Chef Manjit Singh Gill
Advisor, ITC Hotels
President, Indian Federation of Culinary Associations | INDIA
Ancestry:
Varpal, Amritsar (Punjab)
Residence & Birthplace:
New Delhi (INDIA)
Global Emblem of Indian Food
There are two things that he cannot let go: his love for food and his distinct red turban, both his identity now.
They say I made Bukhara dal famous; I wonder if I really did. All I did was to bring it out into the open. After all, food is my hobby, my passion, my profession. It’s amazing to see the dal become a household name now. However, I actually wanted to join the Army!
I was born on 10 October 1950 in Delhi to Sardarni Dalip Kaur and Sardar Tara Singh Gill. My father, Papa ji as we addressed him, was a lawyer but never practiced law because he found it too scheming for his taste; therefore, he joined the British Army. While serving in World War II, he was captured by the Japanese in Hong Kong and convinced them that he wanted to fight for India’s freedom, thus getting the chance to join the first Indian National Army in Singapore. The British troops caught and sent him to the Red Fort prison, New Delhi. Being a prisoner of war turned out to be a boon for him: he met many eminent personalities there, including Punjab Union party’s Khizar Hayat Tiwana. He offered legal advice to many big guns there and became close to them.
Fun was my best friend
When India gained independence in 1947, Papa ji joined the Ministry of Commerce, Delhi. When he approached a nearby Jain missionary school for the admission of his four daughters, they were reluctant to admit children with non-vegetarian food habits. He pledged to the principal that not only the four children but the entire family would not eat meat – and I grew up without ever taking meat.
All my elder sisters, Harjinder, Gurminder, Sukhwinder, Taranjit, pampered me like crazy. They combed my hair, dressed me well, we played carom and snakes and ladders together. They nicknamed me Manna. Those were memorable times. It was then that Papa ji taught me the two biggest lessons of life: forget and forgive to keep the mind burden-free, and don’t waste time. While my mother, Mata ji, said being rich is not the key to wholesome, nutritious and sumptuous food, love and hard work is, which ultimately is the key to happiness.
An average student, I studied at the Government Senior Secondary School for Boys, RK Puram and loved Science, Mechanical Drawing and Physics being my favourites. I even topped National Cadet Corp grade exams in school and dreamt of joining the Indian Army but Mata ji opposed this since she didn’t want her only son to experience what Papa ji had. I considered studying Architecture, but ended up enrolling in BSc in Atma Ram Sanatan Dharam College, Dhaula Kuan, in 1969.
I was extremely mischievous, always ready for pranks. Once my hostel friends and I hid our colleague’s scooter on the rooftop. I knew only fun and was clueless about my future. Papa ji researched career options for me and asked me to consider hotel management.
All about having fun with eatables
The idea of food captivated me and I left my BSc midway in 1971 to enrol at the Institute of Hotel Management, New Delhi, in Catering & Nutrition. Having never tasted non-vegetarian food, I almost puked while making mayonnaise on the very first day. My teacher bluntly asked me to leave if I could not complete the task. Fortunately, my friend, Jatinder Uppal, an internationally renowned chef today, came to my rescue; we decided I would handle all the vegetarian recipes and he the non-vegetarian ones. Though I now cook and taste meat, I am still a hardcore vegetarian at heart.
In 1974, I joined the Oberoi School of Hotel Management as a trainee at a monthly stipend of Rs 350, starting my training from the butchery. It was a big challenge but, having learnt ‘never give up’ from Papa ji, I gradually started cooking meat.
During the same time, I met Salwant ‘Sally’. Born and brought up in Indonesia, she was on a vacation in India when we met through our cousins, who were both friends. Subsequently, we became friends and then one day she proposed to me. I was dumbstruck as wedding or love were not on my mind at that time; I wanted to establish myself first. But Mata ji liked Salwant – so did I to be true – we got married on 29 September 1974. She has not only seen me grow from a trainee till here but has been an integral part my of career too.
