He might not have done a course in hospitality, but he just needs to smell food to know how it will taste. He's mastered Indian fare of over 28 states and gave CS a taste of his Rajasthani cuisine at the Rajputana Festival that is on till Nov 22 at the Renaissance Hotel, Powai.

Having started as a dishwasher in a small joint in Nagpur, chef Bhairav Singh has now risen to great heights, having become the master Indian chef of the Renaissance. He spoke to CS about his favourite subject food:

Ghar ka khana
Since I come from Rajasthan, I'm trying to give Mumbaikars a taste of our food. This moving buffet that comes to your table offers you 32 dishes that are characteristic of Rajasthan. The welcome drink is buttermilk that is made out of makki ka aata and left overnight on charcoal. The Karanda achar is made in every Rajasthani house and is served with the meal.

The kaddhi that we serve has a hint of clove, though you'll hardly get its flavour. The trick is to burn spices on charcoal and then capture the smoke in a dish. I then expose my delicacies to the smoke. I love playing around with spices and enjoy giving my dishes varied smokey flavours.

Health food all the way
Indian tastebuds are changing. Everyone wants to eat healthy these days, so I ensure that I give my customers food that is low on oil and calories. Traditionally, Indian food was oily and rich in dry fruits, but now our recipes are changing with the health conscious consumer.

A few years ago, the concept of fusion food was very popular. Now however, the 60s and 70s fare is back. Most people want to eat the traditional butter chicken once again.

Mom's magic
I might have taken Indian cuisines to the world, but nothing can beat ma-ka-khana. I still can't make the same alloo pyaaz ki sabzi the way she does. When I'm home, I don't cook at all. In fact, I've got a maid who does the job for me. There was a time when I prepared Maggi for my girlfriend and she was so irritated that I never saw her face again. But if you put this one stray incident aside, I would say that I am a typical Rajasthani who is great at 'mehman nawazi'.u00a0