FEA has been a catalyst for collaborations between home chefs and restaurants or hotels for food festivals. Ankita J Sharma interviewed Sonal Mahurkar on the experience of the Paschmin Maharashtra Vegetarian Food Festival at House of MG and the Maratha Food Festival at Nine Restaurant, The Fern Ahmedabad.
Do you think such food festivals can support home chefs?
These festivals are wonderful opportunity. I am very proud to have represented the cuisine of my community at the two festivals. The opening of the Maratha Food Festival was on Shivaji Jayanti, which had emotional significance for my Maratha Naik Nimbalkar family that hails from Wathar, Phaltan. I presented some of the specialties of the Maratha royal and aristocratic families at this festival.
How did you decide the menu?
The Maharashtrian menu was curated with Anil Mulchandani and the House of MG Team looking at various factors.
For the Maratha Food Festival, we decided to go with four thalis, mutton, chicken, seafood and vegetarian, with a cross-section of dishes that complimented each other.
Was it challenging to work in a commercial kitchen?
I loved working in a commercial kitchen, taking on the challenge of producing food in big quantity while maintaining quality and authenticity, keeping clockwise precision with professional equipment and working alongside qualified chefs. One of the challenges was that in hotels the team keeps changing with shifts or hotel priorities so it was about adapting to new people daily. I enjoyed the opportunity to work with big appliances.
Who encouraged you to take on the challenge?
My husband, Anil Mulchandani and the other FEA Admin encouraged me to take on the challenge. Many FEA members came to have to the food and support me. Throughout both the festivals, my husband, my son and friends like Deepa Mudholkar , Hema Shah and others came to lend their support.
Which were the heart-warming moments?
Abhay Mangaldas sent a letter of appreciation and said his family liked the Maharashtrian food. Executive Chef at Fern said my seafood thali was excellent and called my Malwanio-style fish curry a show-stopper. Mrs Ganpule told me that her husband, a pharma company executive, never likes eggplant but he was tucking happily into my baigan. Many people have asked me when I am doing the next festival.
