Makhan Maar ke Desi Tadka with Chef Sweety Singh

Makhan Maar ke Desi Tadka with Chef Sweety Singh

As one entered the hotel, the sight of a person bobbing around the place dressed in sneakers was hard to miss. It was none other than Delhi-based chef Sweety Singh, who conducted his 10-day Punjabi food festival at Hotel Novotel, Madhapur.


"People come to a food fest for the chef and what’s the point if I am in the kitchen all day?" he justifies. Once you’ve met him, it’s easy not to forget his enthusiasm and the passion with which he talks about his vocation. The chef’s intention is to promote authentic Punjabi food that is unadulterated by unnecessary elements. “Punjabi food is ghar ka khana, with the generous usage of butter. But what you get nowadays is the modernised version, with cashews in rice and kebabs as bright as paint,” he rues.

The festival had a cyclic menu with a change after every three days. The place was done subtly to create a Punjabi ambience and aimed not to take the focus away from the food. Welcome drinks included Amritsari jeera and meetha lassi, served in mud glasses.

Starters included Lahori paneer tikka, aloo potri, tandoori kukkad and macchi de tikke. The surprise element was the paneer, as soft as butter. In the main course, sarson da saag, kadi pakoda, and aloo vadiyaan were worth trying. Desserts included kesari kheer and gajar da halwa. The food overall was a little spicy. The highlight can be attributed to the hospitable chef who made it a point to stop at each and every table.
http://www.foodiblog.com/2011/12/makhan-maar-ke-desi-tadka-chef-sweety.html 

The Pindi route

The chef who is known for the original Pindi chole recipe reaching our plate, Chef Harjinder Singh, also called Sweety Singh, is currently doing a special promotion — Flavours of Punjab at the Cubbon Pavilion in ITC Gardenia till August 19.

How did you bring the original Pindi channa to our palate?
Pindi Channa originates in the Rawalpindi region of Pakistan. It is cooked without onions and any over powering spices to retain taste. It is also referred to as PEE-PA (Punjabi for Tin)... Empty ghee cans were used to store chickpeas in households in the olden days. To further enhance the flavour of the chickpeas, they were boiled in the same cans to add to the taste and elevate the aroma. I approach this preparation in a similar style true to its simplicity and authenticity.
What you are highlighting in the promotion at ITC Gardenia?
A distinct selection of preparations, reminiscent of traditional Punjabi delicacies are on the menu. Home-styled Punjabi cooking exploring the goodness of a variety of whole spices and seasonal ingredients are the hallmark. These dishes have predominately been inspired by the rustic flavours that embrace my homeland Punjab. A few signatures include — Bhatti da Murgh, Tandoori kukad and Chownk di tikki.
What other dishes are there?
Sarson Da Saag’, young mustard cooked in a signature style has been recreated and served with a staple maize bread — makki di roti. Kadi Pakoda and Rara meat are also all-time favourites with the lamb preparation comprising of bhunao-ed (fried) mince and meat on the bone, cooked with select whole spices. Keema Chawal, a fragrant Basmati rice cooked with hand pounded mutton is delicately infused with caramelised onion slivers. The dessert include halwas, jamun and panjiri.
Who taught you the secrets of Punjabi cuisine?
It was my father who was instrumental and inspirational in triggering my love for cooking during childhood. He used to run a restaurant and that was my training ground. I always enjoyed preparing a meal for my father.
Favourite memories or preparations?
Pindi Chole in 1996 was introduced at the Park Sheraton in Chennai and that is a fond memory, others include enjoying a meal of Kadi Pakoda and Sarson Ka Saag in the comfort of my ancestral home in Punjab.
What is the best way to cook dal makhani or butter chicken?
Refrain from using a puree or cream in Dal Makhani. Ensure the preparation is light, fresh and showcases natural colours. Similarly, marinate chicken for a day before roasting and add fresh Kasturi Methi for an excellent butter chicken.
In India and abroad, where have you had the best Punjabi fare?
A quaint eatery at home in Amritsar on the outskirts of Jalianwala Bagh has been the most enriching meal I have ever had. Establishments overseas have not been able to replicate authenticity.
Your mantra?
An innate passion, a sense of pride and no compromise on quality is integral. I always believe in cooking with great love and I enjoy teaching chefs nuances of the cuisine.
People who love your fare?
I have enjoyed introducing Pindi Chole to Celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. A cherished and fulfilling moment was preparing a celebratory meal for Sachin Tendulkar at the ITC Windsor in Bengaluru a few years ago.

Chef 'Sweety' Singh and his culinary passion

The chef's in Bangalore to pamper your palates.

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar doesn't normally seek out people to have their pictures clicked with him, so why was chef Sweety Singh an exception? Because the silken smooth tangri kebabs that Sweety had served the IPL players when they were in Bangalore had the little master floored.

But Sweety, a man of few words, would much rather ply you with his delectable creations than talk about himself or his culinary prowess that has people from politicians to film stars wanting a spell of the Sweety magic.

In the city in connection with the Punjabi Food Festival at the ITC Gardenia, the mild mannered chef takes you back to a time when cooking was all about love. Through his thick bushy beard, you see his eyes light up when he is told that his welcome lassi — one delicately flavored with mango, and the other gently spiced with cumin— has us looking forward to the meal to follow.

How did he happen upon cooking?

"My father Gyani Santokh Singh ran a flourishing food business from a food cart way back in the 1950s in Delhi," he says. "His food cart used to be stationed at a busy office-going area, and within a matter of few hours, everything from curry pakodas, mutton, and chicken dishes would be sold out. My father fuelled my love and passion for cooking. Even when he lost his sight to diabetes, he continued undeterred. Merely by sniffing the food, he could tell what needed to be fixed."

Dismissing the general perception that Punjabi khana is rich and heavy, Sweety says, "Authentic, homemade Punjabi food is not heavy, it is wholesome. I do not use any cashew, almond, saffron, and food colour in any of my preparations; those are just fancy frills to lend food a designer touch. I cook my food in asli ghee, which, unlike what people generally believe, is healthy. I make my own spices. Punjabi food gets a bad rap when people impart populist touches to it, and give convention and authentic cooking processes a go by." Apart from cooking and feeding others, what are his other loves? "I am forever conjuring up dishes in my head, and wondering what new dish to launch next."

At the buffet dinner at the ITC Gardenia, from August 10-19, the new launch is the maachi di sheekh. Tucking into it greedily, we know there's yet another winner in the making. Sweety already has a sumptuous list of culinary showstoppers: dal makhni, sarson da saag, Pindi chhole, Mutton Ra Ra and tandoori bhoona are but a few of them.

Finally, how did this robust macho Punjabi get a name like Sweety?

"No one calls me by my name Harjinder Singh anymore. My mentor at the ITC Hotel liked the ring of my pet name Sweety, and thought it went much better with the Singh. So, Sweety Singh it was," he says, self-effacingly.

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-12/food-reviews/33153824_1_punjabi-food-itc-gardenia-culinary-passion