NEW DELHI, September 30, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --
Cooking is not just about taste and flavour in the professional world, learnt seven young chefs as they battled it out in the finals of the IIHM-Young Chef India Schools 2015 in association of t2 at the University of West London on September 18, 2015.
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The winner of the cooking competition for class 11th and 12th students was Vedika Kariwala from Ahmedabad's Maharaja Agrasen Vidhyalaya. She won because "there were a lot of cooking skills and techniques on her plate. Apart from taste, cooking is also about the texture of the dish, the appearance, consistency, staying focussed and calm under pressure and keeping the work station clean," chorused the judges panel of 5, including 3 of London's best-known Indian chefs.
There was Andy Varma, who owns the Chakra restaurant in Notting Hill, a few doors away from L.N. Mittal's home, Chef Dipna Anand from her family-run - the Brilliant Restaurant, and Chef Romy Gill of Romy's kitchen in South Gloucestershire alongside Liam Stevenson, master of wine, and professor David Foskett, head of the London School of Hospitality and Management, University of West London.
So what did Vedika, 17, do that stood out from the other six finalists from Delhi, Calcutta, Pune, Banglore, Hyderabad and Jaipur? "I used my ingredients differently. I grilled my patty pan with Indian spices which a judge said he had not seen before. Moreover, I rolled a puff pastry around an asparagus which made it crunchy," said Vedika Kariwala, the Vikas Khanna fan.
"Some students cooked some simple things which were tasty but in a competition at this level you have to be showing some skills. There were twenty points for creativity," said Shaun Kenworthy, mentor and culinary director of IIHM (International Institute of Hotel Management).
The night before the finals at an Ealing hotel where the contestants were being put up, Vedika was discussing ideas with a fellow contestant and realized that both had planned similar dishes! "We were both using the same zucchini boards and also the same gravy so we mutually decided to alter a few things. He changed his plating style by changing the shape of zucchini and I changed my gravy," said Vedika. If the judges knew that, they would have probably given Vedika brownie points for a Chef's biggest assets - improvisation.
In its 5th year, the format of the Young Chef competition was more challenging. Each finalist was given a list of 16 ingredients including sweet potato, green asparagus, French beans, butternut squash and Arbi, plus one mystery ingredient revealed on the last day which was patty pan. Everyone also had to prepare pannacotta for dessert.
"The game has changed. Now you are looking at pushing the boundaries for a more professional outcome. One was a box with unfamiliar vegetables that pushes them to be creative. And the other was a set dessert that shows the judges that they can follow recipes and be exact in their interpretation," said celebrity judge Chef Andy Varma from Kolkata who has been a judge for three consecutive years.
What does the Marwari girl, who calls herself a "Calcutta fan" because she loves the street food and milk cakes there, planned to do with the prize money of 5,000 pounds (Rs 500,000)? "I am very much impressed with the kitchens in London and I would like to use the money to buy good equipment for my own kitchen back home," said Vedika, who is famous at home and among relatives for her Cheese Potato Roesti.
The win could mean bright future for the commerce student who is now convinced that she wants to be a chef. "There are huge job opportunities in UK for people like them because there's a chef skill shortage here in London," said chef Dipna. However, she also pointed out that a major hurdle to the crossover would be the immigration clampdown. "As soon as the government can ease that legislation, we can bring in chefs like them. Before I used to bring in all my chefs from India but now there are strict rules," added Dipna.
When the winner was announced before dinner on Friday, September 18, in the presence of chief guest and politician Bob Blackman and the founder of the young chef initiative Dr. Suborno Bose of IIHM, Vedika stood up in disbelief, unable to contain her excitement.
"I don't know what to say, I'm so happy. I didn't expect to win because the competition was tough. I was competing with 6 of the best in India," smiled the Ranveer Singh fan, as she reached for her headgear - a brown hat with a black ribbon - before posing for pictures.
Why the hat? "I love wearing hats. I have many hats at home. I guess I like to stand out," Vedika signed off. She sure does.
What they had to say:-
"The point of this competition is more than just to find the next young chef champion. This is also about promoting cooking as a life skill," said Dr. Suborno Bose, Chairman, IIHM. "Cooking is one of the basic life skills. It is important to know how to survive and be healthy!" he explained.
"The competition took all of our lives to a new level. Representing western zone was amazing. Very few people get this opportunity. Memories I made here are just unforgettable. My new mentors, the new things we learnt, meeting those big chefs, autographed book by Chef Heston Blumenthal, the victory poses we made, the songs we sang, the group hugs, the laughter, the tears and the list goes on. A special bond is created which is now lifelong." - Vedika Kariwala - Winner "Young Chef India India Schools 2015" from Maharaja Agrasen Vidhyalaya, Ahmedabad.
"YC15 was a great platform and opportunity for all those aspiring young chefs who really want to make it big in the culinary world. It gives me immense pleasure and pride for the fact that I represented my school, region and my country at such a great international platform. Big thanks to all those individuals who made this happen." -Priyanka Nath - Glendale Academy, Hyderabad.
"The competition gave us amateur chefs an international platform to cook in front of celebrity chefs. It gave us the necessary encouragement to go forward in our chosen career. Going to London was a dream come true. It is a very beautiful city and I had a great time." - Tanay - Delhi Public School, Bangalore.
"Young Chef India Schools 2015 was a turning point of my life. I now have a clear vision towards my successful career. Winning and losing is a part of our lives and yes I won!! I won the hearts of those six other competitors, my esteemed judges, those world class chefs and amazing organizers. My special achievements are my friends I made in London." - Sarthak Kalra - Rukmani Birla Modern School, Jaipur.
"It was a great experience being a part of such a competition. It had always been my dream to work on the commercial ranges and the experience was unforgettable. I would just say that it had been the only opportunity in my life out of which I made the 100% only to fulfill my dreams and showcase my talent. I will always remember how all the 7 of us bonded with each other." - Istuti - Salwan Public School, Gurgaon.
"Young Chef helped me gain a lot of popularity. I will not take the defeat to my heart as Istuti's mother very well said that if I would have been the winner then my thoughts would have been restricted only to the thought that I won IIHM Young Chef 15. However, now I think in a broader perspective and hope to get better and better in life at every stage." -Tejas Singhania - Heritage School, Kolkata.
"London was a different experience altogether. Memories to last for a life time. Young Chef is a great platform for students of our age and all students interested in culinary field should aspire to be a part of this great event. Miss you London." -Roshni Ayyub - SM Choksey High School, Pune
About International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM)
International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM) is one of the largest hotel school chains in Asia. It has 11 colleges across South East Asia, has two running business hotels of 4 Star category in Kolkata and Goa and two international training firms with its offices in UK and Thailand.
For more information http://www.iihm.ac.in; Helpline - +91-9831259416/18
Media Contact:
Abdullah Ahmed
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Director
International Institute of Hotel Management
Delhi
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