Exclusive Interview | Chef Pravin Jha, Cluster Head Chef, CureFit
/“Focus on your goal don’t try to do shortcuts, do smart work and carry out your duty in a clear and efficient manner with confidence, be a good listener and follow the guidelines of your mentor and chefs.”
Editor: How did it all start? Share your journey with us!
After Diploma I started my culinary journey from Hotel Taj Lake Palace Udaipur it was a very cherishable moment for my entire career, learned all the basics about kitchen & hotel operations in a one of the best hotel of the world like Taj LAKE PALACE UDAIPUR, worked in all departments and thoroughly groomed our basics skills, I always keep an eye on my first Executive Chef Mr. Rajesh Tiwary. His working style and leading style were exceptional and still new in our mind, those days there was not much more modern machinery and equipment so we have to do much hard work manually. Some of them were beating 20 ltr of fresh cream in the confectionery section and set up and organized the entire area. It was all good and very pleasant that we enjoyed it. Same later worked in many Indian and international brands like intercontinental, RHG, ITC, Curte. fit and cruise line like NCL America and has been all over the world and enjoyed a multi-cultural world-class working environment.
I am a well-known Hotelier with Double Postgraduate qualification and serving the Hospitality industry from 1996 Onward... A great mentor and leadership skill, having a successful career as a Versatile Chef with diversified culinary skills in some of the top kitchens around the world & traveled around 68 countries
myself re-evaluates our priorities, and became a champion for healthy food & Fusions collections my own recipes which were tasty and affordable, and, fueled by a desire to pass that knowledge on to others, began teaching community groups in his local area & Worked with Various reputed Hospitality Companies as Executive Chef, Director food & Beverage.
I am a Passionate Chef who is a regular both on the Indian circuit & internationally, many print and electronic media from the last ten years and on...and judges much culinary competition
These days I am focusing on my cookery book, ‘Fusion at its best, and am looking forward to publishing his book later in 2022 (Next year).
I am a regular contributor to a range of media outlets across India & abroad.
These days I am the Key contributor for all processes of Gujarat Culinary Association and Honorary mentor of Varanasi Chefs Association as well & above all a lonely Entrepreneur
Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in
after working in Different Hotels as an Executive Chef & Director Food & Beverage for more than ten years I Worked in an E-COMMERCE COMPANY-like cure. The fit was a bit different from the hotel industry and very interesting as well.
Editor: A dish your patrons/ guest love?
I am Very Regular to do cookery show and do live cookings on a different platform to show my skills and contribute to society terms of better learning, I did one of the food festivals that was the first time ever by any chef on the planet all the dishes were made from herbs, from starters to desserts and I have chosen six varieties of herbs like Mint, Parsley, Basil, Cilantro, Rosemary & Lemon Grass. One of the desserts my own invented made by soaked grains & Milk, the name is SILKY SWEET really did well & appreciated by the group of peoples personal and on different platforms of social media as well.
Editor: A dish that you love but do not have on your menu?
Nothing such as that but I prefer to keep some of the cruelty-free food in my menu, a few innovative as well but never ever tried to play with traditional dishes and no experiment with traditional cooking process and recipes.
Editor: What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
This is a very big question but yes you have to focus everything from top to bottom and keep an eye on all small and big activities in your kitchen operations and obvious proper knowledge of cooking & guest handling, storing process hygiene sanitation and safety, if you worked under good executive chefs you will learn many things, as I worked with top executive chefs from the world.
Editor: What advice would you give to young culinary students?
Focus on your goal don’t try to do shortcuts, do smart work and carry out your duty in a clear and efficient manner with confidence, be a good listener and follow the guidelines of your mentor and chefs.
Editor: What instruments/equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?
Obviously its Chef’s Knife & food processor
Editor: Your favourite ingredients Is
A lot of fresh herbs in my dish
Editor: Name chef’s, you find amazing or chefs work you admire
It was my first executive chef Rajesh Tiwary.
Editor: What books should every chef read?
From my point of view its Theory of Cookery that we studied in our catering college. It's small but it’s a unique cookbook. And yes, different volumes of Larousse gastronomique was one of my favourite books and a good cooking textbook that I suggest.
