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| A taste for the good life |
| Priyanka Joshi / New Delhi Jun 13, 2010, 00:52 IST |
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 Harshal J Shah, CEO, Reliance Venture Asset Management Ltd
Which is your favourite restaurant in India and abroad? Why?
To me a good meal is as much about the taste as much as it is about bringing back memories. My favourite restaurant in India is the Zodiac Grille at Taj Mumbai. The food, the service and the ambience are some of the best in the world. Moreover, as I have been going there since the day it opened more than 20 years ago, it holds a lot of memories — it’s where I celebrated my engagement with my wife, brought in my 30th birthday and rang in the new Millennium with my family, and late grandmother.
My favourite restaurant abroad has to be L’Espalier in Boston. In addition to having one of the finest cuisines in the world and an incredible wine list, it brings back memories of when my wife and I had just got married and moved to our apartment in Boston. It was the first really expensive meal I took my wife to.
What’s your favourite childhood food memory? Any dish that transports you back to childhood?
My favourite childhood food memory is of driving down to Juhu beach with my parents, and having bhelpuri, sevpuri and paani puri at the stalls, ending with an ice sherbet gola. It was something I looked forward to perhaps at least once a month.
The one dish that transports me back to my childhood is my mother’s Makkai nu shaak (corn with vegetables). I have never had anything like that in any restaurant in India.
What kind of cuisine do you like in general?
I like cuisines of all kinds — Japanese, Szechuan Chinese, French, Lebanese, Gujarati, Konkani, Punjabi, Mexican, Thai and Korean.
Can you describe your daily diet?
A combination of toast, milk and fruit for breakfast. For lunch it is usually Gujarati cuisine which includes lightly cooked vegetables, chapati, dal and soup. For dinner, if I eat at home, then it is usually again a Gujarati cuisine including the standard dal, vegetables, salad and chapati.
Is there a meal/food preparation/cuisine that you never tire of?
I never get tired of eating sushi.
What are your regular eating habits? Do you have any food fads?
I eat small and frequent meals. I always recite a small prayer before I eat to thank God. I always get up as soon as I am done to avoid overeating. I have a sweet tooth so I stay a little hungry towards the end to have a small piece of chocolate as dessert. I try to get done with dinner at least two hours before bedtime. If I am eating out and have enjoyed a bottle of wine, I make a note of it in my diary.
Any food indulgences? Desserts, chocolates, pastries?
At times I indulge in desserts and chocolates. I also remember when my wife and I drove over to the Ben & Jerry ice-cream factory in Vermont, USA. We had so much ice-cream that I think we were unable to have any more for a month! In India I love the gulab jamuns at Bengali Market in Delhi and the kulfi at Chowpatty.
 MAKKAI NU SHAAK
2 1/2 cups thawed corn cobs
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger-root
1 fresh green chilly, very finely chopped
One-fourth teaspoon salt
One-fourth teaspoon sugar
1 pinch pepper
2 tablespoons grated coconut
1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Put the corn and milk in a heavy pan. Bring to a simmer, making sure it doesn’t boil over. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until there is very little milk left.
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add the cumin seeds. Add the ginger and green chillies a little later. Stir once.
- Add the corn, sugar, salt, and pepper to the frying pan. Stir to mix. Add the coconut and cilantro.
- Mix again and turn off the heat.
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