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HT Brunch Social Media Star of The Week: Chef Bani Nanda
Are you a picky diner who has a dozen customisations for your dish? Here’s a chef pulling you up with humour, and winning this week for it!
What does a baker do when she is asked to serve up a cake without gluten, sugar, maida, cream, fruits and nuts? She’ll present you with a slab of ice.
That’s what Chef Bani Nanda, 30, said on her funny Insta video, which went viral and evoked laughter and comments from other chefs. She said, “I can’t put all these factors in one cake. I can give gluten-free and less cream but I can’t deliver a nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan cake!”
Disrupting the concept
It may seem that Bani’s fun video may have touched a sensitive nerve, as complaints poured out from fellow chefs of picky eaters who demanded the same taste from a dish after customisations that’d prevent the dish from it tasting the same. (See fun box below).
Bani says even if she experiments and whips up something, you’re extracting from the concept of baking and disrupting an entire cuisine. “This wasn’t what was taught to me in culinary school!”
Chef’s table Chefs share the weirdest something-free dish someone asked them to make:
Chef Megha Kohli
A guest called up a day in advance for a special vegan menu and I prepared it. Then, he ordered the Armenian Ravioli from the menu saying “egg chalta hai.”
Chef Radhika Khandelwal
A guy comes in who’s allergic to all greens but all he wanted to eat was a salad. So, we made a kodo millet salad for him.
Chef Anahita Dhondy
One person wanted all his food without salt. Another wanted gluten-free, lactose-free and vegan. So, I made a dish not on the menu. It’s easier!
Chef Manu Chandra
When someone ordered for a mushroom risotto without any mushrooms in it!
Chef Ruchira Hoon-Philip
When people ask me to change the base of the dish, it changes the game. Like a soba noodle eggplant salad, without eggplant!
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From HT Brunch, April 11, 2021
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