In Conversation with Chef Devansh Jhaveri!

It all started with a post I made at a social media foodies group in Udaipur on one of my experimental cookings, Bunny Chow!

Chef Shaunak Verdia replied that he serve Bunny Chow in his restaurant, Aqua Lounge along with some more interesting dishes which are not commonly available in the city!

When I visited his restaurant a couple of months back, I came to know about Masala Cartel, a joint venture by Chef Shaunak and his friend Chef Devansh Jhaveri. We got connected on Facebook, and I started sending Chef Devansh my endless queries on Food and trends!

Met him for the first time in Mumbai in early June and the friendship grows. 

Devansh is a person who is an ideal example of what you can achieve by following your passion. He is a third generation Steel Foundryman with intense love towards cooking and all things gastronomical. He is the founder of Mafia Chef, a versatile culinary company that has a multi-pronged market presence, concentrated in the area of manufacturing of Artisan Condiments, Hand Crafted Marinades, Gourmet Snackibles and India’s first Sriracha hot sauce! 

Devansh has come to Udaipur this week for a specialised pop-up that he is doing with his friend Shaunak at Bramha Kamal restaurant, The Sizzlers Fest, from 23rd June to 3rd July. 

Met him over a brunch to talk about his journey, motivation and cooking style. 

Read on to know more about this wonderful human being; In conversation with Chef Devansh Jhaveri

Chef Devansh Jhaveri, Founder CEO of Mafia Chef and Co-Founder of Masala Cartel

A Gourmand's Diary (GD):  Where does your interest in food stem from?

Devansh (DJ): It's a very interesting question, and I would say that being a glutton, I was always interested in food since childhood and it was always a dream to be part of the food industry. Even at home, when something was made, I used to ask my Mum to make certain changes to the food to try out new things.  I would suggest to her "why don't you add this to this, or this to that". And that's how it all started.

GD: How did that translate into adulthood?

DJ: Well, an honest confession, I couldn't cook till I was nineteen, not even Maggi. I used to go out and eat good food, try different types of cuisines with friends and family and give suggestions. Then I went to the US for study That’s when my Love for Cooking really blossomed; I realised that I can cook and with friends from all over the world, we started trying out different dishes with the most authentic home-style recipes from different countries. We had A shared kitchen on each of our dorm floors where we used to share each other's recipes and food ideas mostly sourced from our Mothers. And  I started with Indian food on weekends and then switched to more International ones. After the first year of my college, I moved out of the dorm and started leaving in an apartment with three of my American mates, and we used to do a lot of barbeque and brunch on weekends. Somehow when I used to cook, everybody loved the food. So, the thing grew on me, and I used to have a command that I will only cook when someone will do the chopping, cutting the veggies and preparing the spices. I used to do only the main cooking part in any dish. So started being the Head Chef even during my college days. But the most satisfying part was when people use to appreciate my cooking and the taste of the food. It was a real pleasure, the real reward.

GD: Did you go to culinary school?

DJ: I never attended a culinary school. Most of my skills are developed by experimenting and hands-on trials and learnt from people from different nationalities. I learnt the cooking techniques and then standardised recipes with my style over the years. I never asked for a recipe; South American cuisine is my most preferred type, and it is as complex as Indian cuisine where you need to apply many techniques. The aroma, flavour, the texture and the visuals of the food to get things right. 

GD: What is your philosophy of food?

DJ: I think food is like Love! You can’t see the 'Love', but you can experience how special love can make you feel. When you see food, you know how wonderful it can make you feel by having it. So if you eat good food anywhere, which touches your soul, you never really forget it. So, food to me is just not a physical act of eating but also an emotional act. That's my philosophy of food. 

GD: When did you start considering Food as your career option?

