Anjan Chatterjee with his wife, Suchhanda Chatterjee
Anjan Chatterjee with his wife, Suchhanda Chatterjee

After 25 years, passion drives Anjan Chatterjee, chairman of Speciality Restaurants 

Anjan Chatterjee, chairman of Speciality Restaurants, talks about his expansion plans, love for work and food

Interviewing Anjan Chatterjee, CMD of Speciality Restaurants -- the only listed Indian F&B company -- is not an easy task. Not because Chatterjee plays hard to get, but because, like an energetic child, he is always juggling too many things at a go, lest he misses out on something.

For a little over an hour that we kept Chatterjee’s company, the interview was intermittently impeded by phone calls, brief interactions with the waiters by the table, instructions to his colleagues regarding the following meetings and tasting and enquiring about the chutneys accompanying his idlis for breakfast.

As if this was not enough, the rain God, too, didn’t baulk from playing his part in spoiling the interaction. It was only after testing our patience to endure the drizzle-turning-into-a-downpour that Chatterjee relented to shift inside the restaurant of a five star address, where our meeting was scheduled.

A tad whimsical, passion is what drives this 58-year-old Aquarian, who is like a father to the 5,000 odd employees working for his food empire spread across the country. Completing 25 years in the F&B sector, the group plans for further expansion within the country and abroad and has recently opened a new outlet, Spicery, in Acropolis Mall.

Anjan Chatterjee, chairman, Speciality Restaurants
Anjan Chatterjee, chairman, Speciality Restaurants

The 98-seater serves the choicest of street food from across the country and Chatterjee has made sure that the typical taste doesn’t get lost in translation. “The aim is to serve street food ensuring the highest quality of hygiene. There is Chitto da’s stew from Dacres Lane, phuchkas, chaat, Natraj Ke Bhalle. You name it, we serve it,” tells Chatterjee, while polishing off his idli with green chutney.

Apart from Spicery, the city is also going to get a micro-brewery, a pan-Asian restaurant with a twist, and a funky eatery serving desi snacks soon. “We are also planning to open Bay Leaf, a fine dining restaurant serving quality food,” mentions Chatterjee.

A proud father, Chatterjee is extremely happy with the way his 26-year-old son, Avik Chatterjee, is experimenting with new formats in F&B sector. “His latest brainchild, Progressive Oriental House (POH) at Kamala Mills in Mumbai, has taken Asian fine dining to another level altogether,” says Chatterjee senior.

But though the gregarious man is busy presenting eclectic cuisine to a nation of incorrigible foodies, his comfort food still remains the good old fish curry and rice apart from kosha mangsho (mutton cooked Bengali style).

The entrepreneur, who can mimic very well, had also composed a few songs for Babul Supriyo, Amit Kumar and Kumar Sanu, when he was not so busy. He loves it when celebrities swear by his restaurants. “Apart from the Bachchans and Rajkumar Hirani, Ranbir Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor frequently visit Oh! Calcutta and Sachin Tendulkar is crazy about our luchikosha mangsho and prawn malai curry,” he grins.

Here are two of his favourite recipes for Indulge:

<em>Kothambir Vadi</em>
Kothambir Vadi

Kothambir Vadi

Kothimbir Vadi is a Maharashtrian recipe. It is a crispy snack made of coriander and gram flour.

Ingredients: A bunch of coriander leaves, one cup besan / chick pea flour, 1/4 cup rice flour, one tbsp green chili and garlic paste, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, one tsp white sesame seeds, salt to taste, four tbsp water, 1/2 tsp oil and oil for frying.

Method: Clean the bunch of coriander thoroughly and separate the stalks and leaves. Spread the coriander on a towel or clean cloth and let it dry. Add besan, rice flour, green chili-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and salt. Mix everything well without adding any water. Then add very little water and make thick dough. Apply a little oil and make the dough even. Make rolls from the dough. You can make 3 rolls from 1 bunch coriander. Take a steamer and boil about 1” water in it.

Put the Kothimbir Vadi rolls in it. Keep some space between two rolls as they puff up after steaming. You can also use a cooker instead of a steamer.

Boil 1” water in the cooker. Put a pot and a dish on it. You can steam Kothimbir Vadi in a cooker, too. Steam the Vadi on medium heat for about 15-20 minutes. After steaming, take the Vadi out and let it cool down.

Cut the rolls into pieces. Heat the oil up and drop Vadi into it. Fry the vadi until it turns light golden from both sides. You can shallow fry the Vadi or can have it steamed too.

Bengali Mutton Curry
Bengali Mutton Curry

Mangshor Jhol (Bengali mutton curry)

Bengali Mutton Curry or as we lovingly call it‘MangshorJhol’is an age-old delicacy where mutton pieces are cooked with large sized potato chunks in a spicy, hot curry. An all-time favourite in every Bengali household, it is served with steaming hot rice.

Ingredients:

Mutton- 750gm, four medium sized potatoes, two medium sized onion paste, 3/4 tsp ginger paste, one tsp garlic paste, half tsp roughly crushed black peppercorn, one tbsp cumin powder, one tsp coriander powder, half tsp turmeric powder, one tsp Kashmiri mirch, one bay leaf, one whole dry red chilli, salt to taste and one tbsp sugar, 5-6 tbsp mustard oil, a few slit green chillies, half tsp garam masala powder.

Method:

Peel the potatoes, cut into halves horizontally, wash and keep aside. In a cooker add freshly washed pieces of mutton and 1/2 tsp salt. Adjust water to the level of the mutton in the pressure cooker. Close the cooker lid and take it off the flame after four whistles. Open the lid after the pressure has reduced. Keep the stock, don’t drain.

Fry the potatoes, let them turn golden brown in colour and keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep-frying pan or kadai. Temper with dry red chilli and bay leaf. Add sugar and stir gently until all of it has caramelised into a delicious looking golden-brown color. Add onion paste and sauté until light brown in color, then add the garlic paste and sauté for a few seconds more. Add crushed black peppercorn, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, Kashmiri Mirch powder, green chillies, salt and ginger paste.

Mix and fry it on medium heat until the masala starts letting out oil. Add the mutton pieces and potatoes. Mix well with the masala and fry in medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

Now add some mutton stock in this (one ladleful at a time), mix and fry for 4-5 minutes. Then add some more stock (the same amount). Repeat this process for 3-4 times. Cook on medium heat. Finally add rest of the stock, mix, cover and cook on a low flame until the meat is fully cooked. Stir in between to prevent the meat from burning or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Add garam masala powder, mix and remove from the heat. Serve hot with steamed rice, luchi, roti, puri, parantha, or whatever you like.

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