Dubai-based vegetarian chef on why culinary institutes are important

Vandana Jain came to Dubai in 2000 and wowed people with her culinary skills. She specialises in vegetarian cooking and has used her creativity to rustle up magic in not just Indian cuisine, but also Arabic, Mexican, Italian, Thai, Japanese and more. Her culinary institute, Vandana Jain Culinary Classes, is popular amid the rise of social media that has been a disruptive force for many industries.

A recipient of 62 national and international awards, Vandana’s debut cookbook Vandana’s Veggie Creations was awarded ‘The Best in the World’ award, and her latest cookbook Vandana’s Paneer Creations has been recognised by Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, known as the Oscars in the world of cookbooks in Paris. She was recently honoured with ‘Emirates Women Awards’ for being the ‘Innovator of the Year’ 2020. “The journey,” she says, “has been a circle of happiness, creativity, passion and joy for me.”

In an interview with City Times she walks us through her journey and shares why social media does not diminish the relevance of culinary institutes. Excerpts from an interview:

When did you start cooking and why vegetarianism?

As a young girl, the kitchen space was limited to my mother. She would rustle up delicacies in a matter of minutes, which always awe-inspired me. That’s where it all started. My mother is my mentor. Seeing her create magic with flavours and spices with the simplest ingredients inspired me to cook.

I’ve been discovering newer joys with vegetarian dishes since day one. Being a Jain, we’ve always seen the vegetarian side of cooking, and after living in a meat-loving country like Africa (where I spent a good part of my growing up years) and the UAE, where I arrived in 2000, food has allowed me to build social bridges and bring joy. Initially, I participated in a lot of cooking competitions in Dubai and focused on a trial-and-error method to create unconventional and innovative recipes. My cooking was widely loved and cherished and that’s when I realised there is so much more to vegetarianism and started giving cooking classes. I want to pass on my knowledge to people.

It’s very different when you cook yourself. Suddenly, all of it starts making sense because the magic kind of starts breaking down and the whole joy of creation takes over. From teaching different international cuisines focusing on vegetarianism, be it Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Arabic & so on, to teaching more than 500+ vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free recipes today, the journey has been quite evolving.

Are you a purist or do you believe that cooking is an art?

I believe cooking is an art that emanates from the heart. When I started conducting cooking and baking classes, I was fascinated to see the passion with which people treated food. It is holy and divine. Every recipe I create and teach is strongly driven by stories and conversations of different backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Cooking is a circle of happiness, creativity, passion and joy for me. I believe the right food has the power to stimulate all senses in a manner which is beyond what anything else can do. It’s a tangible manifestation of creativity and simplicity. My all-time favourite is trying out new delicacies in international cuisines like Mexican, Chinese and Thai, but with a vegetarian touch.

I hold my roots very purely indeed, but in today’s era it’s essential to welcome and indulge in new trends.

What impact has the popularity of social media had on food, especially vegetarian food?

Social networking is arguably the most important marketing tool in the last decade and the most useful one for entrepreneurs. We in the food industry have specifically benefited by sharing visual content directly with customers. My Instagram page (Vjccbakesandcooks) and Facebook page (Vandana Jain Cooking Classes) has definitely helped grow my business.

I ideally believe food is an emotion, and to be able to present the story behind it to thousands of followers through social media is indeed a blessing.

What is the relevance of culinary institutes amid growing social media popularity?

One of my favourite questions! In today’s era of social media influence and online experiences, I believe a culinary institute is a reality check platform for your skills. Nobody has ever gone from being a good, regular cook to becoming a maestro overnight, it never works that way through online videos. I believe the skills you can learn like basic knife skills, food decorating, outdoor grilling, and basic cooking methods to getting familiarised to your own kitchen and its apparatus, all happens in a real kitchen. Apart from that, maximum classes involve handling international cuisines and their diverse forms of equipment and techniques which help you gain a realistic culture of their culinary arts. If you want to kickstart your culinary career, the most important ingredient is self-confidence, which you achieve by being on a platform with like-minded people, which only a culinary institute can provide.

Tell us about the culinary courses on offer at VJCC.

Vandana Jain’s culinary courses (VJCC) is a modern culinary training centre that aims to create the perfect home chef in the simplest way by educating and developing unexplored culinary skills. VJCC trains its beginners in various ways to be proficient in skills of exotic cooking at an affordable cost, augment knowledge of numerous healthy and delicious diets, get familiar with etiquettes of dining and serving/ presentation.

