Chef serves up gourmet treats with healthy twist

Sanjeev Kapoor keeps the focus on nutritious and simple cooking

With a steady stream of comments, jokes and instructions in Hindi and English on various dishes, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor kept his audience entertained for several hours at a special event titled ‘Fun, Flavours and Food’ organised by The Aura women’s forum in Tiruchi on Saturday.

“The beauty of India is that we are all so well-connected that we never feel out of place anywhere,” Mr. Kapoor told The Hindu, when asked about how he blended into the southern Indian milieu. On his third visit to Tiruchi, the chef showcased 13 gourmet recipes with a focus on healthy ingredients such as millets and heirloom grains. He prepared the dishes on stage, while many others were part of the lunch buffet served later.

The pandemic had highlighted the importance of food security, said Mr. Kapoor, who is collaborating with Akshaya Patra Foundation to eliminate hunger among school-going children. “During COVID-19, we were providing meals to nearly 50 hospitals across India, feeding about 50,000 persons every day. Even though the schools were closed, we had a lot of funds from donors and the kitchens were there, so we had a busy time ensuring that the children were fed. We are in talks with Debbie Shore of the US charity No Kid Hungry, to see how we can eradicate hunger in schools, and improve midday meals further,” he said.

The Aura event included the contests ‘Mystery Box’ and ‘Display My Dish’ judged by Mr. Kapoor, book autographing session and photo opportunities with the chef, besides a lunch buffet featuring his recipes. Committee members Mythily Ramanan, Rajeshwari Ramakrishnan and others spoke. .