The Master of Indian spices

There’s a Benares in London that’s as culturally rich as the spiritual city of Banares in India, if not more. And its founder and culinary genius is the man that has an almost spiritual connect with Indian cuisine, even as he collects Michelin stars with a flourish and ease that stills one into awed silence. Atul Kochhar is a man on a mission, celebrating the almost insatiable world of Indian ingredients. As the always smiling genius, Kochhar says, “When I came to London, I tried to embrace Britain’s heritage, I absorbed myself in its history and culture, but I still look back to my motherland for inspiration. I never expected to be able to achieve the star with Indian food as Michelin was so traditional in the past, but it’s really opened its heart to Indian food now and appreciates the complexities and efforts that go into excellent Indian cooking. It was as hard to achieve as it is to maintain.”

A true ambassador of Indian epicurean history, he feels, “People in the UK mostly associate Indian food with curry houses, and for some reason the curries just got hotter and hotter for the UK audience, and less traditional. Nowadays, there’s been an explosion in knowledge and desire to understand food and its origins. We are lucky that people want to know where in India flavours originated etc. People are starting to realise that there’s more to Indian food than heat, and it’s an exciting time for Indian chefs who can now test the boundaries with their guests.”

And lying atop the most ethereal creations is Benares, with a menu that encompasses khet and khana, like Tandoori Ratan, a minted wild sea bass, spiced quail, mustard marinated king prawn and lamb cutlet or the asparagus poriyal. Marrying classics with a “propah” Brit swirl, he has created specials that are memorable. “I can’t choose a favourite. But I know we’d get serious complaints if we took our soft shell crab off the menu. We adapt according to seasons, and it’s a firm favourite here (UK),” he explains.

Today, his signature ode Benares is most popular. The fact that he is the only Indian chef to win the coveted Michelin star, twice over is historical but Atul does not dwell too much on accolades. Only because he is busy taking strides into newer arenas, exploring a global microcosm of flavours, all the while adding to his burgeoning repertoire. “I travel across the world, eat at as many places as I can and make sure that my menu, team and style respond to trends, changes in produce, and constantly evolve,” says Atul.

He has written many a cookbook, with his latest — a Benares cookbook that will be published soon (February 2015). So being busy is almost like breathing to him! Be it as ambassador for the Britain Asian Trust where he has cooked wonderful meals for Prince Charles or working with the Prince’s trust. He is reported to have said that the Prince’s leaning towards mutton always finds a dish on his menu.

His latest venture with P & O Cruise Ships has three restaurants onboard — Sindhu, aboard Azura (and soon Britannia) and East aboard Ventura and Arcadia. With a flair of an impressionist painter, he endows the vista with a fusion of Indian and British cuisine. And with East, he has forayed into flavours from across the Far East. His wanderlust finds itself on menus thanks to his travels and his love of spice. “My formula is simple; combining fresh seasonal produce with traditional Indian techniques creates pleasing results that my guests keep coming back for,” says the Jamshedpur-born chef.

Early on, from the Oberoi hotels, he moved to renowned Hilton chef Bernard Kunig’s restaurant in 1994 and worked on building his body of work. “I was lucky to have been there during a highly creative period. Chef Bernard was truly inspirational, with his diverse international experience which made me view food differently,” the salt and pepper-haired chef recalls.

He then moved to London, opened Tamarind, received his first Michelin star in 2001 and in 2003 opened Benares in Mayfair. Another Michelin star in 2007 — an accolade that has been retained at Benares ever since, he is like a festive juggernaut of traditional recipes.

He loves his travels and has tasted a variety of cuisines whilst travelling. He says, “My favourite cuisine has to be Thai. I tasted and experienced a wide variety whilst travelling for my last book,” he says. The man who leaves cooking to his wife Deepthi at home, can’t help but indulge in kitchen forays even at home sometimes. The father of two, already has Michelin stars in his kitty, and is now sending flavours to galaxies far far away.