As a child, Lachu Moorjani, who owns the Ajanta Restaurant in Berkeley, Calif., led a one-person revolt against the sameness of food. Growing up in Bikaner, Rajasthan, he was subjected to Saibhaji, that staple dish of Sindhi households, every single day. Saibhaji, which is a stew of spinach, daal and several vegetables, is almost as ubiquitous as bread and a must on the table. “Amongst all my brothers and sisters, I was the one who used to make noises about how can we eat the same thing every day. Finally my mom gave in to that and started cooking other vegetables too.”
A passionate foodie, he was just as deflated when he first immigrated to California and stayed at a residency hotel that provided all the meals. He recalls, “It was always meat loaf and roast beef and I hated that.” He tried going out to eat at the few Indian restaurants and that was not pleasant either: “In the 70’s most would cook a big batch of curries and freeze them so everything tasted the same, whether it was chicken or lamb or vegetables. They would add a few cosmetic changes and dish it out.”
He started seriously cooking for himself and trying to recreate the meals he had eaten in India. This led to the opening of a small restaurant New Delhi Junction, where he
GOANESE GREEN PULAVE
Rice and Green Vegetable Pilaf I often eat this one-pot dish with some yogurt on the side, which makes it a complete and balanced meal that is also very light and tasty. In this feast, it replaces separate rice and vegetable dishes.
Ingredients Serves 6
2 tablespoons oil 2 teaspoons caraway seeds 1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly 1 pound green beans, trimmed (cut 1/8 inch from each end) and cut in 1- to 2-inch pieces 1/2 cup fresh-shelled or frozen peas 1 1/2 cups basmati rice 2 cups water 1 teaspoon turmeric 2 to 3 sticks cinnamon 6 bay leaves 1 cup coconut milk 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns 1/2 cup roasted cashew pieces (roast in a skillet ahead of time with 1 teaspoon oil until golden brown)
Method:
1. Heat oil in a 6- to 8-quart saucepot. When oil is hot, fry caraway seeds for 10 seconds (the oil should sizzle when seeds are added). Add onion and sauté until golden brown. Add green beans and peas (if using fresh-shelled peas; if using frozen peas, see step 3). Sauté for about 5 minutes.
2. Add rice and stir-fry over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Add water, turmeric, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, coconut milk, salt and peppercorns.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed. (Add peas if using frozen peas.) Cover and leave over very low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the stove and mix in cashew pieces.
introduced the novel concept of a daily changing menu of regional dishes. Now he owns the 64-seat restaurant Ajanta where his specialty is dishes from all parts of India. He says, “I have a roster of 250 dishes in my database that are used in the menu, so I say that people could come to my restaurant 2-3 times a month for two years without repeating a dish!”
Moorjani recently authored Ajanta: Regional Feasts of India (Gibbs Smith) which offers feasts from 12 different regions including Kashmir, Rajasthan and Goa, right from appetizer to dessert, with a detailed shopping list. The menus offer intriguing vegetarian dishes like Goanese Green Pulav, Tandoori Portabella Mushrooms and Rangarang Vegetables, as well as non-vegetarian dishes like Machi Malai Masala and Chicken Pistachio Korma. Moorjani also gives tips on the correct way to brown spices and meat and slice onions. And yes, there’s a whole chapter on how to pair wines with desi food.
Although he has chefs doing the daily cooking in the restaurant, the genesis is always in his home kitchen and so the food is very akin to home cooking, with very little oil and fresh ingredients. For him, it’s a labor of love: “I still keep trying new dishes on every visit to India and make my notes, do the research, try them out at home and then feature them in the restaurant.”
At home who does the cooking? He laughs, “My wife.” So there’s no advantage in being married to a chef? He says, “She asks me to do it, but I’m too tired!” One thing, however, is certain — Moorjani does not eat Saibhaji every night!
