THIS week we speak to Sharan Khinda, head chef at The Crafty Indian in Shipley.
Q: When did you become interested in food and cooking?
A: I am from India, New Delhi and there is so much food there that one cannot help but be interested in food and cooking. Also, my mum is a really good cook and she taught me to cook authentic Indian dishes.
Q: Where did you learn your craft - was it on-the-job or did you study at college?
A: My mum taught me the basics and the rest I picked up by trial and error. When we opened the Crafty Indian back in 2007 it did not take long for me to get involved in the kitchen, showing the chefs just how I wanted the food to look and taste.
Q: Is it unusual to be a female head chef - or even a female chef - working in an Indian restaurant?
A: When I took over the role some years ago it felt a little strange, but my staff and I soon got used to it. In this day and age females should not be worried about undertaking any job as we can do them just as well as men can.
Also, with me being ever-present in the kitchen I can monitor the quality to ensure it’s the very best every single time food leaves the kitchen. There is no substitute for a restaurant owner working in their kitchen.
Q: Are you the only woman working at the restaurant?
A: No, there are a few other women too who help out. We also have some male chefs who work alongside me.
Q: Would you recommend the job to other women and do you hope to inspire them (maybe through this article)?
A: Definitely - women, especially from Asian backgrounds, traditionally do most of the cooking within the household and therefore they have all the skills and knowledge needed to transfer these into a commercial setting. I would urge any woman to give it a go.
Q: How long have you worked at The Crafty Indian and have you worked in any other restaurants in Bradford district?
A: My one and only role in the kitchen has been at the Crafty Indian, but I have been doing this now for 17 years.
Q: What do you love about being head chef?
A: I love the feedback: when it’s positive - which it usually is - it really makes me very happy. If it was ever negative it would allow us to improve.
Also, I love trying out new dishes and experimenting with new flavours.
The beauty of The crafty Indian is we think on our feet and there are no restrictions to what we may try or when. So sometimes an idea will come into my head and it will be in front of a customer within a day or two.
Q: Do you enjoy working alongside your husband Harry?
A: Yes, when - or should I say ‘if’ - he leaves me to get on with it. I’m only only joking, of course - it’s generally great to work with family and there are more pros than cons.
Q: How many staff work in the kitchen and is it a challenge to coordinate them all?
A: There are five staff in total and it can be challenging but we work as a team and everyone has their responsibilities set out, so normally the kitchen runs itself. However, the biggest test is always on the busiest nights.
Q: What are the challenges - I imagine it is very high-pressured?
A: Maintaining the quality and serving the food in good time are always a challenge but I have robust systems in place to overcome these types of challenges.
Q: Describe the food you are cooking at the restaurant. Give a few examples of dishes.
A: Two popular choices are dhaba chicken, a traditional chicken curry and aloo gobi, an all time classic in Indian and in Britain.
Q: Why do you enjoy cooking?
A: It’s one of things I am really good at and enjoy. I get to try all kinds of different food whenever I want.
Q: How do you feel when diners send their compliments to the chef?
A: Any chef will tell you how good it feels to receive positive comments, it makes all the hard work worthwhile and I am no different.
Q: Have any celebrity chefs inspired you and how?
A: I admire Gordon Ramsay’s dedication, beliefs and work ethic not to mention some of his recipes.
Q: What are your favourite cookery programmes?
A: I like watching Saturday Kitchen on the BBC as there is such a variety of food and chefs all in one place.
Q: What are your ambitions?
A: I would like to open a chain of Crafty Indian restaurants - why not?
Q: What is your favourite meal and in an ideal world who would cook it?
A: Paneer Karahi and it would be great to see how Gordon Ramsay would cook it.
*The Crafty Indian, 34-38 Bradford Rd, Shipley BD18 3NT; thecraftyindian.com
*Would you like to see your restaurant appear as our Telegraph & Argus Trader of the Week or would your chef like to appear on these pages? We would love to hear from you.
Please email helen.mead@nqyne.co.uk or emma.clayton@nqyne.co.uk. Please include brief details of your restaurant/job and a contact number.
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