By Leigh O’Connor.
Delivering cooking, art and design on the plate is the mission of Chef Harry Dhanjal – keeping dishes simple with a four-flavour profile.
Heading the kitchen at Chef-hatted Atta Restaurant on Victoria Avenue in Albert Park, Harry grew up in India under the watchful kitchen eye of his Mother and Grandmother, listening to stories related to dishes and how they evolved over time.
"My Grandmother had a great influence on me and we cooked simple home food, full of flavours that have fascinated me,” Harry explains. "My training started in my late teens when I would spend 16 hours a day for years in a commercial kitchen learning the use of the right ingredients and compositions to make every dish delicious and balanced.
"I trained in tandoori cooking – the culinary art that takes years of learning and experience to bake the right naan bread and tandoori dishes.”
Atta offers classic dishes from all corners of India with a modern twist in stylish surrounds of white beamed ceilings and archways, blond wood tables and fresh flowers. Here food not only pleases the palate but also the eye as guests are given a new light on Indian cuisine, elevating their experience visually and taste-wise.
"I like to keep the dishes simple and the rule is no more than four flavour profiles to balance the depth and complexity of the plate. I love ghee, garlic, fresh ginger and coriander, which just elevates the dish.”
Obsessive-compulsive about naan bread and basmati rice, Harry says who doesn’t like flaky bread and well-cooked aromatic rice with balanced curries such as butter chicken or lamb Chennai.
Along with business partner Brij, Harry has designed the whole restaurant to create an open kitchen, enabling staff to work as one team in both the kitchen and front of house.
"I love interacting with guests and seeing their reactions when they eat my food and pass compliments. Coming to work every day, sharing ideas and passion with like-minded people in the kitchen keeps me going.”
Harry shares his take on chicken tikka and mint chutney with AGFG:
"Chicken tikka is known as the King of the tandoor oven. We have created a recipe where you don’t need a tandoor to cook this dish – roast the marinated skewers in a hot oven. Just remember to leave plenty of room between the skewers for the hot air to circulate.”
Art and design play a huge part in Harry’s cooking philosophy and he is sure to be doing something combining all three for many years to come.
