Interview with Chef Ajay Chopra, an Indian Chef, Food Creator & Restaurant Consultant

An exclusive interview with Chef Ajay Chopra, Animeta creator, Indian Chef, Food Creator, Restaurant Consultant, and Media Personality

In the world of gastronomy, Chef Ajay Chopra stands as a remarkable figure, renowned for his culinary expertise, innovation, and charismatic presence in the culinary world. As an Indian chef, food creator, restaurant consultant, and media personality, he has left an indelible mark on the culinary landscape, delighting taste buds and enlightening minds.

With a career spanning decades and an infectious passion for food, Chef Ajay Chopra’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. Today, we have the privilege of stepping into his culinary world and delving into his experiences, inspirations, and the delightful stories that have shaped his culinary voyage.

Can you share some of your culinary journey highlights, from your early days in the kitchen to becoming a global chef with a strong connection to Indian cuisine?

Chef Ajay Chopra: Yeah, so my culinary journey started in the year 1995, when I entered IHM. But before that, I was cooking in my mom’s kitchen for a long time, but never knew that I’ll become a professional chef. But since the time I joined the kitchens, there was a heart towards Indian food and how Indian food is so glorious and so complex.

And there was no data to second that, for French cuisine, for Italian cuisine, there were a lot of books that we could refer to But for Indian cuisine, there was only one book, Prasad, that we could refer to. And I think that inspired me to kind of start learning the deeper basics and to understand more insights about Indian food.

And I think I just kept doing that. The journey continued. It’s been 25 years and I’m still learning. I think Indian cuisine is a vast cuisine. One lifetime is less for anybody to even identify, you know, all the dishes that we are making in India.So forget learning them. And I think that is the strongest connection that I have with Indian cuisine.

That, you know, it’s so many beautiful spices, so many beautiful ways of cooking, so many beautiful techniques, so many beautiful usage of indigenous things that we use, like, you know, we are showing the world about millets.

And, you know, there’s so much to talk about Indian cuisine as such. And I think if I had to define this in one line, you know, that right from my early days, you know, I’ve had this deep understanding requirement that I have, you know, had a connection with Indian cuisine.

As a menu and restaurant consultant, what are some key aspects you consider when helping restaurants create their menus and improve their overall dining experience?

Chef Ajay Chopra: So I think as a restaurant consultant, some of the key aspects that we consider is, you know, the whole of the guest journey. So I start doing things, you know, whether we are making a fine dining restaurant or a casual dining restaurant, it is about the experience that the guest will receive.

So right from his entrance, you know, how will he come in? What will he first see? What will he smell? What will he hear? What will he touch? You know, so all those aspects become really, really important. And I think that’s what we look at. So it’s not just the menu that we look at, but the whole of the experience in the restaurant. So that’s number one.

Number two is that, you know, when we are creating the menus, it’s also important to understand which city will have what requirements and what kind of food will work. You know, in some cities, we may say that, you know, we can open something like a Sabko cafe, we’ll have croissants and coffee, but maybe that city is not ready for it.

Where else can you also think of the vice versa where, you know, you open a very basic restaurant in a city like Mumbai or Bangalore and you’ll be just run of the mill.

So you have to really know your market and to understand where you are.

And the third thing is that every dish that, you know, is presented on the menu, it has to be a little bit different.

Hosting two seasons of “MasterChef India” must have been an incredible experience. Could you tell us about some memorable moments or challenges you faced while hosting the show?

Chef Ajay Chopra: Yes, it was an incredible experience because I think, coming onto that mega stage of MasterChef is, you know, it’s the biggest show of culinary in India. And it’s always a delight to be on the sets. In fact, I was there even recently for one episode, where we gave a challenge to the contestants.

It was an elimination challenge. so it was, incredible to see the talent that India has in terms of cooking and so many people that you meet are  enthusiastic about cooking and the show. So it’s definitely a different, different experience altogether.

Well, I think the challenges we faced, that hosting the show was, it was the first time that, India was doing MasterChef and so the format was quite tough and the shooting hours were very long. But it was all, all along very, very enjoyable and very cherishing.

