Sharjah :
Food lovers at the 41st Sharjah International Book Fair are being taken on exciting culinary
adventures with celebrity chefs, bakers, nutritionists and food business experts showcasing
everything from fusion cuisine and modernised adaptations to traditional and quick and easy
preparations under the fair’s popular Cookery Corner programme at Expo Centre Sharjah.
On Friday evening, Indian celebrity chef, author and TV presenter Vicky Ratnani, who has
served his culinary creations to world leaders and celebrities such as Queen Elizabeth II,
Nelson Mandela and Rod Stewart, demonstrated three quick recipes from his new cookbook
Urban Desi: Non-Vegetarian, which caters to those with busy lifestyles. In a span of one hour,
the witty chef rustled up the dishes which drew on both Indian and Arabic influences, while
keeping the audience entertained with funny quips and one-liners.
Voted India’s Chef of the Year in 2015 at the Indian Restaurant Awards, the master chef picked
up and honed his global culinary skills on cruise liners while travelling the world, and has two TV
shows and now two cookbooks under his belt.
At SIBF 2022, he demonstrated a meat-and-dates dish, Maharashtrian prawn pulao and thecha
chicken kebab, filling the Cookery Corner at Expo Centre Sharjah with delectable aromas.
“While cooking is not rocket science, it does require some logic and planning. Today, we don’t
have the time to shop for ingredients and cook at leisure. So Urban Desi offers 49 recipes
spanning the surf and turf categories, one-pot dishes and quick recipes which you can cook up
in a few minutes,” Ratnani said, during his demonstration. He also offered handy cooking tips
such as replacing ghee with olive oil if one doesn’t like the taste of the former and heating up
the cooking dish well in order to render the meat a good colour.
The chef also offered tasting samples to the audience after the event and gave out signed
copies of his new book.
An exciting line-up of internationally renowned chefs and experts are sharing their expertise and
headlining 30 cooking activities including live demo sessions at SIBF’s Cookery Corner until
November 13.