DJ: I started considering it around four years ago though I was cooking for over last 15-16 years. My background is from the steel industry, and I have a Mechanical Engineer degree. After coming back from the US in 2008, I joined my family business, but the food, cooking, the restaurants were always there in my mind. Someday, I'm going to do this, and one day I realised that I have to do it now, or else I will regret after twenty years may be for not doing it that time. My family was super supportive during the transition, and yeah, I'm happy that I made the choice at the right time. 

GD: Please tell something about your ventures?

DJ: I started Mafia Chef around three years ago; a company that deals in the production of gourmet products in India bringing global flavours close to you. The name Mafia Chef came from my love for something quirky, catchy and initially I used to do a lot of Tex-Mex cuisines, Authentic Mexican food and people used to say that, Oh you'll become a Mexican Food Mafia. So one day, the name Mafia Chef came to my head, and that was my Eureka moment. 

Whereas Masala Cartel, started recently and I co-founded this with my close friend, Chef Shaunak Verdia. We wanted to do IT together, bringing both of our cooking skills as Shaunak's forte is South-East Asian, and mine is South American, in one company and do pop-upS across the country. And we both agreed upon to bring the word 'cartel' as we were joining hands and the influence of the name, 'Mafia Chef'. 

GD: How is the journey so far?

DJ: It has been very rewarding. I don't have any complaints, and I truly believe that it is the best decision of my life!

GD: What are the products you make under Mafia Chef brand?

DJ: Sriracha is my flagship product, and I officially launched it for retail sale last December. Sriracha is a south-east Asian sauce, a premium one because they are made from ageing a particular type of chilli for at least one and half years. The ageing of the chilis develops a depth of flavour which cannot be matched by any mass produced sauces. The ageing of chilis is a very delicate process which has certain guidelines which you must adhere to and its gruesome job where you have to keep checking the texture, flavour, aroma to get an ideal balance of all these. Though it is a South-East Asian sauce, still it is very popular across the world and a cult in the US. It can be used in different dishes in a variety of ways. It’s currently available across major cities and also available on Amazon India site by the name Mafia Chef Sriracha and in Udaipur at the stores like Upkar and Garden on the Go. 

GD: What are your future launches under Mafia Chef brand?

DJ: Though I have only launched one variant of the sauce as the flagship product, more variants such as Sriracha Mayo, Sriracha Mustard, Sriracha Barbeque Sauce, Sriracha flavoured cheese slices, chips and a Sriracha Dry seasoning as well will be launched shortly. 

I have also launched a range of Sambals, both green and red. Sambals are also South-East Asian inspired sauces, but they are not smooth LIKE A puree but more chunky. They're also made from aged chilis, and can be used as a Cooking sauce or Cooking paste due to its depth. They can also be used as a Dipping sauce or added to mayo or Sour cream to make a creamy spicy dip. 

GD: Why have you started with Sriracha, as your flagship product?

DJ: When I was in the US, we Indians would to look for good strong flavoured food. So what happened in the US, I started pouring Sriracha on most of my dishes and became a huge fanboy of this great hot sauce. When I came back, the memory of sriracha started haunting me. In stores, I used to get very mildly flavoured imported ones which were nowhere close to the original THAI ones. So I gave it a thought and planned to resolve this pain of not having good A sriracha in the country by producing some of my own. It took almost two years and eighteen trials to get the perfect flavour and profile of my Sriracha. 

GD: How do you source your ingredients?

DJ: I have tied up with a couple of farmers, and most of the chilis are grown on MY organic farm in Gujarat. The typical chilis which are used in my sriracha are not commonly available in the Indian market. And I follow a strict timeline of Harvest to Process the sauce in 24 hours schedule. As soon as the harvest reaches my processing unit which is around 8-9 hours of travel, they are cleaned and processed withing next 15-16 hours. And due to this, the sriracha which you get from Mafia Chef is very high on heat index yet with a flavour to suit the Indian taste than the imported ones available in the market. The garlic flavour and the sweetness are kept in check considering the domestic preference. The hot sauce should not make you die with its heat while enjoying your food. There must be a balance, which you can find in Mafia Chef Sriracha.

