Celebrity Chef Sandeep Pandit is known for his amazing dishes created at a popular cooking show in Australia. Originally from Kashmir, Pandit has launched his line of spices in Australia named ‘The Spice Angel’, which is now also available in India. He was at Hotel Jasmine in Goa last week, where he whipped up an Australian barbecue for a sundowner. He has prepared a similar menu at Novotel in Juhu in Mumbai. Pandit spoke to NDTV Food at length about her personal favorite recipes, her experience with reality shows and the foods she finds overrated.
1. When creating new recipes, do you test them out with your friends and your family?
Whenever I make a new recipe, the first thing I do is test it myself. If I like it, ask my son and wife’s opinion (they’re both brutally honest). If it passes the instant family taste test, I offer it to my friends and neighbors. I have a philosophy in life, that I would never serve anything that I wouldn’t like to eat myself or if I didn’t like the taste.
2. How important is it to understand recipes in order to enjoy food?
– It’s a complicated question to answer because it’s like a chicken and egg situation. Sometimes you might be surprised by something you didn’t know and other times, you might have sampled something wrong and disliked a dish!
I like to know more about recipes as a cook, however, you don’t need to know about it to enjoy such dishes. I think it is a very personal choice.
3. Did you grow up in a foodie family?
– of course! Eating time was huge during my childhood in Kashmir. We had to do a lot of penance during the period of my family’s forced exodus. But whenever we met with extended family, it was always about food and conversation. I think that Kashmiri culture (like most Indian subcultures) has food as an axis. From daily meals to celebrations, every day is a feast for my family.
4. Your favorite dish when you’re eating out and your favorite while you’re cooking?
Indian cuisine is the answer to both these questions! India is so vast and Indian food is so complex and multifaceted that it would take a lifetime or more to fully explore it. I have had the privilege of traveling across the country and enjoying the cuisines of most parts of our country. Having said that, I am still discovering the joys of North Eastern kitchens.
5. A lot of people have developed a penchant for food and new food trends, everyone is talking about things like seasonal and local produce. Now what excites you about food?
– My enthusiasm is not just about using seasonal and local produce, but also about the fats used in cooking!
I think the introduction of refined oils has taken away a major flavor (and health) component from cuisine. I use more and more virgin, unrefined oils. The use of fats like ghee, butter, mustard oil, olive oil etc. brings an extra dimension to the food and is a signature of a region like any other product.
6. How did the Australian cooking competition help shape your career in the food industry?
– It helped me become a household name in many parts of the world and above all, it humbled me as a cook! I realized that there is more I need to know about Indian and global cuisine. It also opened my eyes to fantastic Australian local and native produce.
7. The comfort food of childhood that still remains a favorite?
– The answer is simple… Sambar and rice on the side of fried papad.
8. An overrated food trend, according to you, also suggests a trend that you would like to replace it with.
I like keto diet a lot. Don’t get me wrong, I respect everyone’s preference for food, however, keto is (according to me) highly overrated. I would prefer that people switch to the mindful eating habits suggested by ancient cultures. The Ayurvedic diet offers one such option. A disciple in the diet is much more beneficial than indulging in a complete protein and fat based diet.
9. An invention in the food industry that needs to be completed by 2050.
– We definitely need a machine that can make biryani (multiple choice) on demand! And makes it incredibly well. Plus, we need a ‘smelovision’ to replace modern TVs and help chefs like me make our food more appealing.
10. What is the trendy kitchen gadget you can’t live without?
– Definitely a microwave! It makes cooking and preparation easy!
11. The One Cooking Tip That Changed Your Life.
– “Always season (with salt) a dish in stages, because there is always a cure for a dish that is less seasoned and there is no return from a salty mess”, a tip I heard from my dad as a young boy Was.
12. Three things you would take with you to a deserted island? Could be kitchen equipment, spices or any food.
– I’ll take some rice, a cooking pot and a fishing rod! Other things the island can provide!