Seasoned with Spice

If not a chef,I think I would have enrolled myself in the Merchant Navy.

Apart from salt,which ingredient according to you is the most important?

After salt,the most important ingredient has to be olive oil. Whether I am preparing hot food or cold food,I feel that it is an essential ingredient.

Which method of cooking is the healthiest?

That would have to be steaming the food. Steaming is the healthiest cooking method because it preserves all the nutrients of the ingredients.

Do you prefer Indian or continental food?

While Indian food definitely is varied,owing to the different cuisines that come from across the country,my personal favourite is Continental food.

Do you think Puneites experiment with their food?

Puneites stick to the food they know. But once people start travelling,their awareness about food increases and they start experimenting. Amongst Puneites,I have noticed that Thai food is quite popular.

Which dish can most aptly be called the representative of Indian cuisine?

Chicken tikka. It’s a traditionally baked skewer in a clay based oven (tandoor). Indian cuisine is the general name for foods of the Indian subcontinent,characterised by the extensive use of various spices,herbs,and other vegetables,and I feel that the chicken tikka is a perfect blend of the same and it represents the cuisine from India very well,globally.