Chef Rajesh Singh talks to Shristi Patni about finding his calling and becoming a chef, what it’s like to be a food connoisseur and reveals the recipe of his signature dish: Palak Patta Chaat.
Profoundly creative, innovative and self-motivated, Chef Rajesh Singh comes from Hyderabad, the city of Nawabs; the city that has kept the rich culture and heritage of royal India intact over the years.
Currently working as the Executive sous chef at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi, Singh is one of the most experimental and artistic chefs.
He has been innovating and creating unique yet authentic Indian culinary concepts and food promotions for over a decade in the Indian speciality kitchens.
Be it the revival of the lost recipes of the Royals or celebrating regional cuisines from across the diverse parts of the country, he’s known for his cooking.
Chef Rajesh is a part of Varq, the award-winning modern Indian dining gourmet dining destination at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi.
Visually spectacular in every way, this elegant Indian restaurant brings together authenticity, artistry and innovation on the plate.
At Varq, every dish is an edible piece of art crafted with passion and precision by their expert chefs.
Varq is known for its Modern Indian food across the globe and has been a part of the top best restaurants in the world and has also received a lot of awards and international reviews for the same.
Singh carries a lot of flavours and expertise in his style.
What sets him apart are the artistic abilities that he loves to display when plating dishes.
He has a keen eye for detail that helps him bring together the most sensational delicacies you can ever imagine.
His forte lies in cooking and presenting Indian food.
Here a few awards and recognitions achieved by Varq:
- Varq was featured in the 101 Best Restaurants in Asia by The Daily Mail and among the Foodie top 100 restaurants by Glam Media.
- Varq was featured among the Top 50 Restaurants in the World – Asia list by S. Pellegrino for two consecutive years.
Watch Singh create one of his favourite dishes: Palak Patta Chaat.
Palak Patta Chaat Recipe
Serves: 6 Prep Time: 20 min Total time: 30 min Cooking Time: 10 min
Ingredients:
Oil (for frying), 10 gms Green chilly (finely chopped), 10 gms Ginger (finely chopped), Salt (to taste), 10 gms Yellow chilli powder, 10 gms Turmeric powder, 200 gms Spinach leaves, 10 gms Carrom seeds, 100 gms Gram flour
For Garnish/to serve:
2 big leaves of Spinach, Black chaat masala (to taste), Dry mango chutney (to taste)
To make the Dry mango chutney:
1 lt Water, 50 gms Kashmiri chilli powder, 250 gms Sugar, 50 gms Dry mango powder
Directions:
Begin by removing the stalks from the spinach leaves. Shred them (medium-size) and thoroughly wash them using a colander. Keep aside to ensure that all the water has drained, preferably overnight. In a bowl, add all the ingredients except oil and mix until well combined. Use the palm of your hands to make small marble-sized balls with the batter and keep them aside. Heat the oil in a deep wok and fry the balls and remove them onto a tissue lined plate when they’re 70% done. Repeat with all the remaining balls. Once done, fry them again until 100% done. Double frying ensures that they remain crispy and crunchy.
To fry the spinach leaves:
Dip the bigger leaves individually in a batter of thin gram flour with all the above-mentioned ingredients except carrom seeds. Fry them using the same technique until crisp and golden.
To make the Dry Mango Chutney:
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the consistency by adding more water, if required.
To serve:
In a bowl, add all the spinach balls and enough dry mango chutney to evenly coat them. Sprinkle black chaat masala on top.
To plate:
Start by making a criss-cross pattern using the dry mango chutney on the plate. Next, place a spinach leaf on it. Next, add all the spinach balls on top before covering it with another spinach leaf. Serve immediately.
Palak Patta Chaat
Ingredients
- Oil for frying
- 10 gms Green chilly finely chopped
- 10 gms Ginger finely chopped
- Salt to taste
- 10 gms Yellow chilli powder
- 10 gms Turmeric powder
- 200 gms Spinach leaves
- 10 gms Carrom seeds
- 100 gms Gram flour
To make the Dry mango chutney:
- 1 ltr water
- 50 gms Kashmiri chilli powder
- 250 gms Sugar
- 50 gms Dry mango powder
For Garnish/to serve:
- 2 big leaves of Spinach
- Black chaat masala to taste
- Dry mango chutney to taste
Instructions
- Begin by removing the stalks from the spinach leaves. Shred them (medium-size) and thoroughly wash them using a colander. Keep aside to ensure that all the water has drained, preferably overnight.
- In a bowl, add all the ingredients except oil and mix until well combined.
- Use the palm of your hands to make small marble-sized balls with the batter and keep them aside.
- Heat the oil in a deep wok and fry the balls and remove them onto a tissue lined plate when they’re 70% done.
- Repeat with all the remaining balls. Once done, fry them again until 100% done. Double frying ensures that they remain crispy and crunchy.
To fry the spinach leaves:
- Dip the bigger leaves individually in a batter of thin gram flour with all the above-mentioned ingredients except carrom seeds. Fry them using the same technique until crisp and golden.
To make the Dry Mango Chutney:
- Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and cook on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust the consistency by adding more water, if required.
To serve:
- In a bowl, add all the spinach balls and enough dry mango chutney to evenly coat them. Sprinkle black chaat masala on top.
To plate:
- Start by making a criss-cross pattern using the dry mango chutney on the plate. Next, place a spinach leaf on it. Next, add all the spinach balls on top before covering it with another spinach leaf. Serve immediately.
Shristi is an avid reader, recipe developer and wellness enthusiast. She’s probably making a mess in her kitchen right now.