The culinary scene in India has truly arrived. Going beyond traditional fare, modern Indian food is being celebrated worldwide. While top restaurants like Indian Accent are now part of the establishment in New York, Trishna, known for its coastal food has opened doors in London’s Marylebone High Street, and Jamavar is synonymous with the classic luxury dining experience it provides there. Are Indian restaurants breaking out of their traditional mindset and serving up dishes that celebrate and showcase the diversity and range of the entire country? ‘Modern Indian Food’ denotes a new take on homegrown cuisine where there are no set rules. In the mood for tandoori lamb and dosai but also game for a flambéed leg of lamb or a mackerel dosai with tomato chutney? There is a growing number of Indian restaurants, serving both modern and progressive styles of cuisine, and revamping classic dishes such as chicken tikka and tandoori chicken in a whimsical array of textures and flavours. “When it comes to ‘Modern Indian Food’ worldwide, chefs today are experimenting a lot with form and flavour, “With certain dishes, we try and keep the form of the dish similar to how it is originally supposed to be and take the flavour to another dimension. Alternately, we keep the flavour original and present it in a modern way. This, in my opinion, forms the realm of progressive, or how I like to call it – ‘Forward Thinking Indian Food’, says Hussain Shahzad, Executive Chef at The Bombay Canteen and O Pedro. ‘Fusion is confusion’ Michelin star chef Suvir Saran who is known for his restaurants Devi and Tapestry in New York along with the House of Celeste, believes that the term fusion food often leads to confusion and blurring of lines about the authentic origin of a certain cuisine. Fusion robs both people and chefs of satiety and comfort. Fusion in the world of food is a dirty word representing soulless food prepared mindlessly with a zero-sum game led by greed and profiteering. A smart chef and diner look at food as being part of a rich mosaic and takes from it those flavours and bites that give them pleasure. We are slowly but surely getting to that plane.” BY ARUSHI SAKHUJA Is fusion really confusion, or have we arrived at a more refined, eco-conscious, experimental palate? Beyond tikka masala: What is modern Indian food? Hussain Shahzad, Executive Chef at The Bombay Canteen & O Pedro, Mumbai Canteen Undhiyu Okonomiyaki, The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai INDIA AND THE WORLD 24|LUXEBOOK|MARCH 2023 MARCH 2023 |LUXEBOOK|25
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