Category: Food

Riccha Grrover meets Chef Joginder Dham on all about starting his micro artisan home bakery venture in Greenwich, London amidst lockdown times, an exclusive for Asian Lite International.

Chef Joginder Dham is full of gusto about his home bakery concept based out of Greenwich in London making fresh bakes everyday having been a professional cook in London city since 2004.

Chef Joginder who was born in Ulhasnagar, a city located in outskirts of Mumbai, came to the UK in 2004 after a diploma in hotel management as a Commis Chef and has worked his way up to his first Head Chef job in 2016 at Butlers Wharf Chop House.

Having worked in many well-known establishments Hilton hotel (Dartford), Browns Hotel (Mayfair), Brasserie Zedel and The Wolseley (Corbin and King), Butlers Wharf Chop House and presently Head chef at New Street warehouse (D&D London) Chef Joginder is now the owner and head baker of Greenwich bakery which he says “I am very proud of”.

Chef Joginder, amidst lockdown in London which has hit the FnB industry very hard indeed, is busy with his home-based venture baking everything from his flat and at this moment it’s for collection only.

The menu is a simple one he explains but focused on all-time bakery classics including some Indian inspired.

RICCHA GRROVER- Tell us about your new venture Greenwich bakery, when did you set it up and what was your motivation?

JOGINDER DAM – Greenwich bakery is a micro artisan bakery set up in my flat in early Jan 2021, motivation is my love for baking the skills I have practiced a lot during the first UK lockdown in March 2020.

Tell us about the concept of the bakery. What are the items you bake in the bakery? Is it for collection and delivery both? Do you take catering orders too?

JD- The Concept is baked to order, home-made food, classics (puff pastry, Cornish pasty, amaretti, lemon drizzle cake etc..) using 100% fresh ingredients and local produce, for collection only for now and yes we are indeed planning to take catering orders for small gatherings once the Covid restrictions are lifted.

What are the other FnB brands that you have worked for, tell us about your professional journey as a chef?

JD– D&D London, Corbin and King, Rocco Forte Hotels, Hilton… my professional journey has been incredible and enjoyable. 

 What would be the challenges for FnB business brands in a post covid world in your view?

JD– The pandemic has been and is a massive set back to the growth of the FnB industry. Businesses have had to adapt to this post covid new reality- some have put across takeaways/ delivery/ home cooking kits and boxes to their profile and I think they will keep it in their strategy for the foreseeable future to overcome and cope with these challenges.

Do you cater to dietary requirements?

JD– Yes surely we do cater for all dietary requirements and intolerances.

Did you always want to be a chef or dabble into the profession?

JD-As a child whenever I went out to eat for a family celebration or for a birthday I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant and found intriguing so yes it was something I always was keen about. Catering looked something that I would enjoy so it was a naturally thought out, interest led career choice for me.

What words of inspiration would you give to aspiring foodpreneurs? 

JD– It is a very rewarding profession but one has to have an abundance of patience and not shy from hard work to succeed.

Signing off the interview Chef Joginder Dham said that “As a professional chef for many years I did a bit of baking and worked occasionally in pastry section which I really enjoyed.

I used to bake on weekends for family gatherings etc but during pandemic having lots of time in my hand I have started reading my old baking books and started baking full time at home and eventually started Greenwich bakery and this journey has been a fulfilling one so far and it continues with passion for baking …”

Also Read-Winter Special Healthy Foods

Read More-How To Reduce Food Damage?

Started in 2016, Zoet is the brainchild of Sana and Geeta Bector. Zoet meaning ‘sweet’ in Dutch, aims to bake and create dessert that is sweet and complex in flavour yet simple and delicious.

The inspiration for Zoet came out of Sana’s grandmother’s kitchen who started Cremica when she decided to make and sell ice cream out of her home. Very quickly, Cremica managed to grow from a home bakery to a full-fledged store and then the food conglomerate followed. But one thing her grandmother always kept going was that home bakery.

Growing up around incredible desserts, Sana missed those flavours from her grandmother’s kitchen when she moved to Delhi – and so, Zoet was born! Each dessert either evokes a memory or is so good that it leads to creating a new one which is tied up in a childhood memory in a manner that people would like to eat it today. We spoke to Sana Bector to get more details.

Tell us a little about your labour of love Zoet and how it all came about?

