Salva Mubarak Senior Features Writer

Whether you’re a pro at cooking or you’re just a beginner who is learning to boil an egg without burning down the whole kitchen, useful tips and hacks from a professional chef are worth their weight in gold.

Celebrity chef Manish Mehrotra, who heads the kitchen at the award-winning restaurant Indian Accent, sat down for a chat with us post him being crowned the top-ranked chef in the country at the FoodSuperstars Awards. The awards, organized by Culinary Culture, were a first of their kind annual ranking where 30 top chefs of the country were celebrated for their excellence in the field.

“There is so much talent in this country, and it’s about time that people around the globe recognise it as well,” said Mehrotra, on becoming the top-ranked chef in the country according to FoodSuperstars, “Being number one on this list is a great honour and a privilege, and it’s definitely one of the happiest and proudest moments for me, as well as for my family, my team, and my restaurant. I am thankful to my team, my company, and my restaurant for their constant support and I am grateful to Culinary Culture for taking a step forward and recognising the hard work and efforts of the people behind the food.”

The chef’s enduring popularity, and this recent honour, are probably because of his wholesome food philosophy. “With my food, I always aspire to bring a smile to the face of the people eating the dish. It goes without saying that taste is of utmost essence when creating or eating food. Your food has to be mouth-watering and finger-licking. So for me, meals that brighten up someone’s day are the ones I enjoy cooking most.”

With years of experience under his belt, Chef Mehrotra is bound to know the best kept secrets of the world of cooking, the elusive hacks that make their food delectable or, at the very least, edible! When asked about these golden tips and tricks, the chef exclaimed that there have been innumerable hacks that he has learned over the years!

“In the past 7 years I’ve grasped tonnes of clever hacks and I’m still learning new ones each day,” he said,“The one that I abide by perhaps would be to taste test each and everything, every step of the way. Before serving, you must make others try your dishes as well because you may savour something, but they may or may not enjoy it. So definitely trust your tongue, but welcome feedback as well.”

So the next time you psych yourself up for stepping into the kitchen, heed Chef Mehrotra’s words.