Interview with Kumar Mahadevan + win a $150 lunch for two at Aki's, Woolloomooloo

Chef Kumar Mahadevan

2010 is a big year for Kumar Mahadevan, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his Indian restaurant Abhi's in North Strathfield. Named after his first son, Abhi's opened in 1990 and soon developed a cult following who relished his lighter touch with new and interesting Indian dishes. A second restaurant, Aki's - named after his second son - opened on the Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo.

After recently dining at both Abhi's and Aki's, I was keen to find out more about the man behind the stove. Grab Your Fork asked him Ten Questions to find out more, including his advice for budding chefs and restauranteurs, Kumar's recipe for Goan fish curry and what he thinks of food blogs!

>> Don't forget to read to the end of the post to find out how you can win a $150 voucher to dine at Aki's, Woolloomooloo.

Kumar Mahadevan outside the Taj Intercontinental Hotel, Bombay

in 1980, where he completed his chef's apprenticeship

Ten Questions with Kumar Mahadevan, Head Chef and owner, Abhi's and Akhi's

1. What prompted you to become a chef?

My tongue! My taste for food – I have loved food since I was a child. I guess you could say I followed doing what I loved – and have been lucky enough to make a career out of it.

2. How much did food and cooking play a role in your childhood and upbringing? Is there a food or smell that instantly transports you back to your childhood?

It was an integral part of my early life. I have always loved food, my mother and grandma great cooks so I grew up around that and their passion for flavour and delicious food.

The ginger and tamarind chutney that we serve with our squid dish is in fact a childhood recipe. We also serve a sambar with the marsala dosa that is a traditional dish taken from my mother.

Chef Kumar in a 1980 newspaper ad for a product launch in India

3. You opened Abhi’s in 1990. What was that first menu like, and how has it evolved since then?

From day one, the Abhi’s menu was very different from the normal run-of-the-mill Indian restaurant. It was recognised as being revolutionary in the sense that it was so unlike the kind of Indian food around at the time – we had no samosas or the heavy kinds of dishes usually associated with Indian restaurants.

We were using contemporary techniques and dishes that no one had heard of before. I was brave enough to introduce new flavours and dishes right from the start – for example my Palaak Patta Chat - which has now become one of my signature dishes! The fish wrapped in banana leaf with mint chutney has also been on the menu since the beginning. I think this is why Abhi’s was so popular – people began to see Indian food like they had never seen it before.

Over the years, Abhi’s has grown and developed like a child, from infantry, toddler, and teen stages, and now proudly celebrating its 20th year. Abhi’s has changed with time, style, technology, decor, presentation and styling of food and service standards. As we have gained such a loyal following, our customers do not hesitate to try new things from the menu, which in turn has given me a greater license to introduce them to more bold and interesting flavours.

I am always trying to innovate and create modern dishes, bringing together Indian traditions with the most up-to-date contemporary techniques. I travel back to India regularly so that I know what is going on with the cuisine over there. And now there is so much more fresh produce and spices available to me, so I try to maximise the use of these as much as possible.

In the kitchen at the Iraq Sheraton Hotel in 1982

4. Your restaurants Abhi's and Aki's are named after your two sons. Do your sons have a good-natured rivalry about how each restaurant is doing?

No, not at all! The restaurants are quite different concepts so impossible to compare - just like my sons!

5. After twenty years in the business, have you noticed a shift in people’s palates for Indian cuisine or how they view dining out?

Definitely – people are now beginning to see that Indian can be a fine dining food rather than just a takeaway food. When I first began, there was a distinct lack of availability of ingredients, lack of variety of ingredients, lack of professionalism and professional Indian chefs. The cuisine was very basic and amateurish. As a result, it was regarded very much as a takeaway food rather than a fine cuisine to be enjoyed in a restaurant.

When Abhi’s opened, it was always a risk to introduce flavours and new dishes from different parts of India that had not been done before, but people accepted and enjoyed it to the extent that it gave me a challenge to keep research into the depth of Indian cuisine. This progressive process of education of Indian cuisine is validated by Abhi’s existence for 20 years.

