Chef Vinod

A Culinary Journey through India - les Dames d'Escoffier event at Indique Heights

WHAT : A CULINARY JOURNEY THROUGH INDIA

WHERE : INDIQUE HEIGHTS

WHEN : MONDAY MAY 21, 2012

TIME : 6.30 PM

SPEAKERS : RESTAURATEURS SURFY RAHMAN & CHEF K.N.VINOD

COST : $ 58.00 FOR MEMBERS

           $ 65.00 NON MEMBERS

TICKETS :202 973 6178 OR for more info click here

Welcome Drink:

Kokum Margarita/Tamarind Margarita/A glass of wine

MENU :

STARTERS

DHOKLA ((Gujarat)

steamed - Lentil, mustard, ginger, chili

GOBI KEMPU BEZULE (Maharashtra)

Cauliflower, chili, yogurt, curry leaves

Crab Papad Roll (Kerala)

Maryland crab, shallots,green chili, coconut

MAIN COURSE

NELLORE CHAPALA (Andra Pradesh)

Fish of the day, tamarind, fenugreek

MALABARI CHICKEN CURRY (Kerala)

Chicken, coconut, ginger, spices

BEEF VINDALOO (Goa)

Chili, vinegar, garlic & spices

BHARWAN BAINGAN (Maharashtra)

Baby egg plant, tomato, cumin, spices

KEERAI MASIAL(Tamil Nadu) 

Spinach, lentils, garlic, chili &spices

DAL BATI (Rajasthan)

Lentils, flour, & spices

DUM ALOO (Kashmir)

Stuffed baby potaotes,home made cheese 

 KASHMIRI PULAO ( KASHMIR)

Pilaf rice with dried fruits & nuts

ASSORTED INDIAN BREADS

           DESSERTS

RASMALAI (West Bengal)

Cheese patties, cardamom, pistachio, milk

GAJAR HALWA   (  New Delhi )

Carrots, Cardamom, Milk, Pistachio

Executive chefs : S.Balamurugan and Abraham Varghese.

 

Crab Papad Rolls from Indique - A big hit at the Varli Food Festival NYC

 Our Chefs getting the crab papad cones ready.

Varli Singh and the chefs at the Varli Food Festival in NYC

L to R: Chef Vikas Khanna, Padma lakshmi, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Varli Singh. Hmm..Not sure what the joke was, Vikas is laughing away.

 

The Varli Food Festival, an Indian culinary and chef showcase, concluded about three weeks ago on April 5th, 2012 in New York City. I must say that the Varli Festival was very well organized and flawlessly executed. Padma Lakshmi, host of the show Top Chef, and Sanjeev Kapoor, celebrated chef from India, were joined by several other celebrity chefs from around the world. 

It was such a delight to see so many Indian restaurateurs and chefs come under one roof to showcase the cuisine of India. There was wide media coverage for the event from various television channels and newspapers such as The New York Times.

Our crab papad rolls from Indique/Indique Heights turned out to be such a big hit that they were featured in The New York Times, in "Outlook India" and above all Padma loved it... Padma Lakshmi loved it...

The photo below was featured in The New York Times - Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi enjoying the crab papad roll from Indique.

See what "Outlook India" magazine had to say about Indique's crab papad roll at the Varli Food Festival.

"CRAB APPLES - Not that it requries any great skills to catch crab in Manhattan, but curing the meat is a lesson best learned from experience. Masters in the art descended on NYC from the US northeastern seaboard to showcase their skills at the Varli Food Festival. Of those partaking, Padma Laksmi played the bait." - Outlook India

Welcoming Padma Lakshmi

Surfy Rahman greeting Padma Lakshmi 

In conversation with Padma Lakshmi

Being introduced to Executive Chef S.Balamurugan

 Being introduced to Executive Chef Abraham Varghese

Padma Lakshmi enjoying her crab papad roll

She goes in for seconds!

At Junoon restaurant - Surfy Rahman, K.N.Vinod, Walter Rozario, Prasad Chirnomula, & Rajesh Bhardwaj

With Chef /Restaurateur Vikram Vij of Vij's in Vancouver, Canada

With Chefs Maneet Chauhan, Vikram Vij, Jehangir Mehta, K.N.Vinod, and Shipra Khanna.

Ready to get in to the Limousine - for the ride with fellow chefs 

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Restaurateur Surfy Rahman at the Red Carpet walk

L to R : Chef K.N.Vinod, Chef S.Balaurugan,Chef Vikas Khanna, and Chef Abraham Varghese

L to R: Restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj, Chef Hemant Mathur, Chef K.N.Vinod, and Restaurateur Surfy Rahman

 

With Chef Floyd Cardoz and Surfy Rahman

With Chef Maneet Chauhan

 

 With  Chef Walter d" Rozario

With Chef Aliya Leekong  

 With Sant Chatwal at the Varli festival.

