Grand Executive Chef of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel unearths India's culinary secrets

Hemant Oberoi, the grand executive chef of the Taj Mahal Palace, a five-star hotel located in the Colaba region of Mumbai in India, has set out to discover the traditions of temple cooking in an attempt to understand their culinary secrets. The popularity of Indian cuisine is global and for good reason – it is truly delicious. Its diversity and variety means it is always easy to find a dish suited to your personal tastes. The rich flavours and exciting aromas are adored by millions of people across the continents. However, it is important to consider that it is not just in India’s finest restaurants, or from the street vendors in the cities, that you can find India’s delicious cultural dishes. Hemant Oberoi, has in recent months been on a food pilgrimage and stated, ‘most of the food eaten in India today has no relevance to our culture, climate or health.’ He has been visiting five traditional Indian temples in order to get back to the roots of Indian cooking. In the hope that indigenous ingredients and traditional methods will be reinstated into kitchens in the cities, Hemant has set up a number of food events in his restaurant. Guests will have the opportunity to choose four different dishes offering a selection of specialities from a temple kitchen. "The mandate of all five of the shrines is to serve simple, affordable food that is slow-cooked and conducive to the climate of the region," said Hemant. The shrine dishes are usually seasonal in order to accommodate the different natural ingredients available. The Vaisno Devi temple, in the hills of Jammu, serves the rajma bean, which has been found to be better digested at higher altitudes. Eating it in the cities is likely to make you feel sluggish. Temple cooking encompasses the environment in order to maintain and sustain the health of the community.