Thoughtful, serious and certainly passionate about cooking — particularly traditional Indian fare — Executive Chef Nilesh Singhvi of D.C.’s The Bombay Club restaurant is the right man for this kitchen. With 20 years of experience backing him, and most spent in the kitchens of the prestigious Taj Group of Hotels in India, Singhvi has learned the secrets of the Indian masters.
Why a career as a chef? Born to a vegetarian household, Singhvi credits his mother for inspiring him to pursue this dream. She taught him from an early age the basics of Rajasthani home cooking, including such vegetarian specialties as gadde ki subzi (gram flour dumplings poached then fried and cooked in a yogurt sauce) and chakki ka saag, a complex dish that requires removing the gluten from flour, leaving an ingredient that looks and tastes just like lamb. Despite his upbringing in a strict vegetarian household, however, Singhvi does enjoy cooking with and eating meat.
“My parents have no restrictions on what we eat,” he says.
But there’s more to his culinary fervor; it’s in his genetic makeup: “My mother is a good cook,” he says. “But in Rajasthan [his native state in India], everyone enjoys good food.”
After learning the basics at home, Singhvi attended the Institute of Hotel Management, India’s equivalent of America’s Culinary Institute of America (CIA), where he trained in classic French, Italian, Indian, and Chinese cooking techniques. As fate would have it, the Taj Group hired Singhvi right after graduation and he has worked and cooked his way up to the top in their kitchens since then, mastering Maharashtrian and Goan cuisines on the way and specializing in North Indian cooking.
Although he is adept at preparing traditional foods, Singhvi keeps an open mind, and is willing to create new offerings, but always with an eye towards preserving authentic tastes and textures. “Whatever I have learned from the various chefs I’ve worked with, I follow their principles,” he says. “Plus I read old Indian books that describe regional cooking. Then I will read a recipe and see how four or five different chefs offer their version of the dish. In India, everyone seems to say they know very good food … and everyone has his own version.”
But for Singhvi, what the old masters say remains the final word.
“I ask them for a reason why something is so and I find the answer,” he says.
Now the head of a classic Indian kitchen, Singhvi has clearly reached the top of his profession. Is his family proud?
“My brother likes what I am doing. He keeps asking me how to make this or that.” As for his mother, he says, “She thinks I’ll become a great cook one day. She wants me to become even better.”
In Singhvi’s own words
Do you cook at home?
Very seldom. Only on special occasions, like for a birthday for the children. … My wife and mother are good cooks. I can’t beat them.
What is your cooking philosophy?
I cook a dish and then judge for myself what is lacking or not lacking. Then I judge according to the palate of the customer. All that I use must be fresh. I believe in not using too many ingredients or spices in the food. I use just the right amount to support the flavor of the main food item.
What is your comfort food?
I go home and eat whatever my wife fixes. But really, it’s pizza and then ice cream.
What are your ingredient basics?
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek and fennel. These are the basics I need. Of course, onion and tomatoes.
What do you do in your leisure time?
I watch TV or surf the [Inter]net.
What distinguishes you as a chef?
I am very focused and dedicated. I cook with my heart and a passion so I will cook anything very well. That’s what I believe.
What is your luckiest moment?
That is very difficult. One is that I entered school of hotel management. Then I got married. Then I moved to D.C. Professionally? When I found the Taj Palace. That’s where I learned everything.
What is in your fridge?
That depends on the kids. Juices, ice cream, cheese, veggies, chocolates.
Chicken Palak
Serves 8 to 10
10 ounces cello-wrapped spinach, rinsed
2 pounds boneless and skinless chicken, a combination of breasts and thighs, rinsed and cubed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
4 tablespoon chopped onion
One 2-inch piece cinnamon
6 to 7 whole cloves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chopped green chilies
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon red chili powder.
3 tablespoons chopped tomatoes
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek seeds, ground
halved cherry tomatoes as gar
nish, if desired.
Look for deghi mirch at an Indian store, where it will be marked as deghi mirch of the MDH brand. For a richer dish, stir in 2 tablespoons heavy cream before serving. Discard the cinnamon stick and cloves before serving.
Blanch the spinach,and put it into a food processor with enough water to process into a paste. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the cumin seeds. Sauté until the seeds are fragrant. Add the garlic and fry until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and fry until golden, stirring often, for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cloves, ginger and chilies, and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the turmeric and red chili powder, and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates and rises to the surface. Stir in the salt. Add the chicken and cook, stirring well, until the mixture is well combined. Add the spinach, cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes.
Sprinkle with the ground fenugreek seeds, garnish with the cherry tomato halves, if desired, and serve.