Do you fancy opening a restaurant someday? If yes, which city would you make your debut in?

Yes, indeed. Dubai has always been my favourite city. This city has given me so much and I believe in giving back as much as I can through my knowledge and skills. Being a culturally diverse place as it is, my go-to USP would be an amalgamation of healthy nutritious food from different international cuisines, where every culture feels welcome and feels at home. I believe in this era of uncertainty in the world, my restaurant should be their comfort place where they can have a wonderful time with their family and friends, feeling rooted to their culture and at the same time not having to worry about the calories gained!

Vandana’s favourite food trends of late

Vandana says it has been a rollercoaster ride in terms of trends and food habits in the last two decades. “When it comes to food, there’s barely any disheartening elements, but yes, I do not appreciate the increased consumption of processed foods like oils, plain flour, sugar, and fast food.” Here she elaborates on some of her favourite recent changes in food habits and trends:

Veganism: The most in-vogue dietary trend. I believe plant-based diet helps you not only become healthier but happier. Vegans are less likely to develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure than meat-eaters. Vegans get all the nutrients that they need to be healthy, such as plant protein, fiber, and minerals. At Vandana Jain Cooking Classes (VJCC), we teach more than 500 delicious and mouth-watering vegan dishes, which include finger foods, main course, butter-free muffins and cakes.

Virtual Cooking Classes: The pandemic has accelerated the trend of virtual learning and I am happy to see families learning from our virtual cooking and baking classes and bonding with each other.

Immune-boosting foods: Over the years, consumers’ interest has escalated in functional nutritional specific foods and beverages. Healthy immune system warriors need good, regular nourishment which comes through the fuel of the body, food. We provide healthy courses at our institute in line with this change.

Some of Vandana Jain’s recipes:

Burnt garlic palak paneer

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

Spinach, blanched and pureed: 2 bunches

Fresh paneer, cut into cubes: 1 cup

Ginger-garlic paste:2 tbsp

Green chilies, chopped: 2 tsp

Onion, chopped: 1 pc

Tomatoes, chopped:2 tbsp

Garam masala powder: ½ tsp

Jeera powder, roasted: ½ tsp

Oil: 2 tbsp

Butter: 2 tbsp

Salt:To taste

Sugar: ½ tsp

Black salt:¼ tsp

Fresh cream: 4 tbsp

Burnt garlic flakes: 1 tbsp

Method

Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add the ginger-garlic paste, sauté till light brown.

Add onion, green chilies, tomatoes, and sauté again for two to three minutes.

Add spinach puree and cook for four to five minutes. Add salt, black salt, garam masala powder, sugar, and cream and bring it to boil. Add paneer and cook for a minute.

Serve hot, garnished with burnt garlic flakes.

Pesto Paneer Canapés

Cooking time: 2 minutes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Serves: 4-6 people

Ingredients

Salted cracker biscuits: 10 pc

Cottage cheese (paneer): 100gm

Pesto sauce: 4tbsp

Cream sauce: 4tbsp

Cherry tomatoes: 4pc

Fresh basil leaves: A few

Salt and pepper: To taste

Oil: A few tbsps

Method

Cut the cottage cheese into thick slices. Add salt, pesto sauce, pepper and one teaspoon oil and rub the slices well.

Cut 10 small roundels from cottage cheese slices using a cookie cutter.

Heat one tablespoon oil in a non-stick grill pan, place the paneer roundels on the pan and grill for two minutes. Remove from heat.

Apply one teaspoon cream cheese on each cracker biscuit. Place a grilled cottage cheese roundel on each and top with a cherry tomato and fresh basil.

Serve immediately.

Paneer Pineapple Malai Peda

Cooking time: 5 minutes

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Paneer, crumbled: 1 cup

Mawa/ khoya: ¼ cup

Milk powder: 2 tbsp

Sugar, powdered: ¼ cup

Pineapple crush: 2 tbsp

Pineapple essence: ½ tsp

Yellow food colour (optional): A few drops

Pistachio slices, for garnish: 1 tbsp

Method

Add all the ingredients in a non-stick pan and cook on low heat until the mixture becomes lightly thick.

Remove from heat. Add pineapple essence and mix well. Transfer it into a bowl and cool it down.

Make small balls of the mixture and garnish with pistachio slices.