Vicky Ratnani - I Was Appointed A Personal Chef to Nelson Mandela on His Journey From Durban to Cape Town (Chef From India)

Vicky Ratnani is an Indian chef. He has a cooking show on NDTV called Vicky Goes Veg, as well as a cookbook by the same name. He also has a cooking show on LivingFoodz called "vickypedia". He won the best Indian Chef of the Year 2015.

Tell us about your background and journey.


I started my career on large ocean liners and ships. After I finished college, I did a stint with Lina Hotels and Oberoi Hotels. During those days I was more inclined to Western food and I thought the best way to do it is to travel the world and learn about food from different parts of the world. So I started working on cruise ships and ocean liners, where I spent 15 years working with 37 different nationalities and also circumnavigated the world seven times.


I rose to be the first Indian executive chef with Cunard Line. I was also appointed a personal chef to Nelson Mandela on his journey from Durban to Cape Town. We have served the Royal family and numerous world-renowned celebrities and business magnates. I was also part of the opening team for Queen Mary 2 - a luxury cruise ship. I would say travelling and cooking have been my forte for a long time.


After moving back to Mumbai, I took over Aurus, and later set up Nido, an all-day bistro in Mumbai, where we did modern progressive cooking. I was also the first person to do molecular gastronomy in India. I also specialize in cooking and catering at very high-end destination weddings. In 'Insignia’ by Inox Cinemas, we serve global vegetarian food from live, open kitchens and the entire food concept is done by myself. I also run Gourmet Gyan teaching essential food and kitchen philosophy, from the planning to the execution of a dish.

And then I got a chance to do television. I started with NDTV Good Times where my first show was Do It, Sweet, with Maria Goretti. Following that, I did several other cooking shows in my television career.


What does your typical day look like?


When I'm in India, my day starts with prayers, meditation, and then the gym. I am an active Buddhist practitioner. I chant every day. I visit the kitchen of Speak Burgers. I consult. It depends on the day. We are researching and cooking up dishes every day. And then I spend time in the evening with my family.


Does one's approach change when cooking professionally and at home?


When you're cooking professionally, the intent is the same. The idea is to cook a beautiful meal. Whoever is your guest, in the restaurant or family at home, at the end of the day it is all about cooking with love and passion. There is less pressure when you're cooking at home. But when you're cooking professionally people do have high expectations because you have a reputation to protect and goods to deliver. So that's the whole idea.

Instagram - @vickythechef

Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?


I don't know if there's a particular dish, but I think I cook a lot with vegetables and fish. So most of my dishes are very seasonal. They are technique-driven. They are colourful. They are simple. I do all kinds of cooking so there is no real dish I can relate myself to.


Can cooking be learnt at culinary schools or natural talent is required?


It depends on the route one takes. You learn cooking professionally in a culinary school. There is nothing like formal education. When you study culinary professionally, you learn the science of cooking. You learn the business of food, which includes nutrition and food science. You learn about how to choose products. So I think it's more detailed when you are studying culinary from a culinary school.


Which is your favourite book and why?


I love to read a lot of cookbooks. I think there are quite a few like Larousse Gastronomique, which is like the Bible of Western cooking. That's a really good book. Then there are books like Noma by Chef Rene Redzepi, which is also one of my favourite books. I also like books written by KT Achaya, which tells you about the history and civilization of Indian cooking. I also like to read books by Digvijay Singh, which is Cooking of the Maharajas.

Interviewed By - Nimisha Dutta