As you know by now, the ladies of JWB go gaga over food. Whether it is Kritika’s rajma chawal, Jayati’s idli sambhar or the carrots in my tiffin, we’re always ready to eat.

Knowing that I’ll be interviewing a chef will make my tummy growl almost immediately. *Rubs hands evilly* Time to get some recipes out of them!

Many young chefs are taking over the food industry by giving their dishes a personal touch.

Chef is one such cookie. As the owner of Goila Butter Chicken, Chef Saransh is wooing people around Mumbai with his lip-smacking dishes. I remember coming across a video of him in Dubai as he was praising the falafels of one of my favourite Lebanese food joints.

Scrolling down his Facebook page led me to a number of recipes by him including his favourite mango curry. And so, here I am after interviewing the Indian super chef.

You won the Food Food Maha Challenge. What was the most “Maha Challenge” for you in your career as a chef?

As a chef, I don’t follow the conventional industry. Adding a professional touch to what I learnt at home was a challenge as I was away from the hotel industry for a long time.

One dish that you tried in a foreign country that immediately reminded you of home?

Dholi Puri. It’s a famous street food from Mauritius. They are flatbreads which have a filling of cooked yellow split peas. They’re served warm wrapped around curries, achards (pickled vegetables) and chutneys to make a yummy snack which makes it a blend of Indian and French cuisine.

Achards, though. [insert heart eye emoji here]

What was your Yummiest Experience at the Under25 club?

It was after my talk about Goila Butter Chicken when I heard Roshan Abbas’s voice saying, “perfect”.

What food were you bingeing on while writing the travelogue?

My favourite dish in Vishakhapatnam, among the many, was the dal, which had gongura leaves in it. The leaves are like wild spinach and are from the hibiscus family. They are slightly tangy and bitter. Gongura chutney is now popular all over India. The North Indians like making dal palak, similar to dal gongura in Andhra.

Your name was in Limca Book of Records for the “Longest road journey by a chef.” What was one dish you took the longest time to cook?

That would be ‘Dal Sultani’ which I prepared in Lucknow itself with the Nawabs. The process has many steps including smoking the dal which in turn brings out the best flavours from all the ingredients added.

Chef Saransh also wrote a travelogue on his road journey called, ‘India on my Platter’.

The most delicious conversation you had with rural families while on the road?

En route to Karnal, I got off the car and spoke to one of the truck drivers named Kartar Singh. He was wearing an old blue T-shirt and a lungi and with his curly hair and messy beard looked every bit like a regular truck driver. Kartar Singh explained that he was usually away from home for 11 months. Because of his job, he considered the roads his real home. After I had a word with him, Kartar immediately and very generously, offered to cook dal and rice for me.

Some tips to readers on how to eat healthy yet tasty on the road?

I eat anything and everything when it comes to road food; doesn’t necessarily have to be healthy.

You’ve travelled 20,000 km of India by road in 100 days. What have you learnt as a chef from rural kitchens while filming your travel show, ‘Roti Rasta aur India’?

Cooking in rural kitchens teaches you to be humble. You are taught different styles and methods as a chef. The key is to unlearn what you have already learnt.

That should be easy. There are many times I’ve been Jon Snow in the kitchen, hehe.

A Chilli-like moment from India Ka Super Chef?

While travelling to Assam, I tasted the Jholakia Chilli which is so far, the spiciest Chilli. It literally made me jump.

Lavanya, JWB’s Blogger-in-chief and I are totally giving each other the ‘Are you thinking what I’m thinking?’ look.

Have you ever been roasted in the kitchen?

Not really! They don’t stand a chance since I’m a very serious person in the kitchen. You’ll get to see my goofy side outside of there.

What is your idea of healthy food?

Healthy food must be tasty as well.  One can stay healthy by maintaining a balance and not cutting down on their diet.

How do you think Indian cuisine will evolve in the next five years?

India encompasses a range of influence from different parts of the country. With that and the amount of talent the country has to offer,  it most definitely will have a lot more to offer in the next 5 years.

Finish the equation:

Dosa:Sambhar::Mom:?

Pyaar

Butter Chicken:Goila::Biryani:?

Café Bahar                         

Treadmill:Gym::Cook Book:?

Recipes

The first word that comes to your mind with:

-Bland: Potatoes

-Travel: Freedom

-Home: Food

-Summer: Mangoes

Sluurrrp!

Well, that was all from Chef Saransh. Signing off, this is Drishti. Until then, stay hungry, stay foolish. Peace out!

JK, I just felt like talking as if I were a Radio Jockey.

Anywho, Chef Saransh’s travelogue ‘India on My Platter’ is out now and is available on Amazon and Flipkart.