The highly popular chef and TV host, Sanjeev Kapoor, has added another feather to his cap. Kapoor was recently invited by the UK House of Commons to share his plans for expanding the Asian ready-to-cook (RTC) category and to whip up a special Valentine’s eve dinner. We spoke with the chef about the talk, his upcoming restaurant in London, and his UK plans.
“I believe that most Indian food in the UK is in some sense dated… there’s so much misconception about it. There’s chicken tikka masala, Madras curry, vindaloo, Bombay masala… I’ve never seen Bombay masala in Mumbai, where I’ve been living for 20 years!” he says.
That is why in his February 11 talk, hosted by North East Leeds MP Fabian Hamilton, he focused on dispelling misconceptions about Indian cuisine and introducing his style of cuisine, which is “healthy, tasty and convenient.”
In order to spread his message, the chef has big plans up his sleeve. For one, he’s looking to majorly expand on the Khazana range of RTC meals and pickles, which were introduced in the country a few years ago, and at introducing the gourmet chutney range.
Next on the cards is a pan-Indian restaurant in Central London, called Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana, the details of which are in the course of being finalised. “To the mainstream Brit, the name ‘Sanjeev Kapoor’ still needs some kind of work,” he says. “This would be in some sense a way to reach out to them.”
He concludes by revealing his plans about a 24-hour food channel in India, a concept he feels has been waiting to happen. So what can one expect? “It’ll have everything to do with food, drinks, cooking, health...” he says.