Chef's Journal

The Saffron Trail: Kashmir to Dubai

Last autumn, I traveled to the saffron fields of Pampore, Kashmir. The journey began before dawn, walking through purple-carpeted fields as farmers delicately harvested the precious stigmas. Each flower yields only three threads, and it takes 75,000 flowers to produce just one pound of saffron.

What struck me most was not the labor, though it is immense, but the reverence. Fifth-generation farmers spoke of saffron as if it were a living legacy, something to be honored rather than simply harvested. This understanding transformed how I use saffron at Mitra. It's no longer just an ingredient, it's a bridge between their tradition and our innovation.

Our Saffron Lobster Tikka represents this journey. The delicate threads are bloomed in warm cream, releasing their golden essence, before being painted onto butter-basted lobster. Each bite carries the soul of those purple fields.

Continue Reading →

Deconstructing Tradition: The Biryani Revolution

Biryani is sacred. In India, families guard their recipes like treasures, and regional variations inspire passionate debates. So when I decided to deconstruct this beloved dish, I knew I was treading on hallowed ground.

The question wasn't whether I could take biryani apart, it was whether I should. After months of experimentation, I found the answer: yes, but only if every element honors the original while revealing something new.

Our version separates the components: aged basmati rice cooked in bone broth and pressed into a delicate crisp, tender quail confit perfumed with cardamom and clove, saffron-infused foam that melts on contact, and crispy shallots that add textural poetry. It's biryani, but seen through a different lens. Traditional and revolutionary in the same breath.

Continue Reading →

Market Mornings in Kerala

The spice markets of Kochi wake before the sun. By 5 AM, the air is already thick with aromas - black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and clove competing for attention. This is where I come to remember why I cook.

Walking through the narrow lanes, past burlap sacks overflowing with crimson chilies and golden turmeric, I'm reminded that cooking is commerce's poetry. Every spice has been touched by dozens of hands: the farmer who grew it, the picker who harvested it, the processor who dried it, the trader who sold it.

I source our black pepper from a fourth-generation farm in the Wayanad hills. The farmer, Krishnan, walks me through his plantation, explaining how altitude, rainfall, and soil composition affect the pepper's pungency. This isn't just shopping - it's education, partnership, and respect for the chain that brings flavor to your plate.

Continue Reading →

The Sacred Fire: Tandoor Traditions

Our tandoor is the heart of Mitra. It was built by master craftsmen from Punjab, using clay from the same quarries that have supplied tandoor makers for centuries. The process took three weeks - layering clay, allowing it to dry, firing it slowly to prevent cracks.

Maintaining a tandoor is an art form. The temperature must reach 480°C, hot enough to char meat instantly while sealing in juices. Too cool, and your food steams. Too hot, and it burns before cooking through. After two years, I'm still learning its moods.

There's something primal about cooking with fire. When I lower marinated meat into the tandoor's depths, watching it sizzle and char, I'm connected to thousands of years of tradition. Modern techniques have their place, but some things cannot be improved upon. The tandoor is one of them.

Continue Reading →

When Japanese Wagyu Met Indian Masala

Fusion can be dangerous. Done poorly, it's confusion on a plate - ingredients that clash rather than converse. But when it works, magic happens. Our Tandoori Wagyu is proof.

The idea came during a trip to Tokyo. I was eating at a yakitori restaurant, watching the chef tend his binchotan charcoal with meditative focus. The precision reminded me of tandoor masters back home. Both were achieving the same goal - perfect char, maximum flavor - through different traditions.

Japanese A5 wagyu is extraordinarily marbled, almost too rich on its own. Indian masala, with its bold spices and bright acidity, cuts through that richness while amplifying the beef's umami. The tandoor provides the perfect cooking method - high heat for crust, clay's thermal mass for even cooking.

This dish represents everything Mitra stands for: respect for both traditions, technical precision, and the courage to imagine new possibilities.

Continue Reading →