Outside Mayur Restaurant, Sydney in 1985,

where Kumar first worked as in a Head Chef role

6. You appeared on MasterChef Australia, demonstrating the Madras prawn vendaki in the Friday night MasterChef MasterClass. What was that like?

It was great – I was so honoured that I was given the opportunity to appear. It was exciting to expose my food to a such a wide audience, and to show that Indian food can be a gourmet cuisine.

7. What do you know or think about food blogs? Have you noticed more people photographing their food in your restaurants?

I am often seeing my restaurants pop up on these blogs! I fully support food bloggers, it really shows the popularity of food and dining these days as an entertainment activity, and I think it is wonderful that people dedicate so much of their leisure time to it. I am constantly impressed by the standard of writing and photos on these blogs also – it goes to show you do not have to be a trained chef to impart worthwhile knowledge on food.

Kumar Mahadevan in the kitchen at Abhi's in 1990, when it first opened

8. Do you have a favourite spice?

I love using fennel and green cardamom.

9. What's your advice for people looking to become a chef or start their own restaurant?

Understand your own strengths, and also the market you are entering into – this is essential. Do some research, isolate your point of difference, and go forward from there.

10. And finally, many people are intimidated about cooking Indian food at home without using pre-packaged spices or sauces. What’s a simple recipe or dish people can create at home?

You definitely don’t need to use packet foods – this dulls the flavour of the cuisine and the spices. Indian recipes can be surprisingly simple. For example, my fish curry is very straightforward and a great one for winter.

Goan Fish Curry

Ingredients
800g fish steaks eg. sand whiting
200g fresh grated coconut
8 dried kashmiri chillies
1 tbls whole coriander seeds
6 cloves garlic
Half inch piece of ginger
1 tsp peppercorn
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground turmeric
I small onion, sliced
4 green chillies, slit
5 small wedges of kokum or 1 tablespoon tamarind power

Method

1. Rub the salt on the fish and keep aside for at least an hour.
2. Make a fine, smooth paste of the following ingredients with water: grated coconut, chillies, coriander seeds, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, cumin seeds and turmeric powder.
3. Combine the marsala paste with two tablespoons of oil and boil for 10 minutes over medium heat, while stirring frequently. Add sliced onions and then the required amount of water until it comes to the boil. Add the fish steaks and simmer until cooked.
4. Add the slit green chillies, wedges of kokum or tamarind powder and salt.
5. Cook gently for a few minutes until done.

Keen to try the food of Kumar Mahadevan? Thanks to this week's Freebie Friday, one lucky Grab Your Fork reader has the chance to win a lunch for two at Aki's Woolloomooloo.

THE PRIZE:

Lunch for two at Aki's Woolloomooloo to the value of $150.

This voucher is valid for six months only. Aki's is open for lunch Sunday to Friday.

HOW TO ENTER:
All you have to do is fulfil the requirements below:

1. Leave a comment on this post and tell us: What's your favourite Indian dish? Or which dish at Aki's would you most like to try? Check out the Aki's post for details on some of the dishes available.
   
2. And then send an email to grabyourforkfreebiefriday@yahoo.com.au with the subject heading "Aki's" and include your full name and a copy of your published comment from this post.
   
   

The winning entry will be decided on honesty, creativity or entertainment value. Don't be shy! You gotta be in it to win it! Readers may submit one entry per day as long as each answer is different.

The Aki's competition closes on Sunday 18 July 2010 at 5.30pm AEST. The winner will be announced on Grab Your Fork on Monday 19 July 2010.

EDIT: This competition has now closed. Congratulations to the winner announced here.

More Grab Your Fork competitions to enter:

> Win a $50 dining voucher at Helm Bar, Darling Harbour

(entries close Sun 4 July 2010)

> Win a 12-month subscription to one of four food magazines

(entries close Sun 11 July 2010)

Related Grab Your Fork posts:

Abhi's, Strathfield

Aki's, Woolloomooloo