The ‘Czar of Indian Cuisine’ — Jaspal Inder Singh Kalra — popularly known as Jiggs Kalra, passed away yesterday after a prolonged illness, leaving the nation devoid of one of its great ambassadors. In a career spanning several decades, the Master Chef had the privilege of serving political heavyweights such as Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Bill Clinton and many more. The brain behind some of the most critically-acclaimed restaurants like Farzi Cafe, Kalra’s taste, flavours, hospitality and uniqueness will always remain in the hearts of many.
Hyderabad Connect
Describing his first meeting with Jiggs, Shankar Krishnamurthy of Fusion9 says he first met him 23 years ago, when he visited Hyderabad for his brand Kabab Factory. “Jiggs Kalra came to Hyderabad in 1996 and over the next three days, we went to authentic home chefs in and around the city and learned absolute authentic kababs of the region. I was extremely fortunate to spend time with him and am always inspired by his constant thirst for knowledge, something which I practice even today. The industry has truly lost a wonderful food man. Personally, he was full of humour but as a professional, his eye for detail was phenomenal,” says Krishnamurthy. The first Asian to be inducted in to the International Food and Beverage Gourmet Hall of Fame, Kalra is also credited with reviving lost ancient cuisines and age-old delicacies such as kebabs. “His clarity of thought when visualising a dish and his meticulous approach to getting it right were awe-inspiring. His passing has left a vacuum in the food industry,” says Chef Chalapathi Rao of Simply South.
Celebs remember Jiggs
Paying his tributes, Ranveer Brar, celebrity chef, TV show host, judge and food stylist says, “I was 19 and a chef trainee when I made Gajar ka Halwa and apprehensively took it to Jiggs when he visited the hotel. He looked at me, tasted my dish, smiled and said, “You are the second ‘Jatt’ after Manjit (Gill) to cook tasty food” and that was the conversation that froze my future as a chef.”
Brar recalls that he didn’t just stop there, but instead asked the pastry chef to make a carrot cake of it. “I can still taste the cake in my head,” reminisces Brar, adding, “It was an out-of-the-world take on a mawa cake with creamed carrots and a scent of cardamom.”
Jiggs was also recognised for his trademark generous drizzle of Punjabi humour. “There is and will be only one Jiggs Kalra. For me and my generation of chefs, our passion for Indian food is only because of him. India and its cuisine is lucky to have had a superstar like him,” says Brar.
“I met him for the first time as my friend Zorawar’s (his son) father in college. His book, Prashad: Cooking with Indian Masters, is a must for every chef in the country. And I have learnt a lot from that book. I just love the butter chicken and dal tadka recipes. I still have the book by my side. Once, without knowing my profession, he predicted that I had the potential to be a good cook,” recalls Chef Vicky Ratnani, celebrity chef, cookbook author and restaurant consultant.
Paying his condolences, Executive Chef Sahil Arora reminisces about Chef Kalra’s contribution to the culinary sector. “It’s a shocking loss to me and the entire industry. His inexplicable contribution and innovations in this field are forever going to be remembered and cherished. He has been both a mentor and dear colleague to me. His love and boundless passion for food never ceases to amaze any culinarian. He will be honoured and missed deeply,” he says.
A man whose entire life revolved around food, Jiggs Kalra will undoubtedly be missed. “He was undisputedly one of the biggest pillars of the Indian culinary industry. He was one of the pioneers who showed the entire world what Indian cuisine is and why it tastes so good. When I first started cooking, I learned so much by watching him on Doordarshan and following his columns and recipes,” says Chef Puneet Mehta.
