On the 25th anniversary of Mercedes-Benz, India’s largest luxury car manufacturer rolled out its ‘Luxe Drive Live 2019’ on Saturday.
An exclusive luxury experience built on adrenaline, gourmet and music, the event is now in its fifth year, that has given the current and potential owners a unique taste of the Mercedes-Benz lifestyle.
Gourmet has been the most successful engagement pillar for Luxe Drive over the years, as it presents a perfect blend of luxury and lifestyle. Mercedes-Benz continues its association with celebrity chef Ranveer Brar who travels to all the Luxe Drive Live events and cooks up a delectable spread of dishes.
Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar has been associated with luxury car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz for the past two years on Lux Drive and performs 72 workshops a year. In an interaction with The Statesman.com, Brar opened up about many things like his most loved food, his cooking experience across India and much more.
How did you collaborate with Mercedes-Benz, since it’s a very luxurious brand?
It’s been more than two years since the time I have collaborated with Mercedes-Benz. We really need to change the definition of luxury in India. It does not define expensive stuff, actually luxury means everything that makes your heart jump, that makes you happy. It’s a very relative term, for instance, if somebody is living outside the comfort zone for 20 years and does not have basic food and all of a sudden that person gets simple food like Rice or Dal then it will be a luxury for him. Here, luxury is a state of being and food can take you to that level and becomes the easiest language that one can truly feel it.
What is your one cooking experience that you can not forget?
So, there is a festival in Boston, in the United States that is called “India Day” where 15,000 folks came and I cooked jalebi, (Indian sweet) and served them. Stirring continuously and feeding jalebi for 15,000, it’s not an easy task. So that is one cooking experience which I can not forget because the very next day I could not get up from the bed but at the same, it was really amazing to get a chance to experience something new.
How did you decide to start your career as a Chef?
Despite being a native of Lucknow, when I was a kid, I was not allowed to go anywhere. But at the age of 15 or 16, I got the chance to move out of the city and then I decided what I want to do. I started exploring the city and its food and observing things very closely. Since then I have been so passionate about cooking and at that point of time, I thought this is a really good thing in which I can make my career.
Some of the most interesting cuisine that you experienced on your travels across India?
Recently, I witnessed Balti food in Turtuk, a village that is situated at the farther end of Ladakh. They make balti food and it’s really different and unique. After that, I find Adivasi’s food in Chattisgarh as one of the most interesting. Then, there is a place named Patalkot where you get to see really different or unique cuisines. They bring new concepts of food ideas to the table which I have seen and found it so interesting.
Please share a simple local recipe from anywhere in the country?
So, in Kerala, people make a very simple Poha, (very famous Maharashtrian food) with banana and jaggery and it is a really simple dish. They do nothing, just mash up a banana and add up jaggery in poha and a pinch of cardamom powder. It’s a kind of sweet dish which is really famous in India.
What is your all-time favourite food? Are you a foodie?
Usually, when I am at home, I like Kichidi, because it is really good for your stomach and on a lighter note, I can say that just like a spa…the way spa does with your brain, Kichidi also gives you the relaxation and is also very light in nature. Yes, I like to eat food but more than, that I like to taste food, really like to feel the texture of food.