GD: What is your favourite Hot Sauce than that of yours?

DJ: Okay, I love my sriracha the most, but there is one brand of hot sauce available in the US which is called Dave's Insanity Sauce. It is made with Bhut Jolokia from Assam and chilli extracts. It is extremely spicy but a flavourful sauce. 

GD: Now, talking about Masala Cartel, What are your aims behind doing these pop-ups?

DJ: I do pop-ups with speciality cuisine which is not easily available anywhere. Each time I do a pop-up, I get a lot of appreciation from the guests as the cuisine is new and exclusive. When I do a pop-up, I mostly join hands with a local restaurant and give a quick training to the local team to help them understand the menu. I take care of the final cooking process before sending out the food to serve. I reach few days before and set up the menu considering the taste of the host location. Though I don't change the authentic flavour profile of any dish, as my main aim to give an opportunity to the people to taste something different which is not commonly available. 

GD: What is your management style?

DJ: Oh, I'm a control freak when you talk about my own recipes. I micro manage most of the kitchen as I believe when I'm serving food to my patron, there shouldn't be any compromise at all in flavour and authenticity of the dish. Specially, during pop us I check the base gravy, the sauce preparation very closely to make sure you get what you have desired.

GD: So, what is your favourite curse word in the kitchen?

DJ: No, I'm not going to say that here! But, yes Kitchen environment can sometimes become very hot, and the words spill out of your mouth. But it happens only during service, after that, we become one big family and enjoy a good laugh all together. And if you insist, all I can say, that I use the most famous ones! 

GD: Which is more challenging, being inside the Kitchen or being outside as an Entrepreneur?

DJ: Both sides have its own unique challenges, but inside THE Kitchen, it is more about raw skill and instant approach whereas outside you have a more systematic approach and a system or process to be followed over time. 

GD: What brought you to Udaipur?

DJ: My wife belongs to Udaipur, and her family lives here. After marriage, I usually come to Udaipur once a year and being a very sociable person I started making friends over here,  met Shaunak, and now I'm doing my second pop-up here with the Sizzlers Festival. 

GD: Can you tell me more about the Sizzler Fest Menu?

DJ: We are serving 11 different types of Sizzlers which will be exclusively available during the ten days of the festival, some of which are part of the regular menu of the restaurant, which is set by, Masala Cartel, of course. The restaurant is a vegetarian one, and we are serving Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean, Vegetable Sizzlers, Paneer Shaslik and also Shakshuka. 

GD: Which one is your favourite among them?

DJ: Trust me, they all taste good and very close to me. But, still, if you ask me to make a choice I would say that the Italian Sizzler is something which I like most. I enjoy the cheesy and mild flavour of the Italian spices. 

GD: What are your favourite cuisine and favourite ingredient?

DJ: My absolute favourite cuisine is Authentic Mexican cuisine, both Homestyle and Gourmet. And my favourite ingredient is Mole Sauce which is very complicated and prepared over two days. The Mole Sauce which I make is taught to me by my friend's grandmother in the US (who was from Mexico), has around forty-two ingredients to it. It is a dark brown coloured sauce, which comes from adding Mexican chocolate to it. The sauce is though not sweet because Mexican chocolate is made with roasted cacao beans with cinnamon and made in the Mexican sil-batta kind of grinder called Molcajete.

The Mole Sauce is the centrepiece of the dish while veggies or meat play only a supporting role. It is very thick  Sauce and rich in flavour and meant for a mature palate.

GD: What trend do you see in the Food Business?

DJ: I see a lot of people experimenting with Molecular Gastronomy and the Fusion Food here in India. Which is very encouraging. Though I prefer authentic food, I still enjoy fusion foods which are well inside the fine line of good flavour and not crossed into the field of bizarre food.

GD: Is there a chef you admire the most? 

