Let�€™s twist again

Master chef hemant oberoi has been producing indian cuisine with a twist for years. at varq, he takes it up a notch. kushan mitra experiences the magic.

Five-and-a-half years. That’s how long it took Hemant Oberoi, Executive Grand Chef at the Taj Group, to finalise the menu at Varq. You may have already heard the buzz about the hot new Indian restaurant at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi. But “Indian” doesn’t quite cover it. I’ve just been served a small scoop of tamarind sorbet served on dry ice with a sugarcane stick. It’s the kind of treat you won’t find at Delhi’s Pandara Market. The sorbet was a palate-cleanser between the exquisite Varqui Crab and the Seafood Rassa soup. “Sorbets are traditionally Indian, but what we have tried to do is to give them a twist as well,” says Chef Oberoi, who sits with us during lunch.

He’s all about twists. For the last few years, he has been redefining Indian food with his Masala chain— Masala Kraft at the Taj Palace, Mumbai, Masala Art at the Taj Palace, Delhi, and the recently-opened Masala Club at the Taj West End, Bangalore. But Varq’s real twist is its presentation—it pre-plates Indian food. Take the Varqui Crab, for example: layers of crab meat between cumininfused thin filo pastry and topped with a tandoori prawn. It arrives on a plate together—no bowls all over the place, no waiter serving you portions.

The idea came after a function in Monaco when he discussed it with celebrity chef Alain Ducasse. The food tastes as Indian as you can get, with the spices and the flavours not blitzing your taste buds as they might do in some neo-Indian food joints, but more balanced like proper Indian cooking. But proper Indian cooking is never served like this—you don’t look at it, appreciating the presentation. Indian food is all about digging in. “I certainly believe India is ready for this, I am pretty sure that others will start doing something similar soon,” Chef Oberoi says. And just as the words leave his mouth, the entrée is served—Calicut Prawns.

And they are not smothered in a curry sauce, or gravy, they are accompanied by some Lucknawi Aloo and a rather nice Dal Tadka. This is Indian food as you have never known it. “India has a treasure trove of over 70,000-80,000 recipes and over the past few years, many of them have got lost. We are trying to revive lost recipes and also that most Indian of things— adapting our food to take in modern influences,” says Chef Oberoi.

Take the Mini-olive Naan and Tomato & Mozarella Kulcha. Calling either of these two breads Indian would be treasonous, but both are brilliant amalgams of Indian and Mediterranean flavours—think of the Kulcha as an Indian style mini-pizza. However, the desserts really push the envelope. You can argue for hours about the Indian-ness of the fabulous Masala Tea Crème Brulee, but the taste is inarguable. For the traditionalist, there are kulfi and jalebis, too—but then Varq isn’t really the place for traditionalists. And how’s this for a final twist—every course is paired with teas.

{mosimage} Sure, the waiters might recommend a crisp Riesling but the teas, which include a wonderful Darjeeling First Bloom, are brilliant as cleansers. There has always been food in India that has reflected its times and the influences on the subcontinent. This country, unlike any other, has always had “global” food and if you were to try and define a food for the globalising India this is the place.

“India has a treasure trove of over 70,000-80,000 recipes. What we are trying to do is that most Indian of things, adapting our food to take in modern influences” Hemant Oberoi Executive Grand Chef/ Taj Group

Where: Varq, The Taj Mahal, New Delhi
For reservations: 011-23026162
Cost of meal for two : Rs 5,000