By Priya Lalwani

Epicon, India’s premier OTT platform has launched its new culinary show called the Family Table hosted by Celebrity Chef- Ranveer Brar, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day produced by 1947 Productions.

Family Table invites families across India to share their kitchens, offering a distinctive blend of entertainment and gastronomic delight. Beyond the realm of recipes, ‘Family Table’ explores the stories behind the dishes, delving into traditions and the moments that render a family meal extraordinary.

Adding a touch of celebrity allure, special guests Tejasswi Prakash, Vaani Kapoor, Huma Qureshi, Shweta Tiwari, Karishma Tanna, and Fatima Sana Shaikh will bring their favorite family dishes they love sharing with their loved ones to be recreated on the show.

In an exclusive interaction with Mauve, Chef Ranveer Brar talks about navigating the balance between traditional cooking techniques and modern culinary trends along with how, the Show “Family Table” is tempting viewers to spend quality time in the Kitchen.

Family Table is the idea to bring home-cooking heirloom recipes forward. Chef Ranveer Brar mentions, “I’ve always believed that cooking by chefs, street food or Royal food, even has always got its due. But Home food, which is truly the foundation of Indian food, never really got its due. There’s an entire genre of home cooking that lies in heirloom recipes from different families that need to come to the fore. With the Family Table, the idea is to bring those recipes, those conversations forward; and celebrate this aspect of our cuisine through the fun in and beauty of family cooking.”

Viewership and expectations

Cooking shows generally tend to be counter-backed where it’s a passive one-sided sharing of recipes. “However, with the Family Table, we hope it will tempt viewers to spend quality time in the kitchen and with each other and keep trying new recipes in the process too.” Says Ranveer Brar.

Building stronger bonds and connections

According to Chef Brar, “Food brings everyone together.”

“In a country where our day begins with ‘Aaj khane mein kya hai!’, food becomes the perfect conversation starter. Sadly, at a time when families aren’t finding time to eat together, I feel this kind of bonding, especially over food can be life-changing.” He added.

Chef Brar expressed, “Let no recipe intimidate you. Recipes are mere guidelines, it’s your intuition that will add the magic touch to any dish. I often stress upon getting the basics right, after which the process of cooking becomes super easy.”

The Memorable Experience

“During my travels, I tend to ‘hijack’ kitchens. One such memory that my mind jogs up is of Mubarak Chacha in Lucknow, a third-generation raqabdar at Nawab’s palace. His Mise en place comprised of his special Potli of Masalas (no name or number), firewood, and Ittar. My only contribution was to light the fire and follow him around trying to keep up. He cooked a meal of six dishes for six people in 45 minutes flat, while I was just wondering what hit me!! For me, that was a truly life-changing and humbling experience.” He shared.

“When you fall in love with something as diverse and evolutionary as Food, life just flows. I let food inspire me, through ingredients, dishes, food stories, and the people associated with them too. That’s the best part about my culinary journey, the people I meet, the stories I hear, and the dishes and ingredients I learn about. These then inspire what I create” ~ Chef Ranveer Brar.

Sustainable and ethical food practices

It’s sad to see philosophies such as Farm to Fork and Root to Fruit becoming trends, whereas, these were the ways of life of people in the days of yore.

“I grew up on a farm and the concept of zero waste kitchen was instilled by my Biji (Grandmother). I still recall how she would use everything she could in an ingredient; even something as basic as Dhaniya, from the leaves to its roots, the stalks, nothing would be discarded. Her practices and our home kitchen ideologies, in general, are what I continue incorporating in my cooking.” He expressed.

“Dal ki Dulhan was my special favorite from the show ‘Family Table”

Traditional cooking techniques and modern culinary trends

“Finding that balance is what I find intriguing, it’s an interesting challenge to see how I can create & recreate dishes in the most appealing way that will tempt my viewers to try them in their kitchens. The trick is to inspire them the right way, be it trending dishes or home-style ones. During the lockdown especially, people were dependent on their cooking skills. I saw food and cooking as the perfect opportunity to relieve their depression and make them fall in love with even the basic dishes and cook with passion.” Quoted Chef Ranveer Brar.