As I was working hard for a better career, I could not spend much time at home but Sally never complained. It was because of her moral support that I could move on to join ITC Maurya (Maurya Sheraton then) in 1977 as a sous-chef under French chef, Roger Moncourt. I was working well and hard for 12–14 hours but didn’t get the desired promotions – my main reason to decide to upgrade my skills. I decided to apply for a summer course in the USA but since I couldn’t afford the course fee of $1,000 per week, I quit my job at ITC and took up a new job at Nihal restaurant in Abu Dhabi, where I worked overtime to fund my course. I carried just a handful of clothes to the new country and returned with the same nine months later when I saved enough money for my fees; I didn’t bring gifts for my wife or parents except for my twin daughters, Reetika and Preetika. By the time Geetika and Anmol were born, I was better settled. The birth of my children helped me evolve, they made me more responsible and gave me the reason to think what ultimate vision I had for my career and be a better person.
For the upbringing of my children, I don’t think I can thank my parents enough. I remember how every new school term, Papa ji would buy two sets of books for each child. One went to the child, and he studied the other himself – it helped him teach the kids better! Mata ji instilled in them the human and Sikh values. The value of right food that she ingrained in them still remains with them.
The delicacies of India brought me recognition
In the USA, at Cornell University, I studied Commercial Food Production Management, Food and Beverage and Advanced Techniques in Food Production. It later played a pivotal role in my career.
In 1980, the ITC Maurya was facing some challenges: staff went on strike and the executive chef resigned. I was called to take charge of the kitchen. We somehow handled the situation and made me realise the value of Indian cuisine; I started taking pride in it. And now that I was working exclusively on Indian cuisine, I realised how underrated it was globally, though the western world was waking up to the Indian flavours. A friend invited me to the World Association of Chefs and Societies (WACS) in around 1991 and I knew I had to bring India here. But back in India there was no platform to bring food connoisseurs together. It took me and colleagues around 13 years to put local federations and then Indian federation in place to participate at the WACS in 2003. I was the first Indian chef to be awarded with its honorary membership and later became the Founder President of the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations. I was also honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award from India’s Ministry of Tourism in 2006 while Panjab University, Chandigarh, awarded me the Paryatan Ratna. I have also been decorated with the Escoffier Medal for promoting the culinary arts.
I well remember how Habib Rehman, the head of hotel division back then, now the non-executive director at ITC Hotels and my mentor, made me consider rejoining the ITC both the times I left it in 1983 and 1991 to join Papa ji’s tape-recorder parts manufacturing business.
My kids say they are proud of me. Sally and the children make me feel complete, they have helped me evolve and experience the horizons that were not a part of my plans. Among my twin daughters, Preetika has studied hotel management, Reetika studied travel trade but left it, Geetika is a teacher and Anmol is a trained lawyer but left it. Reetika and Anmol now run a restaurant, Curry Singh Kitchen, in Gurugram.
I want to do more for food and business. The idea is to open a culinary training centre to upgrade the fraternity and develop new products and recipes; Curry Singh Kitchen is probably the first step. I have written some books too on food, including Eat Wisely and Well, Secrets of Indian Gastronomy, Indian Spa Cooking and some are underway.
I wonder how an unplanned journey went on to be a focused and predetermined action of plans with all the people I love. And obviously food!
Philosophy
My philosophy about food and my life are same: both should give happiness, serenity and joy.
I love…
Cooking, rediscovering old Indian recipes and mentoring young cooks.
I’d suggest the youth…
To be sure of their calling before taking up any profession. Once there, indulge in it with love, hard work and dedication.
Success Mantra
Practicing what I learn and interacting with other people of my profession have brought me success.
The world doesn’t know that…
My wife is a better cook than me, for all the emotions she pours in.
AKA
Indian Cuisine | Slow Food | Sustainable Cuisine | Culinary Heritage.
Gallery
ISBN : 9788193397695