fishing company in Scotland as an intern.
"I learned how to fish, dig lines and catch crabs.
I got up at five o'clock A. M. and went to the stormy North Sea with the fishermen to find fresh seafood and cook in the kitchen.
This gave me a new understanding of seafood.
"For years, as a culinary entrepreneur, Kochhar has carved a terrible name for himself.
Last year, he opened two restaurants in Bandra Kurla Complex, a new American food center in Mumbai.
Kochhar recalled, "I have always dreamed of doing this.
There was no need for money-
I was adventurous, but the idea of bringing the restaurant back to India made me excited.
NRI and Lima were launched like this.
NRI presents Indian recipes that traveled abroad decades ago and reinterpreted locally.
"Examples of this kind of food are available in the Caribbean, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, and the dishes known as" India "are curry goats, mutabak bread or masala chicken.
In Lima, he said: "I want to bring a new kind of delicious food to Mumbai, and we are proud to be the first to introduce this kind of food to India with Lima.
It is authentic from our sour orange pickled fish to empanadas.
Kochhar's work also includes many TV shows. -on , ,and .
When the chef is not busy with one of his projects, he likes to spend time with his wife Dipti and their two young children, Ajon and Amisha, at home in London.
The chef is also busy preparing a special menu for the Antarctic expedition of a luxury cruise ship.
This month, about 200 travelers started 11-
Enjoy a day of sailing and enjoy the exotic cuisine of Kochhar.
Dishes such as prawn Suka, pea purau, chrysanthemum apple salad, mugmalaitika, heir tomato salad and garlic chutney sauce will be served.
"We want to provide the same food tour for vegetarians, such as vegetables, peppers, bites
The size of the dim sum of vegetables and the delicate spiced vegetable package.
"Usually, master spices have all sorts of nuances in order to please taste.
Almost anywhere in the world