So, lots of memorable moments, of course, because we were almost three and a half months, scheduled. Right from, you know, learning how to face cameras to, you know, actually facing it with Akshay Kumar. They were very different experience for, for us as a chef. So, you know, lots and lots of memories.

Indian cuisine is known for its rich diversity. What are some lesser-known regional dishes or ingredients that you believe deserve more attention in the culinary world?

Chef Ajay Chopra: I think India and its cuisine is so vast. I keep saying that we’ve got 29 states, 7 Union Territories and each state, some of them have more than 2 or 3 cuisines in it. So, for example, if you look at even Gujarat, the Katiwadi cuisine to the Andhavadi cuisine is very very different.

So, I’m just giving the example of one state, but similarly if you look at states and Union Territories, we’ve got 36 of them and 36 different cuisines actually are there because the way Kerala eats, Tamil Nadu doesn’t eat, the way Tamil Nadu eats, Hyderabad or Telangana doesn’t eat. So, even though they are very close, the dishes are so different, the way they cook is so different, the ingredients are so different, so it’s so diverse.

But some of the lesser known regional dishes or I would say states that need a lot of attention are all our 7 sisters from the North East.

They have some tremendous food which can be talked about. You know, South India is again a treasure cove where we’ve started to talk about South Indian food, but whether it’s food from Telangana, Andhra, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, the KaraiKudi cuisine or the Chettinad cuisine or the Mopla cuisine from Kerala, these are some of the very less talked about cuisines that need a lot of attention because India’s cuisine is vast. Also, some other states like Bihar and even Odisha need attention because their dishes are fantastic.

In today’s health-conscious world, many people are looking for healthier dining options. How do you approach creating dishes that are both delicious and nutritious?

Chef Ajay Chopra: So, in today’s health conscious world, people are looking for healthier options and they are actually, you know, replacing the unhealthy option to the healthier option. So, for example, you know, a lot of people have replaced meat to vegetables or they have replaced high fat items to or fried items to, you know, steam items.

So, people are becoming more and more conscious and as chefs, I think we have to also come up with creative ways of doing things differently. So, you know, the way to create a healthy or a delicious or nutritious dish is to first understand the ingredient by itself. So, for example, if I take the example of a red bell pepper, you know, so many things can come out of that one ingredient.

So, if you roast it at a different flavor, if you boil it at a different flavor, if you saute it at a different flavor, if you saute and then puree it at a different flavor. So, if you understand your ingredients like tomatoes, peppers, you know, things which are also good looking, but also very, very flavorful. You can create a lot of creative delicious dishes which are also very nutritious.

So, one of the examples also is strawberry, you know, it’s just a fruit, not for dessert. But, if you use this strawberry for making a dressing for a salad, you know, so you may go to the post-coast salad with strawberry dressing with olives and sun red tomatoes.

I think it’s a fantastic option, you know, for a quick lunch when you’re not feeling like doing anything. So, this is how I think about healthy food.

Can you share a cooking tip or technique that you believe every aspiring chef should know and practice in the kitchen?

Chef Ajay Chopra: I think, you know, again, like I said, cooking is vast and there are thousands of tips and tricks that can come in when you start cooking. I think one thing and aspiring chef should practice in the kitchen is imbibing and embracing failure. You know, failure is something that puts people back in the, I cannot do it.

But, I think failure is the first step and the second step is success. So, every time you fail, you know that you can succeed. So, for all the, you know, aspiring chefs, aspiring people who want to get in the kitchen, mistakes will happen.

I still have mistakes, I still make mistakes. So, we should not get upset with mistakes that we make. But, rather learn from them and keep moving forward.

Chef Ajay Chopra’s journey through the realms of food, as a chef, food creator, restaurant consultant, and media personality, has been a testament to his relentless passion and culinary prowess. His dedication to the art of gastronomy, innovation, and the ability to create culinary experiences that touch the heart and soul of food lovers is truly awe-inspiring.

As we conclude this interview, we are left with a deeper appreciation for the magic of flavors and the culinary wisdom that Chef Ajay Chopra brings to the table. He continues to be a source of inspiration for aspiring chefs and food enthusiasts, and his indomitable spirit in the culinary world will undoubtedly continue to shine, ensuring that the world of food remains vibrant and ever-evolving.

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