The Raan-E-Haider created by executive chef Mahipal Singh who works with Ritz-Carlton Bahrain?s Indian restaurant, Nirvana.
How popular is Indian food in this region?
Saneesh Varghese, chef de cuisine, Ananta, The Oberoi Dubai: This cuisine has lots of similarities with the Arabian cooking style, the only difference being in the spice level and the variety of spices used in India. Due to the similarity in style and flavours, we notice Arabian guests tend to choose Indian over Western cuisine.
Gaurav Singh, head chef, Zafran: Indian food has become a staple diet of this region. Its versatility and simplicity makes it popular amongst different nationalities. It is very well-received in the Middle East due to the long history of trade and relationship between the two.
The UAE and India hold striking similarities in rice preparations, curries, salonas or the use of certain spices in the food. With passing time, Indian food has been refined and has become valuable with dining out in the Middle East.
Rajarshi Ganguly, executive sous chef, Taj Rasoi, Doha Marriott Hotel: The large influx of Indian expatriates into the Middle East during the 1970s and 1980s has led to a boom of Indian restaurants, initially designed to cater to the needs of the Indian work force.
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Consequently, Indian cuisine is now accepted as one of the most popular food flavours around the globe and appeals to a wider international audience resulting in Indian cuisine becoming extremely popular in the Middle East and beyond. Qatar in particular has seen an increase of European and Western expatriates over the last few years, which has also led to an increase in the number of authentic Indian restaurants across the city.
Is Indian cuisine in the region as authentic as it gets?
Mahipal Singh, executive indian chef, Nirvana, Ritz-Carlton Bahrain: To make any dishes authentic, there should be fresh ingredients and spices originally coming from India. In Bahrain there is a wide market of Indian ingredients that will certainly guarantee freshness. An important factor of creating authentic Indian cuisine is the touch of a real Indian chef having a complete knowledge and expertise of the cuisine. Some food presentations may alter to go with the flow of the new cookery trend but not the taste and preparation of the food.
GS: You can’t ignore authenticity when it comes to Indian food anywhere. It would always reflect in some way, such as the ingredients used, or the style of cooking. The recipes are tweaked for the local customers so that the cuisine can be made suitable to their preference and this definitely adds value.
Anil Kumar, culinary director, Food Wise: The cuisine is currently almost authentic with the close proximity to India, which lends the ease of hiring skilled staff, availability of all the necessary ingredients and produce. Of course the heat level in curries, a concern among many folks in the Gulf, is resolved by tweaking with non-pungent flavourings.
SV: There are restaurants here in Dubai serving authentic Indian food, but majority of the restaurants tweak spices according to the local customers.
Amrish Sood, chef de cuisine, Rang Mahal by Atul Kochhar, JW Marriott Marquis: There are three aspects on which we measure the authenticity of any cuisine: the recipe, ingredients and cooking techniques.
With the recipe and cooking techniques most chefs stick to the basics, but some make comprises for commercial benefits when it comes to good quality and ethnic ingredients. Although I agree with the idea that sometimes recipes are tweaked as per the request of the local audience.
What is the competition like between outlets serving Indian food and what makes your restaurant stand out?
AS: There is a great demand for Indian restaurants in the region, and there are high-end restaurants & budget restaurants to cater different sets of clientele. Competition is there in every segment of this trade but we believe it is the quality and consistency which prevails. It’s always good to have a competitive environment; it keeps you at forefront and makes you to strive for the best.
MS: There are certainly many new Indian restaurants emerging these days. It is all about keeping the business strong and prolonging its life span. I strongly believe that our guests’ satisfaction in their experience is the key to success.
GS: The popularity of the cuisine itself becomes a challenge at times, as there are numerous Indian restaurants in this region and more coming up every day. The competition becomes cut throat at times so one has to always be focused on quality and value for money.
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