There is no single name that can be dropped in the world of the Indian man of gastronomic art like that of Chef Ajay Chauhan. Being a professional in luxury hotels, working in India and overseas for more than 20 years, Ajay has gained the reputation of being able to deliver a combination of traditional tastes and modern fine touch. Working as the current Banquet Senior Chef de Cuisine at JW Marriott Kolkata, he is world-renowned due to his knowledge of Indian cuisine, the skill of attention to detail, and the capacity to turn any common recipe into a memorable journey of taste.
Since 2004, when Ajay started his profession at ITC Maurya, New Delhi, he has worked diligently in practising the art of culinary finesse. His experience has seen him work in high-class kitchens like Shangri-La Colombo, Hotel Pullman, Marriott Bangalore, and the ITC Welcome Hotel Dwarka. Due to his leadership skills and experience in training high-performing teams, he also fulfils the role of an innovator, bringing in new ideas while retaining the essence of Indian food.
He has several dishes to his name, but two dishes have become his food trademarks: Fish Curry Masala and Achari Mushroom Tikka. Such dishes are not only recipes; they are techniques, narratives, and local verisimilitude. The Fish Curry Masala brings out Ajay’s ability to balance spice and tang to achieve a layered flavour profile and embody south-coastal India.
The Fish Curry Masala is famous because of its complexity in tone and textural balance. Ajay takes a different tact where he tries to use as much aroma as possible from the freshly ground spices so as to flavour the fish but not overpower it. The tamarind or kokum tang is perfectly balanced to enhance the richness of the curry, making it comforting and refined, which is not easy to achieve in banquet-style Indian cooking.
The Achari Mushroom Tikka indicates the sense of creativity that Ajay has brought to delicious new vegetarian dishes. This recipe is inspired by the practice of pickles in North India because, in this dish, the power of achari spices, yogurt, and fragrant herbs fill the mushrooms. What emerges is a smoked, tart appetizer that will generate a bit of surprise even among hardened diners, as they have a unique vegetarian substitute for the meat-based tikkas of India.
The difference is the philosophy professed by Ajay: genuineness and never being ossified. He takes into account the origins of all his recipes, changing both methods, presentation, and the intensity of the flavours, however, to appeal to both traditional and modern diners. This flexibility has made his banquets unforgettable, as the guests end up asking for these signature dishes months after the occasions are over.
Whether it is the chaotic banquet halls of JW Marriott or the glitzy luxury events across the globe, Chef Ajay Chauhan still manages to influence a new generation of chefs. His Fish Curry Masala and Achari Mushroom Tikka are not just menu items, they are experiences in which he explains his culinary explorations of India, and in each bite, he captures its diversity, vibrancy, and heart.
