Khansama of Cannes

A paradigm shift is needed in how Indian food is treated in other parts of the world as well as in India, says Chef Manu Chandra

Manu Chandra now has yet another feather to add to his already well-plumed (chef’s) hat — that of being invited by the Government of India to curate and manage the catering for the ‘India Pavilion’ at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

It is not only 75 years of Indian independence, but also 75 years of India-France diplomatic
relations, and of the Cannes Film Festival. India was the ‘Country of Honour’ at the Festival this year, and the I&B Ministry was keen that the diversity and modernity of Indian art, craft, and food, be on prominent display. “I wanted to showcase a confluence of French and Indian cuisines — but, as it happens, there are few commonalities between the two; the techniques, flavour profiles, and ingredients are all vastly different,” he tells me over the phone.

Indeed, the French look to herbs, while Indians, spices; French cuisine likes a light touch, while Indian, (usually) a heavy hand. “But that was the challenge.”

The formal inaugural dinner held at Le Gray d’Albion saw the spirit of the Rajasthan desert wash over the French Riviera, bandhini fabric on white linen et al. In an ode to both cultures, pyaaz ki kachori came with crème fraiche, lamb shoulder medallion with laal maas jus, and pan-seared Saint Pierre with kadhi sauce; the pulao put gatte and morels together, while an almond financier rubbed shoulders with kalakand and saffron sauce. I wonder how he thought of these combinations and how long it took to conceptualise them. “About four hours. After more than two decades in the kitchen, there are certain things that just feel intuitive. And the rest is tweaks,” he says.

For the India Pavilion, over the course of four days, Chandra rustled up such playful canapés as paniyarams shaped like madeleines, vada pav in brioche buns, French duck confit galoutis served on little blinis, and mutton biryani arancini served with burani raita. If you are imagining what these might taste like, you don’t have to imagine for too long — these dishes are likely to make a reappearance on the chef’s repertoire upon his return to India now that he has a new venture to nurture: a bespoke catering company.

“What I’m trying to do is create food and experiences that are not ubiquitous,” he says. “Restaurants are my first love. My focus is on good old 'restauranting' — high-quality food, nice spaces, attention to detail.”

Attention is something he wants us to pay as well — on what we eat, where we source it from, and how we consume it. “Mindful eating has to be a priority. Conspicuous consumption and a blind following of trendy foods from elsewhere cannot be the norm. We are a culture blessed with rich culinary history, and sometimes it holds us in good stead to look inward. A paradigm shift is required in how India and Indian food are treated in other parts of the world and in India itself. I’d like to believe we are at the cusp of that movement,” he adds hopefully.

Perhaps he is right. Even as the country is riven by increasing polarisation based on what we eat — “food has always been political,” as the St Stephen’s history graduate reminds me — it is worth remembering that this food we call ‘Indian’ is itself a confluence of millennia of exchange of ideas from vastly ‘unIndian’ parts of the world. So even as we look inward, what we may be truly doing is celebrating the culinary history of a country that has always been truly multicultural.