Chef of the Week- Vijender Singh

Vijender Singh

Chef Vijender Singh is the Executive Chef of Kingdom of Dreams, Gurgaon that includes Culture Gully, a state of the art food boulevard that showcases culture and cuisines from 14 Indian states and the swank IIFA Bar to boot. With ensuring the authenticity of such diverse regional Indian cuisines at one destination, his role is indeed multi-faceted and versatile. 

He has an experience of almost 24 years working with varied organisations right from premier establishments such as The Claridges, New Delhi; Radisson Hotel, Delhi, Le Meridien Hotel, Dubai & New Delhi; Wyndham Bermuda Beach Resorts  to mass food production and banqueting set-ups such as Essex Farms Pvt Ltd amongst others. He has had the honour of being awarded 'Letter of Appreciation from Confrerie Da La Chain Des Rotisseurs Dinner Amical at Le Meridien, Dubai in 1998 and 2000.The Indian restaurant, Dhaba at The Claridges, New Delhi won the best restaurant award under his captaincy.

We had a freewheeling chat with the cheerful chef who effortlessly juggles not one, not two but fifteen outlets and their menus on any given working day. No mean feat! :

  

1.What is the latest addition to your menu?

Hyderabadi & Maharaja Menu have been changed.

2.The hottest selling item on your menu.

Chole Bhature in Delhi Live Counter.

3.One dish you are extremely proud of creating.

Galouti Kebab & Nihari Khaas.

4.Which is the oldest dish on your menu?

Jodhpuri Gutta Curry & Dal Bati Choorma.

5.Most expensive dish on the menu?

Garlic Crusted Prawn in IIFA Buzz Cafe.

6.Name some celebrities who frequent your restaurant? Their favourite dishes?

Saroj Khan: Ulte Tawa Parantha

Shreyas Talpade: Galouti Kebab & Lucknawi Biryani

7.The dish on your menu that gives the most value for money.

Rajasthani Thali

8.The best thing about being a chef

The wives of Chef don’t care about food because they know that the food dictionary is lying with them!

9.The worst thing about being a chef.

Chefs do not get enough time for their families.

10.              The best home cooked dish you enjoy. Who makes it?

Rajma Chawal prepared by my wife.

11.              If you were not a chef, what would you have been? And why?

Stand-up Comedian because I spent my childhood between multi-cultural people & I can speak in many accents.

12.              One chef you really admire and look upto?

Chef Tarun Dahcha, Corporate Chef, Sarovar Group.

13.              What’s the USP of your restaurant/establishment?

Multi-regional cuisines under one roof.

14.              What do you like about the city you are in?

Metro Rail

15.              One guest you wish to be able to create a dish for. Who would that be?  And what would you serve him/her?

Donald Trump

Dish: Lamb Pasanda filled with Prunes & Figs.

16.              Your food mantra?

Presentation is the mantra to make food attractive.

17.              Would you like to share a special recipe or two with our readers?

Why not? These are two recipes I am most proud of creating and perfecting:

Mutton Nihari

Ingredients  `

Mutton Nalli	Kg	1
Lucknow Garam Masala	Gm	10
Ginger	Gm	15
Garlic	Gm	25
Onions	Gm	200
Oil Mustard	Gm	150
Curd	Gm	150
Turmaric Powder	Gm	10
Red Chilli Powder	Gm	10
Mace Power	Gm	5
Yellow Chilli Powder	Gm	5
Javitri Powder	Gm	3
Black Pepper Powder	Gm	5
Kewra Water	Ml	10
Salt	Gm	30
Green Cardmom	Gm	5
Besan	Gm	50
Flour	Gm	50
Green Chilli Chopped	Gm	10
Green Coriander  Chopped	Gm	10

Method-: Pour mustard oil in casserole and heat it up till smoke comes to defuse the bitterness of the oil.

Add mutton chunks and sauté it until its turned brown, add ginger garlic paste and sauté again.

Add all other spices along with curd and sauté again, add besan and flour along with water and stir the mixture until lambs gets nicely steeped in the juices.

Cover with lid and let it boil until meat get tender and serve hot with chopped green chili and coriander on top.

Galauti Kebab

Ingredients 

Mutton Boness	Gm	1000
Kaju Paste	Gm	150
Fresh Onions	Gm	500
Lucknowi Garam Masala	Gm	20
Black Papper Powder	Gm	5
Yellow Chilli Powder	Gm	5
Salt	Gm	20
Raw Papaya	Gm	200
Roasted Channa Powder	Gm	40
Chironji Paste	Gm	50
Ghee Desi	Gm	300
Clove	Gm	5
Kewra Water	Gm	10
Saffron	Gm	1
Javitri Powder	Gm	4
Green Cardamom	Gm	7
Mint Chutney	Gm	100
Fresh Onions	Gm	100
Sweet Itra	Gm	1

 Method-:

Take out all the silver skin and fat from meat and grind three times in mince machine. Add all the spices but 5 ml Desi ghee, three cloves for smoke therapy and rub with hand to mix it well.

Put all the mixture in, try and makes some space in middle and add smoking cloves to give smoke treatment to the Galauti mixture. Put burnt char coal in small katori put three cloves on the charcoal and Desi ghee; cover immediately so that mixture can absorb the smoke.

After 15 minutes rub the mixture again and divide them in the small galautis of your choice and cook the Galauti either in non stick pan or  iron plate on very gentle heat. After cooking sever them as per your requirement