 

L to R: Chefs K.N.Vinod, Ajay Chopra, Kunal Kapoor, Vicky Ratnani, Shipra Khanna, Varli Singh, Peter Beck, Prasad Chirnomula, Saransh Goila,Romy Hardeep Gill,and Harpal singh Sokhi.

Restaurateur Surfy Rahman and Chef Vicky Ratnani at the Varli festival.

 L to R : Chefs Vikram Vij, Vicky Ratnani, Kunal Kapoor, Ajay Chopra, and Hari Nayak

L to R : chefs K.N.Vinod, Ajay Chopra, and Kunal Kapoor

With a Correspondent from TV Asia, Chefs Prasad Chirnomula, Kunal Kapoor, Ajay Chopra,Sanjeev Kapoor and K.N.Vinod

Some of the photographs - courtesy - Varli food festival

Easter at the White House

I had the good fortune of visiting the White House on Easter Sunday along with my good friend and celebarated chef, Sanjeev Kapoor. My last visit to the White House kitchen was when Walter Scheib was the Executive Chef many years ago. This time around we had the pleasure of Chef Bill Yosses taking the time out to show us different areas of the White House such as the kitchen, State dining room, red room, blue room, and even Michelle Obama's kitchen garden. While at the White House, it was a great pleasure to meet Chef Anil Rohira, an internationally renowned pastry chef who was  visiting from India. This visit to the White House was extensively covered by several news outlets within India including Times of India, Hindustan Times, Financial Times, Indian Express, Deccan Herald and so on. 

Here are some pictures from the visit.  

Almost ready to go into the White House with the book for the President & the First Lady -"How to Cook Indian" By Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Chefs Sanjeev Kapoor and Bill Yosses at the White House

Chefs K.N.Vinod and Sanjeev Kapoor at the White House

L to R : Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef Bill Yosses and Chef K.N.Vinod in the state dining room. In the background is President Lincoln's portrait hung over the fire place

The picture was taken in blue room of the White House. The portrait in the background is of President James Madison

In conversation with Chef Bill Yosses at Michelle Obama's kitchen garden at the White House

L to R : Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef K.N.Vinod, Chef Bill Yosses and Chef Anil Rohira

In the background is a stage where a group was practicing for the next day when the White House was expecting about 30,000 guests

L to R : Chefs Sanjeev Kapoor, Bill Yosses, K.N.Vinod and James in the White House kitchen

With internationally renowned pastry Chef Anil Rohira

Putting the finishing touches on the Annual White House Easter Roll's famous Easter egg

A close up view of the White House Easter egg

Chef Bill Yosses taking a look at "How to Cook Indian" with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. This book was autographed and given to be presented to the President and the First Lady  

Share our Strength's - Taste of the Nation - No kid hungry (2012) - update

The event was a grand success and here are some pictures from the event :

 top row : L to R : Mixologist Gina Chersevani, Chef Scott Drewino of Source,Chef Dean Gold of Dino,     Middle row: Lto R : Chef Adam Sobel of Bourbon Steak, Chef Marc Vidal of Bouqeria,Chef Nick Steffanelli  Bottom row : Chef S.Balamurugan/Indique group, Chef Haider Karoum/Proof & Estadio, Chef Jeffrey Tunks/ Passion Hospitality.

 

Share our Strength's - Taste of the Nation - No kid hungry (2012)

Washington’s Top Chefs Unite to end Childhood Hunger -

Come join us at the National Building Museum as we join other Chefs to help raise the crucial funds necessary to ensure no kid goes hungry in America. 

Monday, April 2, 2012 

VIP: $150 | 6:00 - 10:00 pm 
General Admission: $95 | 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Business Casual Attire

For more info :

                                              

 

Varli Food Festival 2012 - April 5th - New York

Indique /Indique Heights is proud to be participating at the Varli Food festival in NY. Varli food festival brings together Indian Chefs/Restaurateurs under one roof to promote Indian cuisine. This year's event is hosted by Emmy nominee/top chef host Padma Lakshmi and one of the most celebrated chefs, Sanjeev Kapoor. 

What : Varli Food Festival

When : April 5, 2012

Time : 5 PM to 10 PM

Where : Metropolitan Museum , 
125 West 18th Street
(between 6th and 7th Avenue)
 New York, NY 10011

Hosted by : Padma Lakshmi and Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

Participating : Over 6o restaurants/ Celebrity Chefs and Restaurateurs

For further details click here :

                                                         Chef Sanjeev Kapoor 

                                                                Padma Lakshmi

 top row - (L to R) - chef Vikas Khanna, Chef Maneet Chauhan bottom row : (Lto R) chef Jehangir Mehta   and Varli Singh

top L to R : Chef Hari Nayak, Varli Singh, Chef Walter Rozario, Bottom : Restaurateur Surfy Rahman, Chef Alia leekong, Restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj

 L to R : Chef Prasad Chirnomula, Yours truly, Restaurateur Surfy Rahman and Chef Hemant Mathur.

