From reviving forgotten grains and lost recipes, to surging sustainable practices and encouraging organic farming, some of Delhi-NCR’s best chefs predict the food trends that will dominate the year. As they speak their heart out about food, they are also excited to share their New Year Resolutions.
Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, Corporate Chef, Yuvi Hospitality Molecule Air Bar , Drunken Botanist
Top key food trends in 2019?
• Root to stem cooking
• Ethnic Evolution will take place.- New ethnic flavours and foods will be trending in 2019.
• 2019 seems to be big for adventurous veggie and vegan cuisine.
Your New Year Resolution as a chef in 2019?
I will try to bring a lot of new ideas and concepts in our menus which are classic but will be presented as a fusion in our way, like beer ramen noodles, choley bhatura tacos, cold Japanese pizzas and a lot of emphasis on local regional food for the sustainability of the earth.
I will focus more on lots of local grains like millets, barley, quinoa etc and bring the awareness of the same by making dishes like millets khichdi with lal maas, among many. Working with farmers in a more systematically way is also on the bucket list, as I will bring the best possible produce to our customers and create some mouth-watering dishes for them which are regional cuisines based.
Chef Anas Qureshi, MOLECULE AIR BAR- GURGAON
What will be your focus this year in menu planning?
Will be focusing more on old Indian forgotten grains.
Will also be working more on the lost regional recipes from various parts of the world.
Focus will be there on presenting sustainable food which has less impact on the environment and will be adding more vegetarian options on the menu.
What is in and what is out in 2019 according to you?
Too complicated dishes are OUT and more rustic simple flavours will be IN.
What is your New Year resolution as a chef in 2019?
I would like to focus on real flavors, sustainable food practices, helping and supporting the local farmers and creating awareness about local ingredients. Will also work with more of seasonal produce and will keep sharing my knowledge with the young budding chefs to keep the trend of sustainable cuisine going a long way.
Harangad Singh, Corporate Chef Of BIGGIE HOSPITALITY PRA PRA PRANK AND PRANKSTER
The top four key Food Trends in 2019?
2019 is the year that will elevate food tastes in a new manner. With increasing knowledge towards healthy lifestyle — 2019 will be an ode to seasonal and regional flavours. Four key points for 2019 would be:
• Focus on regional food
• Less of drama on plate and more of food
• Recreation of lost recipe
• Use of more sustainable and organic ingredients.
Your focus this year in menu planning?
My first focus will be to put dishes with intense flavours and dig back and recreate recipes which are forgotten. My focus is to bring innovations for healthy food and also present the food in the most home style and classy way.
I am planning to introduce dishes never seen before at Prankster. For example, ‘Cooker Meat’, a unique mutton preparation where the final whistle is done on the table. It recreates the classic nostalgia where the fresh aromas of mutton are released when the cooker is opened. ‘Atta Semiyan’ — this again is the revision of a lost recipe where our granny used to sit for 2-3 hours and roll the semiyan. So, this is hand rolled, homemade whole wheat semiyan flavoured with jaggery and fennel. Both are high on flavours, yet healthy.
What is ‘In’ and what is ‘Out’ in 2019 according to you in Food Trend?
New regional flavours will be IN and drama in the name of molecular gastronomy will be OUT.
Piyush Jain, Owner at Decode Underground
According to you, what are the top Food Trends of 2019?
• Comfort food will get a new avatar:
Grandma’s food with a fresh twist. Diners will look for simple food but in new avatar.
• Asian cuisine will be in trend.
• Japanese, Burmese, Indonesian – these cuisines will be more in demand.
• Bistro will take over the pub culture:
When I say Bistro will take over pub culture, I mean people will go to restaurant to have good hearty meal and while eating they will enjoy their drinks as against the pub culture where the first thing is to drink and food becomes secondary.
• Mock meats will be getting their due:
Mock meats will be presented for vegetarians in the best possible preparations.
What will be your focus this year in menu planning?
As my restaurants are based on modern Indian cuisine, so I will be focusing more on Indian dishes which can be regional or basic Indian dishes but will mould them in modern style with fancy presentation.
What is ‘In’ and what is ‘Out’ in 2019 according to you?
All jazziness from food presentation will be OUT like smoke coming out of the food etc.
Good presentation of comfort food of India will be hugely IN.
What is your New Year Resolution as a chef in 2019?
As a chef, my resolution remains the same as every year: to provide the best to my guests and keep myself updated on food trends.
Ashish Singh, Corporate Chef, NUEVA AND CAFE DELHI HEIGHTS
Your focus this year in menu planning?
To bring the lost and forgotten ingredients to the plates of my guests. For example, there is a seed called Jakhya which is readily available and used in Uttarakhand, I would like to use it for its excellent aroma, flavor and health value.
What is IN and what is OUT in 2019?
In 2019, untouched Western Cuisine will excel high, whereas molecular Gastronomy will be out. The trend of Japanese cuisine will continue.
Your New Year Resolution as a chef in 2019?
Embracing Indian patrons with dishes still unknown from different parts of the world.
Also to catch up with growing trend of organic vegetables and vegan foods. l will try to offer my guests more healthier options.
Akshay Bhardwaj, Corporate Chef, UNPLUGGED COURTYARD
What do you think will be the top Food Trends in 2019?
Local food and regional produce
What will be your focus this year in menu planning?
The major focus will be to retain the identity of ingredients or to create a nostalgic and soulful connection with the dish we create. Like a grilled pineapple and custard dessert or the banana bread French toast with ice cream and coconut.
What is ‘In’ and what is ‘Out’ in 2019 according to you in Food Trend?
Modernist food in a different avatar will be IN for sure.
• Molecular is done and dusted, and thus will be OUT.
• More focus on regional ingredients and understanding of our heritage of cuisine will be IN.
What is your New Year Resolution as a chef in 2019?
To strive to create a difference. As a chef, I always aim for innovation. Creating dishes with the use of local produce is certainly my resolution this year.
Manoj Pandey, Brand Chef – Duty Free Bars, Delhi NCR
What do you think will be the top four key Food Trends in 2019?
• Back to basics
• Use of traditional and old grains like millets, amaranth, South Indian rice etc.
• Vegan eating is going to take the food industry by storm.
What will be your focus this year in menu planning?
My focus will be to use traditional and local ingredients and seasonal produce.
What is ‘In’ and what is ‘Out’ in 2019 according to you in Food Trend?
• Artificial food colouring is OUT. • The excess fat containing dishes will be OUT.
• A lot of leafy salads, grains and the use of old techniques in cooking will be IN.
What is your New Year Resolution as a chef in 2019?
As a chef, I want to use more of grains and revive original dishes. The dishes that taught us our core values, which represents ourselves globally.