DJ: I'm a huge fan of Chef Vinit Bhatia, Chef Gautam Mehrishi and Chef Saransh Goila, who is doing so good at this young age. Also, there is some inspiration from International Chefs like Chef Gordon, Chef Emerill.

GD: What is your guilty pleasure when no one else is around?

DJ: Potato Wedges with nacho cheese, some refried beans, sour cream followed by extra rich brownies with some flan on the side. 

GD: If someone invites you to their home for dinner what should they cook? 

DJ: Anything which is close to them, full of emotion. Even Dal-Chawal made with intense love and passion is a delicacy for me.

When you cook with your heart, it shows on your plate. Dal-Chawal-Aachar and I'm set.

GD: What was the one best meal you ever had outside your home?

DJ: In LA, there is a small Peruvian restaurant and a very famous Peruvian dish called Pollo A La Barsa. As I'm a vegetarian, they served me a vegetarian version of it with textured vegetable protein and with thick cut homestyle fries, rice and thick Peruvian AJI sauce. That was the one best meal I ever had. I have now incorporated this dish in one of my menus. 

GD: And what would be your ‘last request’ dish?

DJ: Dal Bati with Spiced Gatte!

GD: When you eat out, what is the dish you never want to order?

DJ: Okay, whenever we eat out, since my childhood, I was the one who used to order for the rest of the group. So I just order food which is good, wholesome and exciting. If you ask the one dish, then I will say that Sweet Corn Soup is something which I don't like to have or order at all. Though everybody loves it in the family.

GD: What is your idea of happiness?

DJ: First, you shouldn't depend on others for happiness, the only thing worth depending on is Food! Because Food never betrays you. 

GD: What is your favourite pastime outside the kitchen?

DJ: Cars! I love it the most apart from my family and the food. So I watch a lot of car events, motorsports etc.

GD: How do you balance your personal and professional life?

DJ: Yes, it is sometimes an issue, but with a supportive family like mine, I don't face many problems. As an entrepreneur, I spend less time in Kitchen nowadays than out in the front. The only thing is that instead of taking off on Saturday or Sunday, we take it on Monday- Tuesday. And I make sure to take some vacation time quite often to spend quality time with the family.

GD: Who is your biggest critic?

DJ: My wife, she helps me all the time with her valuable inputs, and I get to know what is wrong or what can be done better instantly. Both my the kids love my food. Though the younger one is too young to understand the flavours, my elder daughter loves the Pizza I make, and I make it on her order every time.

GD: What advice do you have for people looking to get into the food business?

DJ: First, do a lot of homework, be original, be truthful to what you are doing. Listen to the experts, have them on board, to begin with. Get proper licenses and follow a correct method for food manufacturing or cooking a dish.

GD: What’s your opinion about the role of social media in the food/restaurant business these days?

DJ: The role is paramount. In past few years, the social media evolves rapidly. There are so many new restaurants opening up, and also so many interesting things are happening across the food fraternity so fast that it is hard to generate word of mouth by its traditional means. Whereas the social media, the bloggers spread the words quicker and help a restaurant to grab good attention. The social media and the bloggers are very much part of the food fraternity, and we all need to cooperate with each other for sustainable growth. There are bloggers who are as passionate as any professional chef about food and with their reviews they are bringing the information about the food and its availability at any restaurant to the mass, to the people who love food.

GD: What would you have done differently when starting out?

DJ: Going to a Culinary school may be, in France! Though I don't have any regret about what I am today and what I have achieved with my hands-on style and philosophy for food. I am right where I wanted to be! 

Chef Devansh can be reached at the following coordinates -

Mafia Chef
Gr. Floor, Loyalka,
6 Siri Road, Chowpatty, Mumbai 400006, India
Phone: +91 9769146964 
Website: www.mafiachef.in 
E-Mail: devansh@mafiachef.in cs@mafiachef.in 

and yo can buy the Mafia Chef Sriracha from Amazon at https://goo.gl/F41eGY