The pandemic has made us aware of micro cuisines: Vicky Ratnani

The regional cuisines or micro cuisines such as Sindhi food, Parsi food, Bihari food, North-east food and many others have found the spotlight.

We are what we eat, believes celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani. Known for cooking up some of the most indulgent cheat meals, as well as strictly healthy dishes for Bollywood stars, he shares, “People in Bollywood follow strict diets while working. I trained a chef during the filming of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) to cook for actor Farhan Akhtar for five to six months. I have even cooked for Zoya Akhtar. They are both very conscious of what they eat. When Hrithik Roshan was training for Krrish, I helped him source different kinds of food that the trainers recommended.”

The pandemic has made us aware of micro cuisines: Vicky Ratnani

The chef has always loved food, even before he made a living out of it. “I love food. I didn’t know that I would be taking it up as a profession till I entered college. I was very clear by my second year there that I wanted to be a chef,” he says.Like most authorities on the subject, Ratnani too emphasises that travelling adds a lot of value in the life of someone who likes to cook. “At every 200 kms in our country, food is different. To become a good chef and be able to cook well, one must experience and taste new food. While travelling, you learn not just about food but spices, vegetables and the culture. Each place has its own style and uniqueness of cooking,” he says.

The chef believes that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected eating habits, but not everything is bad about this change. He explains, “A lot of people who couldn’t cook were forced to make an attempt, owing to the pandemic. They learned about the importance of minimising food wastage. Being at home, they have had enough time to think about the importance of sustainability.”

Another positive change brought about by the health crisis, he feels, is the resurgence in popularity of micro cuisines. “The regional cuisines or micro cuisines such as Sindhi food, Parsi food, Bihari food, North-east food and many others have found the spotlight. Home chefs have been showcasing the variety of dishes through different social media platforms and people love them. Earlier, in the eyes of the layman Bengali food was confused with Bangladeshi food for some strange reason, but now what is happening is the explosion of culture. People know the difference,” opines Ratnani who collaborated with Airbnb India for their Bollywood Insiders Campaign where the chef will host a session called, ‘Cook Bollywood’s Favourite Cheat Meal’.

Author tweets @ruchikagarg271

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