   

Superbowl 2012 - Eats at Indique

See what we are serving for the Superbowl 2012 at Indique.

                                      

                                                             KOKUM MARTINI

You may also want to check out my Chickpea hush Puppies recipe for Super Bowl watching on Washington Post site :  http://wapo.st/xS7DmV

 

CELEBRITY CHEFS CONVERGE ON CAPITAL

CELEBRITY CHEFS CONVERGE ON CAPITAL

'Sunday Night Suppers' is a $550 per head dinner organized by Chef Alice Waters, Chef Jose Andres and cookbook author Joan Nathan to benefit the DC Central Kitchen and Martha’s table. The dinners are held in groups of 20 in private homes. Each dinner is hosted by two chefs and usually about 15 - 20 dinners are held simultaneously. Chefs are invited from different parts of the country and abroad.

This year, I was honored to be invited to host  one of these dinners along with Chef Ris Lacoste of Ris Restaurant. Ris and I met a week before the event and planned a menu. Given below is the menu that we served.I thoroughly enjoyed working with Ris. My only regret is that I should have asked somebody to take some pictures of the plated food...

My thanks to executive chef S.Balamurugan and my team for all their support. I would also like to thank Alexandra Perrotti , Daniel Korn, Marianne Helms , Jeana Harbison  who took the time out from their regular jobs to volunteer for a great cause. Last but not the least, would like to thank the lovely and gracious hostess Susie Tree for her hospitality and opening her beautiful home for us.

 With acclaimed Chef/Activist - Alice Waters and award winning cookbook author & TV personality   Joan Nathan at Joan's residence 

 Left to Right :ChefJoe Palma - West End Bistro, Joan Nathan, Chef Jennifer Carroll (of Top Chef)

 

  
 L to R : Chef/owner - Ris Lacoste from Ris, Susie Tree the gracious hostess and yours truly.

 

    Chef Ris and I sat with the guests and generally had some interesting conversation about food.

      In conversation with Mr.Bill Yosses,Pastry chef of the White house and acclaimed author.

 The owners of the Jamison Farm, Sukey and John Jamison enjoying the dinner with other guests. Jamison farm lamb is all natural, raised free range in Western Pennsylvania, is antibiotic and hormone free. John tells me that their lambs are never confined and are fed striclty on grazing system.

 White house pastry chef and author Bill Yosses with my colleague executive chef S.Balamurugan at the dinner.

 With Sukey of Jamison Lamb and Chef Ris Lacoste at the dinner. A special thanks to John and Sukey for providing the incredible lamb chops  - Jamison Farm.

    With Chef Nora Pouillon - who attended the dinner.

Overall it was a great experience interacting with such knowledgeable chefs. There is a lot to learn from each one of them in terms of their technique and approach to this kind of an event. It is really wonderful to know that DC Central Kitchen and Martha's table will benefit from this charity dinner and raised about $200,000/- dollars.

 

Restaurant Week - Extended at Indique, Cleveland park.

The Restaurant Week at Indique has been extended for another week till Jan 21, 2012. Please come and check out some of the new dishes on the Menu.

 Pork Belly, Veal cheeks, Achari 'Taco', Kokum Margarita and more....

DC Restaurant Week - January 2012

Folks, this is the time of the year, when holidays are over and people are slowly getting back to work. Our bi-annual Restaurant Week begins tomorrow. At Indique, we have spruced up our menu and have many new dishes!  Come and join us  for dinner - January 9 - 15, 2012.

The Restaurant Week Menu is available at - www.indique.com

 

 

100 Very Best Restaurants of Washington - Washingtonian Magazine Jan 2012

We are humbled and honored to be featured among the 100 Very Best Restaurants of Washington in the latest issue of the Washingtonian Magazine - January 2012 issue . Indique,located at 3512- 14, Connecticut Avenue, N.W.Washington DC and Indique Heights, located at 2 Wisconsin Circle, Chevy Chase, MD - 20815 are both featured in the list with 2.5 stars.

We were also fortunate to be voted by the readers as one of the the top Indian restaurants of Washington in last month's issue of the Washingtonian Magazine.

Heartiest congratulations to my partner Surfy Rahman, our team of Executive Chefs, Managers and each and every member of our team. 

 Here is the article as featured in the Washingtonian Magazine - January 2012.

The following is from last month's Washingtonian Magazine - December 2011 issue.