Perfecting pastries

"Pastry-making keeps both young and old generations happy and delighted. Pastries can be eaten any time of the day or night. One need not wait for an occasion to have them,” says the modest chef Nowzer Iranpour adding, "However, the field is such that nobody can be perfect. You have to learn things and be creative. I do not call myself a master yet.”

Over the 31 years he has been with the Taj Mahal Hotel which he joined as trainee cook in 1971, Iranpour has progressed to become assistant cook, cook, head cook, assistant chef, chef. It took him 13 years to reach the level of chef. It is only from 1981 that he became pastry chef of La Patisserie (the cake shop of the Taj) and then pastry chef (western region), reporting directly to executive chef, Hemant Oberoi. His loyalty lies with the Taj, his first and last job. For Iranpour, "Taj is my second home. If ever I leave the Taj, I will never work anywhere else.” Except for B. Meher­wan’s mawa cakes, he finds Taj pastries the best.

Well travelled and having a varied experience in pastry-making Iranpour had an opportunity to visit the Olympics (Cooking) in Frankfurt in 1982 (as spectator) to see thousands of chefs from all over the world come together and exchange ideas. He has also been to Switzerland, Germany, London, Vienna, New York, Singapore and several other countries and has picked up fresh ideas from the chefs there: "I get ideas on the latest equipment, the latest techniques. Even their ready mix is so good that all one has to do is open the bag of flour, add yeast and water and bake it, whereas here we do not get good flour and there are lots of problems. Even the quality of readymade molds that are available abroad are excellent. In fact Taj recently imported several machines and molds. We also get to know their recipes.” Pastry-making abroad is fully computerized. Nobody works with their hands. Even chocolate is melted with the help of a fully automatic machine. A couple of months ago when Iranpour visited Franklin in Switzerland, he saw their advanced techniques of making chocolates and how machines give a good finishing touch. But for Iranpour, "Using my fingers and getting the feel of the pastry is a must!”

But Iranpour is no copycat. He knows well that conditions in India are different from abroad. The ingredients available are different, there are at least two to three items in foreign recipes that are not available in India. Besides, Indian tastes vary. For instance, liquor is added in practically every cake abroad, whereas in India not everyone has liquor. That makes pastry-making a different ball game altogether.

Iranpour is the only chef (and the only Parsi) to get three gold medals for the best petit four (mini pastries served during tea time), wedding cakes and desserts at the All-India Chef Competition held in New Delhi in 1995. He is a judge at inter-college, inter-hotel and inter-chef competitions and examines papers (in baking and confectionery) of catering students of Sophia College, Anjuman-i-Islam College, Rizvi College, etc.

He was the first to start Taj Air-Catering, a catering service for the airline industry as also a flight kitchen for the Taj in Delhi, we learn from Iranpour. The first chef to be sent to Swissair to learn how to present food in an aeroplane, the experience gained was then used in India, he mentions. Today, thanks to hardworking and efficient employees like Iranpour, the Taj is serving several airlines such as Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Jet Airways, Delta...

A pioneer of La Patisserie, one of the oldest cake shops in the country, he is also the first chef in India to start a European festival. He has conducted cake shop festivals in Bombay, Calcutta, Hyderabad, Bangalore. "We have to plan this in advance. Talk on the phone to the chefs in that particular city, be there at least seven to eight days in advance. Know what pastries are served and which are the popular cake shops. Prepare a menu. Get good publicity and press coverage and then (proceed with) the festival for 15 to 20 days.” In each of these festivals Iranpour has shown his skills and displayed his colorful creations.

He feels very sad when he comes across Indians who say that the best of pastries are available abroad. He has rebuked them in his own way by giving them delightful surprises.

Displaying his skills at pastry-making he shared some vital tips and lip smacking pastry recipes, with the IMC (Indian Merchants’ Chamber) Ladies’ Wing at the Crystal Room of the Taj on July 9, 2002, a function so well organized by Perveez Aggarwal, chairperson of the international connections committee. Iranpour demonstrated recipes of honey almond biscuits (honey is na­­tu­­ral sugar) and cheese cake crumble (made from cottage cheese, which is non-fattening), assuring the fitness freaks and figure-conscious ladies that their cholesterol would remain under control. For the pure veggies, chocolate delice is the easiest and the most delicious chocolate cake one can make in the house. When asked about his favorite pastry, Iranpour gives a diplomatic answer: "All are my favorites. I go on creating new pastries. But the favorites in town are truffle black forest and plum cake.”