I grew up with a bakery in my home, I suppose that’s a dream childhood. We always had dessert on the table. Puddings as we used to call them back in the day, were my favourite. Layers of luscious custard, cake, fruit and sometimes chocolate — who wouldn’t love that. When I moved to Delhi 10 years ago I really missed those desserts and I really couldn’t find anything like them. So I roped my mom in and decided to start Zoet. We wanted to get more people the experience the dessert we were so fortunate to know and love. Added bonus, I now always have dessert on the table!

It’s the season of love and nothing hits the spot quite like dessert?

Let’s try this. Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream straight from the tub on a difficult day. A vibrant strawberry tiramisu, made with fresh strawberries and a delightful mascarpone custard in the park on a sunny winter day. Warm up a buttery apple pie and serve it up with some cool custard, in pjs with Netflix on. Are you drooling yet?

Flowers, no matter how pretty, just can’t do that.

The pandemic has put a focus on healthy eating… how do you incorporate and prioritize healthy and sustainable ingredients?

Our focus is on fresh ingredients, sourced locally and from our own farms. We believe that dessert should be something you can enjoy every day and feel great after. That’s why our offerings are balanced and not too sweet.

The F&B business has seen a number of new entrants and old players go online… why did you go offline with a dessert store in the Capital?

We started out as a delivery business with a few shop in shop retail counters so you can order Zoet online. However nothing compares to interacting with people in person. I suppose in a way, the past year made us all realise that. My grandmother started her business by connecting with people and we’ve just come full circle.

Your favourite from Zoet and the recipe please

My Favourite from Zoet has got to be our Coffee Tiramisu.

Ours is complex but in a pinch I make this bailey’s tiramisu that’s made with basic pantry ingredients without compromising too much on flavour.

Zoet’s first flagship outlet is now open at Defence Colony Market

Also Read-Winter Special Healthy Foods

Read More-‘Food constantly acquires political meaning’

This design sensibility was incorporated keeping in mind the entire hierarchy and the positions at the restaurant…writes Puja Gupta.

Veteran fashion designer Raghavendra Rathore has collaborated with an upcoming restaurant, led by Michelin starred Chef Atul Kochhar, to design the uniform of its team.

Keeping in mind the ambience and storyline concept of SAGA, a modern Indian fun dining outlet in Gurugram, owned by Vishal Anand, the design team at Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur kept the classic Indian heritage look in mind while designing the uniforms. Additionally, streaks of modernity were added to the designs to maintain an aesthetic balance.

“Having Michelin standards set by Chef Atul Kochhar and understanding the vision that Anand, it was imperative for us to weave a concept that would have an international outlook with the essence of our indigenous culture and history embedded in the designs. The sophistication that SAGA exudes, needed to have a perfect mix of culinary delights, atmosphere and of course the seamless uniforms, that will create the ultimate experience for the guests, I feel this will be a new benchmark in the industry for others to match,” Rathore shares.

This design sensibility was incorporated keeping in mind the entire hierarchy and the positions at the restaurant. Using practical fabrics that comply with the idea of an experiential restaurant and a vibrant bar, the designer chose to bring a modern silhouette using classical techniques. The monochromatic colours of the restaurant inspired the colour palette for the designs and keeping the brief given by Anand, the project has embedded a stylish look for the outlet which is extremely global and contemporary.

Sharing his vision, Anand says: “Saga is envisioned to establish the warmth, class and richness of Indian hospitality on the global map. Chef Atul through his food curation is reviving the unremembered age-old dishes from the Indian subcontinent and complementing to make it a complete experience, Mr Raghavendra Rathore has made bespoke designs for the team of Saga, which reflects the rich Indian heritage with a blend of modernity.”

Also Read-£5 bn Asian wedding industry is on brink of closure

Read More-Neeti excited in ‘motherhood’ journey

We will surely produce a series for an OTT platform in India and see how it goes. It could be about food or a combination of both food and travel… Chef Sanjyot Keer speaks with Puja Gupta.

From being the Food Producer for MasterChef India to starting one of the most popular food channels ‘Your Food Lab’ on social media, Chef Sanjyot Keer has come a long way. Mumbai-based Keer also featured in ‘Forbes India’s Tycoons of Tomorrow’ in the year 2018.

IANSlife speaks to Keer to know about his journey and future plans. Excerpts:

Tell us more about your journey and the ‘Your Food Lab’ initiative?

In 2014, right after my graduation, I was offered to be the food producer of MasterChef. It was a really interesting and amazing amalgamation of visuals and videos for me. After the show, I did get other offers, but I wanted to pursue something of my own. It was then Your Food Lab came into being.

