It’s not every night that India’s top chefs converge in a single kitchen and present the best from their repertoire. That’s exactly what India’s Culinary Odyssey achieved. Envisioned by Hanu Reddy of Hanu Reddy Realty and crafted by multiple award-winning chef Regi Mathew of Kappa Chakka Kandhari, this was an ambitious, almost audacious attempt to showcase the best of Indian cuisine on a 156 ft-long table.
This was not the first time I’ve been at a long, never-ending table with over hundred diners waiting for each course with bated breath. Only a few months ago, I was at what Australians like to call the world’s longest lunch, an event that’s become part of the culinary calendar in Melbourne. But the sheer scale of Hanu’s Table was something diners at that table will never forget. It was Indian hospitality and cuisine at its very best. Set under a mango tree in Hanu Reddy Raghava Farms, a sprawling farm near Chennai, the entire venue was transformed after months of work to allow the true superstars of the evening to take centre stage.
The big cookout
Ten chefs showcased courses in an evening when the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ never stopped. From chef Vanshika Bhatia’s Burke Waale Chole to chef Vicky Ratnani’s Lotus Stem Tikki to chef Varun Totlani’s Goda Masala to chef Mythrayie Iyer’s Ragi Mudde, the chefs took a rapt audience on a culinary journey across India with stellar presentation and show plates that was great for the ’gram.
Chef Vicky Ratnani’s Lotus Stem Tikki
Chef Vinesh Johnny, who helms Lavonne in Bengaluru, was in charge of the desserts. I was tasked with the responsibility of the Master of Ceremonies for the evening and to present each of these accomplished chefs to a highly evolved set of diners, many of whom had accumulated thousands of air miles and overcome jet lag to be at this table.
The Kolkata connect
Auroni Mookerjee is the embodiment of the accidental chef. He followed his heart and ‘gut’ instinct to switch from a successful career in advertising to becoming one of India’s finest chefs who has also reshaped Kolkata’s culinary scene with Sienna Cafe. His participation in India’s Culinary Odyssey was certainly no accident. “In all the differences, there are similarities”. Auroni’s take on India’s culinary heritage also captured the spirit of the evening.
Mr Hanu Reddy with chef Auroni Mookerjee of Kolkata’s Sienna Cafe
Harmony of chefs
Chef Avinash Martins, who fronts one of Goa’s most highly rated restaurants – Cavatina, tells me that he shares chef Regi Mathew’s passion to showcase India’s incredible width and depth of micro cuisines. His flaky sea bass enveloped in fermented sun-dried tomato recheado pays homage to the vibrant fisherman community of Goa, where fish curry stands as a culinary cornerstone. It was one of the standout dishes of the night.
Sunset Kissed Recheado Delight by Goa’s chef Avinash Martins
For Chef Hussain Shehzad, the executive chef of Hunger Inc (which manages award-winning restaurants like Bombay Canteen, O Pedro and Veronica’s in Mumbai), who hails from Chennai, this evening was a homecoming of sorts. He referred to his Ambur Duck Biryani as a perfect example of forward-thinking Indian food, where traditions are broken down with respect and examined through a contemporary lens.
Auroni summed up the collaborative spirit of the 10 master chefs who came from different corners of India in what he calls a ‘no secret recipes mentality’. Almost each time I went ‘backstage’ to the nerve centre of the evening, it was heartwarming to see each of these top-billed chefs help one another with plating and finishing touches to ensure the dishes made it to the table on time. Regi Mathew was overwhelmed with the spirit of camaraderie that contributed to the energy in the kitchen. This was not your everyday restaurant kitchen but a state-of-the-art 8,000 sq.ft. production zone that included a large kitchen, confectionary area and a dedicated space for plating 104 plates for each course. There was thundering applause from the kitchen each time I announced a new course and the chef who had masterminded it.
The author as Master of Ceremonies at Hanu’s Table
India as the culinary capital of the world
Hanu Reddy, the host, set the context for the evening and how this marks a significant step to showcase India’s culinary ethos. The evening was equally a tribute to the affection of Indian mothers, many of whom have inspired some of India’s most celebrated tastemakers. He reminisced about his visits to the same mango farm as a child when he relished chicken curry cooked by his mother over a kerosene stove. Chennai-based Chef Harish Rao (a jury member of MasterChef Tamil) recreated this magic with his tribute to Hanu’s mother – Pushpaveni Reddy, with her family-style prawn curry served with nei-annam (ghee rice).
Blue Pea Pidi by chef Regi Mathew
Chef Auroni took it a step further with his Confit Patha in a niramish jhol. He told us how the term ‘Ma’ quite often takes on a deeper meaning than just that of ‘mother’ in Bengal. During religious occasions especially, the term ‘Ma’ takes on a greater significance to mean Devi or Goddess. On these auspicious days the Bhog or Prasad, even mutton or patha is prepared niramish i.e., without onion or garlic, and is elevated with oodles of ghee and asafoetida. “My course was an ode to that blessing from our Ma and the shakti that they channel through our cooking and cuisine.”
A whopping Rs 1 lakh dinner ticket!
While the chefs kept weaving their magic wands in the kitchen, it was the service team that kept wowing diners who had paid a whopping Rs 1 lakh for a seat at the table. Mirelle Pingfu and her team from Masque, Mumbai, spent hours training a service crew of 200-odd students from SRM college in Chennai (who were cherry-picked from 800 applicants) to synchronise the service of every single course. Doing it for a three-course meal can be tough but imagine this routine repeated for 10 courses (plus the amuse-bouche and an additional dessert course) for nearly four hours. It was poetry in motion, a multi-sensory culinary experience for the ages.
