Dosas and idlis not the end of South Indian cuisine : Chef Hari Nayak
New Delhi: South Indian cuisine is "very underrated" and goes much beyond idlis and dosas, says New York-based Indian chef Hari Nayak, who he is also working hard to dispel misconceptions about Indian food in general in the West.
"South Indian (style of) cooking is very underrated. People think that South Indian dishes are just dosas and idlis. But I grew up eating fish and other non-vegetarian food items -- apart from the vegetarian ones," Nayak, who grew up in Udupi in Karnataka, told IANS during a brief visit to the national capital.
"I would like to build a concept around it and make it more exciting to people (of North India) so that they can try something which is also Indian food and is tasty and healthy. For instance, we use coconut milk instead of cream. It is lighter and healthier," added the restaurateur.
There is the same misconception about Indian food in New York and other parts of the US and the UK as well.
"If we talk about Indian food, it's all about Punjabi 'khana' in the West. If I open a South Indian restaurant serving just Kerala or Goan food, the Westerner would come and ask for naan, chicken tikka masala and dal makhani. That's what they are exposed to.
"If I don't serve that, they won't come back. They would say, 'This is not an Indian restaurant'. So, misconceptions are there."
Chefs like him and the others, he says, are trying to change the thought process of "what a Westerner thinks about Indian food".
"We are working hard to change the perception of Indian food -- that it not greasy, not always curry-based. There is so much more to Indian food than that. Hopefully, in the next 10 years, Indian regional food items apart from Punjabi will be enjoyed by Westerners as well," said Nayak, who shares a strong bond with popular chef Vikas Khanna.
Would he blame Indian chefs for emphasising more on North Indian cuisine in the West?
"In the early 1960s, when Indian cuisine started getting popular in the West, chefs focused only on that (North Indian food). Nobody tried to do something different. Since the last 30-40 years, chefs have been serving the same things, so people have preconceived notions about Indian food.
"I think Indian chefs are to be blamed -- but that's what was selling. After all, it's business. Even now, if you go to a Kerala restaurant, you will still find naan, rotis, chana masala and tandoori chicken on the menu because they don't want people to walk out.
"There are Chettinad restaurants in New York but the last two pages of the menu are dedicated to North Indian food. It's unfortunate," said Nayak, who moved to the US over two decades ago.
How does he plan to bring about change?
"It won't happen overnight. I do a lot of pop-up events. I use scallops, an ingredient which is familiar to the Western palate, and I make Indian food with that. I never use North Indian flavours much. That's how I create awareness," he said.
Nayak was here for the launch of The Trial, which is a blend of chefs, entrepreneurs and innovative food concepts. It is a delivery cum dine-in kitchen concept on Golf Course Road, Gurugram.
"We are at a nascent stage. If somebody comes in with a concept that's interesting to me, then I will help," he said.
"The chef can interact with about 15 customers at a time at The Trial, which is counter style. Serving just 15 people is not enough to sustain a business. So, there is a delivery model too," said Nayak, who plans to launch his own restaurant in Bengaluru soon.
Before that, he will unveil his book -- "Spice Trail" -- which has "100 modern global recipes to excite and inspire home cooks".
"I have written five books for the Western market, but my new book is for the Indian market. It will release in the beginning of 2018," he said.
"It will teach home cooks to prepare food by adding new ingredients to their pantry... ingredients that are available in supermarkets. Using them while cooking will make their everyday food more exciting," he added.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