I started working with my father for a while and started working on my culinary skills on the weekends. I decided to upload one of my cooking videos on Facebook and to my surprise it gained millions of views in just 24 hours. From there, I went ahead and officially launched Your Food Lab.
In a week’s time, the third video went viral and garnered over a million views and then there was no looking back. That is how the journey began for YFL. We diversified into Instagram and YouTube as well. Today, YFL has become one of YouTube’s biggest channels where people see my content and connect with it. The journey has been strong and it is growing at a significant pace. We look forward to an amazing growth on all the platforms.

What are your future plans?

We will surely produce a series for an OTT platform in India and see how it goes. It could be about food or a combination of both food and travel. Also, I want to venture into virtual education. I’m planning to start with YFL Academy where one can learn cooking and how to become a creator on an online media platform.

But currently, we are working on the YFL online presence apart from social media in terms of applications and a dedicated website.

How did you utilise the lockdown period to channelise YFL?

A lot of things changed during the lockdown. In the initial lockdown phase, not many people come out of their houses. So they used to cook with whatever ingredients they had. And that’s how a lot of different recipes came into being. We also did a lot of ‘jugaadu’ recipes that means cooking without all the ingredients available.

Any advice for aspiring chefs?

I think you learn through the way. I started my journey from scratch. You will need to stop comparing yourself with others. Secondly, whatever ideas you’re going to have, what you want to do in the future, try it out before really giving it up. Never kill your ‘stupid’ idea. Believe in yourself and do whatever it takes to make your idea a real thing. Don’t make pre-assumptions about how the path will teach you, because if you are open to learning, you will evolve, you will grow, and you will always be successful.

A recipe you would like to share?

Spinach rice with vegetables and paprika sauce. It’s a very simple recipe I did recently.

Set water for boiling, add the cleaned and washed spinach leaves and blanch for few seconds, remove and immediately transfer to ice cold water. This process helps in retaining the bright green colour of spinach. Now, transfer the spinach in grinding jar, along with fresh mint leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, grind to a fine puree and keep aside. Set a wok on medium heat, add butter & oil, garlic and red chilli flakes, cook for 1-2 minutes on medium flame, now add the spinach puree and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add cooked rice, salt to taste, black pepper powder a pinch and lemon juice, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, stir gently without breaking the rice grains. Spinach rice is ready, serve hot with hot paprika sauce.

For sauted veggies, set a wok on medium heat, add oil, garlic and red chilli flakes, cook for 2-3 minutes. Now, add baby corn & carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes on high flame, further add the remaining veggies, salt & pepper to taste, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, sauted veggies are ready, keep aside to be added later in the paprika sauce.

For paprika sauce, set a sauce pan or wok on low heat, add butter and flour, mix and cook for 3-4 minutes, now add milk in 3-4 batches, make sure to whisk well while adding milk to avoid lump formation. Cook the sauce until its thick and creamy. Now add paprika powder, salt to taste, black pepper powder a pinch and nutmeg powder, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes, further add the sauted veggies and cook for 1-2 minutes, now add the paneer and mix gently. sauce with sauted veggies and paneer is ready, serve hot with hot spinach rice.

It’s a perfect meal for a lunch, brunch, or dinner, or also an early dinner recipe. And I’m sure you guys will love it.

Also Read-Winter Special Healthy Foods

Read More-How To Reduce Food Damage?

10-year-old Tiya Rajesh Nair has cooked 80 items in one hour to win a unique title in cooking and displaying maximum food items in an hour by a child, reports Rahul Laud

Born in  2010, 10-year-old Tiya Nair, a resident of  Bengaluru, Karnataka, India has bagged a unique title  ‘MAXIMUM FOOD ITEMS PREPARED IN ONE HOUR BY A CHILD’.  

This attempt is all about making, cooking and displaying maximum food items in an hour by a child. This attempt falls under the category ‘Young Achievers’ in Asia Book of Records.  For the attempt to be successful in the Asia Book of Records, the minimum criterion required is to create and display at least 80 food items in one hour.

Rajesh Nair , Tiya’s father explains that the list of items (with sub items) which were  to be finally made and displayed were required to  be submitted along with ingredients. During the attempt, any other person was not allowed helping the claimant in cooking. More or less, the boiling, cutting, chopping, grinding etc. of ingredients was allowed to be done before the attempt.

Rajesh further pointed out that the display of dishes must be labelled with the number and name of the dish, so that the count will be easy.   The HD pictures and videos of entire attempt had to  be submitted after the successful completion.  The claimant must wear the badge of Asia Book of Records which will be provided on the event day.

The  Adjudicator was  Harish R.