Iranpour also gave a number of tips:

Iranpour (top) and with wife Villoo (alongside) with some of his creations

•If you do not have cake molds, use paper molds or plastic molds.

•Do not wash plastic molds often. The pastry loses its shine.

•To make your own mold in the house, inflate a balloon and fasten it. Dip the circular contour of the balloon in melted chocolate such that almost half of it is well coated with the chocolate. Place it on a plate and put it in the fridge. Remove it after 15 to 20 minutes. Prick the balloon. You will see that the chocolate mold is ready.

•To decorate a cake, take any fancy net. Place it carefully on the cake, spread cocoa powder and remove the net carefully.

•Some of the good chocolate brands available are Morde, Felchlin and Calibo.

•The best cream available in the market is Rich Topping Cream.

•Keep your hands dry when working on chocolate cakes.

•The best way of cooling melted cho­co­late is to pour it on a marble slab.

•Milk chocolate should be melted at 29°C , white chocolate at 27°C and dark chocolate at 31-32°C. Iranpour is such an expert that he simply has to put some hot chocolate on the tip of his tongue to judge whether it has melted at the correct temperature.

When the exclusive art of pastry-making blends with innovation, there are no limits. Iranpour had laid a spread of banana praline, raspberry ripple, mix fruit cheese cake, raspberry charlotte, etc at the Taj for IMC Ladies’ Wing.

Besides the Taj, Iranpour also imparts training in pastry-making in various parts of the world. Sadly, he does not train housewives.

The aroma of freshly baked bread and biscuits of Meher Bakery just below his residence in Nasik was what attracted young Nowzer to the profession. He would rush down to meet Santonh, the baker at Meher. Recalls Iranpour with a mischievous smile: "I knew that something tasty was being made down there and off I would go to Meher and chat with Santonh. It just made me happy and I decided to go in for the catering profession.” He soon passed out from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition (with specialization in baking and confectionary) at Shivaji Park, Dadar, in 1970, at the age of 19.

Presently Iranpour’s inspiration comes from within. Even when we interviewed him at 8 p.m. at the Taj after a full day’s work, he was tired, but his enthusiasm was intact. When asked whether he works as hard in the house, he remembers wife Villoo, who worked as assistant manager of the Cake Shop at the Taj (now called Birdy’s) for 14 years, and responds: "I don’t touch anything in the house.” His day ends with eating dinner made by Villoo (she is a good cook herself), watching television (he loves watching test cricket and both English and Hindi movies) and then going to bed with a little prayer. He still has a decade to retire, but he is far too busy to even think of making retirement plans. Besides, as the saying goes: "A chef never retires.”

Nowzer loves the Parsi community. He finds Parsis very lively, cheerful and helpful. As far as their eating habits are concerned, he jokingly says: "Parsis are great eaters. If we have a party where Parsis are invited and the order is placed for 200 people, we have to provide for 300 people ... The one extraordinary characteristic of Parsis is that whether it be Christmas, Divali, Id or Parsi New Year, it is fun to see them all set to celebrate the festival. This is the charm of our community.” A couple of years ago when the famous Parsi culinary expert Katy Dalal approached Iranpour to contribute some of his prized recipes in her book, Delicious Encounters, a good Zoroastrian that he is, he considered it his duty to give her the best of his recipes.

Do you have an occasion to celebrate coming soon? Or, do you simply have a sweet tooth? Remember Iran­pour and the Taj Mahal Hotel, and you will find exquisite flavors of pastries, the colors and creative compositions of which will make every elegant reception a success.

Here are some recipes shared by the chef.

OPERA

Oven temp — 150°C

Baking time — 35-40 min

Yield — 40 to 50

Chocolate Sponge

Eggs (4)

Icing sugar (350 g)

Cocoa powder (70 g)

Yogurt (250 ml)

Oil (150 ml)

Baking soda (1 tsp)

Vanilla essence (1 tsp)

Flour (250 g)

Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Once mixture is smooth pour into a lined and greased 12” x 12” square cake tin and bake. Turn the cake onto a wire rack to cool. Sandwich the cake with truffle cream and coffee butter cream.

