A chat with Alfred Prasad

Saturday, 11 April 2015 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Q: How did the food journey begin for you? A: I was born in Wardha (Central India) and feel incredibly lucky to have lived around the sub-continent and get a first-hand experience of its immense diversity in many aspects. Thanks to my Anglo-Indian mum and Tamil Brahmin dad, we had a lot of early exposure to varied cuisines and food cultures, which opened my mind to the immense possibilities of food and cuisine. My three siblings and I grew up helping our mother around the kitchen and we loved the aromas wafting through our home, fighting for the first tawa-paratha at breakfast or to lick the cake spoon (and bowl)! I can’t say that I consciously knew I wanted to become a chef but many key aspects of those years steered me naturally towards it. I can certainly say that like for most chefs, my mother was my first inspiration.

Q: Do you have a cooking mantra you follow? A: My mantra of five Ts: Technique, Temperature, Time, Texture and Taste. Q: Did you always want to be a chef, even as a child? A: No, I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Q: What was the turning point to success in your culinary career? A: The move to London in 1999 was a key turning point and getting a Michelin star soon after in 2002. Q: Tell me about your time with Tamarind? A: When I joined Tamarind as Sous Chef in 2001, Tamarind won its first Michelin star. A year later, the head chef moved and I was promoted as Executive Chef. Expectations were high to retain the star as we had just earned it and we didn’t want to let go of it. That was one of the biggest challenges and retaining it for several years following, was a very rewarding experience. As the group expanded we showcased eclectic Indian Street food in Imli Street and other facets of Indian cuisine to the London dining scene. Q: What is your food philosophy? A: To preserve the purity of produce. To combine technique, texture and taste and offer every guest a multi-sensory food experience. Q: You’re passionate about two causes – food wastage and food poverty. Can you tell me more about this? A: Statistics of food wastage are staggering and disgusting. More so when in most countries, it exists alongside food poverty. The organisations I work with for both initiatives are Food Cycle and Action Against Hunger. I try hard to raise awareness of both these issues as a lot can be done at a domestic – single unit level. Q: How was your experience with Trekurious in Sri Lanka? A: They are a very professional and qualified team so working with them is a very seamless and pleasurable experience. Also at a personal level, I enjoyed getting to know them.

Q: Any plans of returning to Sri Lanka? A: I always leave Sri Lanka wanting more. Next time I want to do a safari in Yala for sure and hopefully see my favourite big cat. Q: What are your thoughts on Sri Lankan cuisine? A: The sensibilities are very much like Southern-Indian cuisines but with a distinct flavour of its own. I absolutely love the flavours, textures and produce. On this trip I experienced a wider repertoire of Sri Lankan cuisine be it the special meal I was treated to by Chef Publis or being taught tuna ambutiyal in a village in Galle. Q: If you could offer any advice to budding chefs, what would it be? A:Work hard – there are no shortcuts. Practice makes perfect. Don’t blindly follow trends. Keep an open mind to taste and experiment in your cooking. Respect ingredients. Try to nurture your own style/brand of cooking. Q: How do you unwind after a long day? A: Watching National Geographic or Discovery Science. On the odd day I finish a bit early - a good game of tennis. Q: Your inspirations? A: I find the limitless-endlessness of cuisineology very inspiring – to learn, to unlearn, to create, to evolve. Q: Future plans? A: In the immediate future there is a lot I have packed in – food festivals in Greece and all over Asia. Masterclasses, working on two books, and of course my own restaurant project.