For every chef, serving the country's top brass is a dream. And when you get to live the dream in a foreign land, it is even more exciting and challenging. From climate to ingredients, everything behaves differently and that is where your skill plays the key role. But, what if your elaborate menu is declined by the authority? What will be your plan B? Well, this is not a hypothetical case, it actually happened with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, where Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi didn't eat the food prepared by him and his team. Scroll down to read the details.
Why didn't PM Modi eat Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's food?
According to the episode 20 of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's Instagram series Kahaani Khazana, he and his team were called to Abu Dhabi to cook food for PM Modi and other dignitaries. Chef Sanjeev and his team carefully prepared the elaborate menu and just a few hours before the table was laid out, he learned that PM Modi was fasting and would not eat the dinner the team was preparing.
Chef Sanjeev said in the video, "Everyone was sad. But at the same time, a message came from his team that no, he learned that a team from India had come to eat special food. So we will eat the food prepared for fasting." He added, "Anyway, there was a bit of a commotion because suddenly we had to cook the food for fasting. There were a few hours left. Anyway, we somehow managed to cook the food for fasting."
And finally, there were a lot of non-vegetarian dishes, a few vegetarian dishes, and the food prepared for fasting ready to be served. And as soon as the dinner was set, they had to take the food to another hotel from where they were preparing it. According to Chef Sanjeev, the table was set and he was watching it all, and then he got another message. He recalls, "I got a message that everyone will eat vegetarian. Suddenly, such a big change happened. Anyway, we managed and served the food with a smile."
What did PM Modi say?
According to Chef Sanjeev, when he met PM Modi and the whole team of dignitaries, including the rulers of the UAE, he asked him, "Modi ji told me that you feed us so much, why don't you eat yourself?" In response to his question, the chef replied, "I eat."
What was on the menu?
According to reports, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor dished up a special vegetarian spread in honour of PM Modi and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. For the lunch held at Emirates Palace, the Chef crafted an array of mouth-watering dishes showcasing the best of Indian cuisine. He tweeted, “Lucknowi, Bengali, Chettinad, Moplah, Rajasthani, Goan, Sindhi, Assamese & many more, it's a delight to curate a menu around Indian Cuisine. There are so many options.
What more was served at the lunch table?
The menu included Oats Handvo, Mint and Imlee Salsa, Ghugni, Batata Puffs, Tabouleh to Cheese Fatayer, Farsaan. For mains, he prepared Pan Indian treasures like Khatti Daal, Baingan Mirch ka Salan and Bhindi Kadi for the vegetarian fare. A delectable portion of Tandoori Lamb Chops was a part of the curated menu for meat lovers and Zafrani Thandai was served to wash down the multicourse meal. There was also Moti Khass Biryani, and longest grain basmati with saffron and purest gold cottage cheese pearls. For Mishthaan, there was Narangi Basundi, Karari Hazelnut Chikki, and Fresh Cut Fruits.
What does this teach us?
When it comes to a chef's life, while it all looks glorious and glamorous, a lot goes on within the four walls of a kitchen. We often see the final picturesque plate full of flavours and colours and forget how much and how many people have worked to bring it to life. Next time you eat out, be a little gentle to the chef and the server and appreciate the efforts and intention. You never know, a small appreciation might make their efforts more worthy and bring a smile to their face.