Truffle Cream

Milk (150 ml — boiled)

Chocolates (300 g — melted)

Mix together and allow to cool.

Coffee Butter Cream

Butter (200 g)

Icing sugar (100 g)

Coffee powder (20 to 30 g)

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, and add infused coffee (coffee powder dissolved in a little hot water).

CHOCOLATE DELICE

Oven temperature — 150°C

Baking time — 30-35 min

Chocolate Sponge

Eggs (3)

Sugar (90 g)

Flour (75 g)

Cocoa powder (15 g)

Vanilla essence (1 tsp)

Beat the eggs and sugar till light and fluffy, add vanilla essence, fold in flour and cocoa powder to form a batter and bake. Once cooled, slice the cake, into one or two layers as required. Line the mold for the delice.

Chocolate Delice

Chocolate (200 g — melted, slightly warm)

Cream (300 g — whipped)

Gently fold the cream into the melted chocolate. Once mixed, pour into the lined mold and let it set. After setting dust with cocoa powder.

HONEY ALMOND BISCUITS

Baking temperature — 150°C

Baking time — 10-12 mins

Base for Soft Crust

Flour (300 g)

Butter (200 g)

Icing sugar (100 g)

Egg (1)

Vanilla essence (1 tsp)

Make a dough of the above ingredients and roll out to line the base of a 12” x 12” swiss roll tin. Blind bake and keep aside.

Topping

Single cream (300 ml)

Butter (70 g)

Sugar (50 g)

Honey (150 g)

Almond flakes (250 g)

In a saucepan mix butter, honey, cream and gently boil this together for four to five minutes, stirring continuously until the mixture gets thick and creamy and leaves the sides of the pan. Add the almond flakes (preferably lightly roasted). Stir in gently. Remove from heat and add the mixture to the short crust base. Bake lightly.

Allow to cool, then cut into desired size and shape.

CHEESE CAKE CRUMBLE

Baking temperature — 150°C

Baking time — 40-50 min

Yield — 3 pie molds

Base for Short Crust Pastry

Flour (300 g)

Butter (200 g)

Castor sugar (100 g)

Egg (1)

Cheese Cake mixture

Cottage cheese (1 kg)

Icing sugar (300 g)

Eggs (4)

Egg yolks (3)

Lemons (2 — juice)

Vanilla essence

Cream (125 ml)

Flour (50 g)

Crumble mixture

Butter unsalted (150 g)

Flour (150 g)

Icing sugar (100 g)

Cinnamon (1 tsp)

First make dough for the base. Roll it out and line the pie molds.

For cheese cake mixture mash and smoothen out the cottage cheese with icing sugar.

Add all the remaining ingredients one by one, gradually. Fold in the flour, pour the batter into the pie mold and bake at decided temperature.

For the crumble mixture add all the ingredients and crumble them slowly.

Once the cheese cake is baked remove it from the oven, add the crumble mixture on top and put it back into the oven for five minutes to get a nice golden brown color.

SCONES

Baking temperature — 200°C

Baking time — 12-15 min

Yield — 50-60, depending on size

Plain flour (1 kg)

Baking powder (40 g)

Butter (250 g)

Castor sugar (250 g)

Egg yolks (5)

Milk (300 to 500 ml)

Vanilla essence

Salt (a pinch)

In a mixing bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter to make a crumbly mixture. Gradually add sugar and milk to make soft dough.

Roll out the dough and cut into 5 cm size, or as you desire.

Place for baking and glaze with milk or egg wash. Once baked, cool and serve with butter or jam.

CHERRY CINNAMON MUFFIN

Baking temperature (150°C)

Baking time — 30-40 min

Yield — 45-50

Flour (250 g)

Butter (250 g)

Sugar (250 g)

Eggs (5) or custard powder (1 tsp)

Walnuts (100 g — chopped)

Cherries (40-50 — deseeded, tinned or fresh)

Cinnamon powder (1 tsp)

Milk (50 ml)

Baking powder (1 tsp)

Vanilla essence (1 tsp)

Beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add eggs one at a time beating continuously. Add flour, milk, walnuts and cherries mixing constantly to form a batter.

Pour into lined muffin molds and bake at predecided temperature.

Once baked, cool them on wire racks.