Beyond Brilliant: Inspired Indian Cooking

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Dipna Anand is the second restaurant from the chef of the same name, and it is clear that she has taken this opportunity to incorporate her personality into an environment rooted in tradition.

We arrived for brunch around 12:30, and the atmosphere was muted but pleasant, eventually getting livelier later. The waitstaff were kind and knowledgeable, and were more than willing to give suggestions for dishes or drinks. Later in the book there is a section on the Brilliant family where Dipna writes about her mother and her brother. Its interesting to read that her mother didn’t know how to cook but with time and practice she now cooks and even says she could teach her husband a few things. Dipna’s brother has been in the restaurant for 10 years as well as working hard in the restaurant he is working on finding new new clients and bringing in new business.One thing you can really tell from the book is that the whole Brilliant business is a family business and that family means a great deal to them, which I think its excellent! There is then a final section on the Brilliant Wedding, giving a bit of information on the wedding as well as Dipna’s Involvement in it. As I don’t have any other Indian Cookbooks, I thought id buy it and try a few of the recipes myself. The book features a nice mixture of recipes ranging from starters, mains, sides and desserts. I love the fact that it features desserts as I personally haven’t seen many recipes for Indian desserts so it would be nice to try and make some. I had some Indian Desserts when I went in 2014 and they are very nice! Another thing I really like about this book is the focus on healthy options as well. More and more people are looking to go for more healthy options, in my house we tend to replace certain things with others so that it is more slimming and less syns 🙂 To showcase my talent to the world and write my two cook-books as well as pass by skills and knowledge on through my cookery school and of course the cookery shows on television for which today I am recognised. I feel truly blessed.

After interviewing Dipna Anand, I learnt that she had published Beyond Brilliant. A great book that features over 40 recipes from the actual kitchens of The Brilliant Restaurant. Beyond Brilliant gives a good introduction to the history of brilliant so you can earn how it got started in Kenya and how it became the great restaurant it is today. There is a section on Dipna being a student and then taking the role of a teacher, she does many lectures or food demonstrations.

Its in this section that you learn a bit about basic preparation, how to make a green chilli paste, different ways of cutting/chopping an onion and then toasting and crushing spices. Like in any career path, it’s not just a straight road. Hospitality and catering is a tough yet very rewarding career path. I just wish I had been told and trained from a very young age as to why it’s so important to manage finances and also understanding finance and how its crucial for your future goals. I could have by now made many more valuable investments that way. Which colleague, mentor or employer has had the biggest influence on your approach to the hospitality business?​ Tech News Today: iOS 17.2 lets users change notification tone, OnePlus 12 rumoured to launch in India on January 23 and more Dipna has put a lot of focus on offering healthy options, helping to get rid of the myth that Indian food has to be unhealthy as it really doesn’t.

I absolutely love the Maroush group of restaurants. Lebanese cuisine is one of my favourites and Maroush has never let me down no matter which branch I visit. I eat Maroush at least once or twice a month, it’s a true favourite of mine. Professor David Foskett who was the Dean at The University of West London whilst I was studying there many years ago has been a big influence and inspiration. Professor Foskett was the first person to push me to achieve my goals and reach for those stars. He encouraged me to always go that extra mile and that today is something that has stayed with me and has helped get me to where I am. Saying no to a restaurant opportunity in India and saying no to being a judge on MasterChef India​ as my diary at those times did not allow me to pursue the opportunities. As Ajit Pawar-led NCP stakes claim for Maval LS seat, sitting MP Shrirang Barne says he has CM’s approval The worry of how costs and how they are having such a significant impact on the hospitality and catering industry. The cost of living will continue to challenge us all and staff skill shortages in the catering industry continue to make it a struggle - all these things are worrying, and we need to all plan ahead and make the right decisions based on what’s coming. Despite this we also somehow need to stay positive which is not always easy.It’s one of the most rewarding and satisfying careers so long as you are passionate and have interest in it. You have to be a people’s person in this industry and have one mindset which is the harder you work, the better it gets. Work from your heart, keep smiling and keep your feet humbly on the ground.