Chef Amrish Sood, Specialty Chef at the infamous Rang Mahal has over 15 years’ experience within the culinary scene and joined JW Marriott Marquis in 2013. Since then, Chef Sood has been creating delicious dishes for the award winning Indian restaurant.
Culinary Beginnings
An Indian national, Chef Sood grew up in a small city in the northern part of India, a city known for its agricultural land and flavoursome produce. It was here that Chef Sood sparked an interest in food and cooking before moving to South India and enrolling into catering college in 2001.
After completing the course and training with the likes of Taj Hotels, Chef Sood moved back to India to start his professional culinary career.
Passion for Food
Starting as a trainee with The Park Hotels, Chef Sood travelled around the different regions of India working with various master chefs until 2003, where he settled and opened the first Pan Indian restaurant in New Dehli. Chef Sood then took the leap to Shanghai and the Middle East, where he worked at the Ushna restaurant in Abu Dhabi, before moving to Dubai and the JW Marriott Marquis.
Award Wins
Chef Sood during his time in the kitchen has actively aided in the winning of over 18 awards and accolades for multiple outlets. Most namely, BBC Good Foods Chef of the years 2013 and 2014, Caterer Middle East Chef of the years 2013 and 2014, Silver award at the Hospitality Excellence Awards 2017 and more specific to JW Marriott Marquis, Chef Sood has won ACE Rising Star of the Year (Middle East and Africa) in the Marriott Excellence Awards.
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai
As Specialty Chef for Rang Mahal, Chef Sood is responsible for creating and executing the day to day dishes within the restaurant and conjuring up new ideas and dish concepts.
MAMSAM MERIYAL
Serves - 5
Ingredients
1 Vegetable oil
1”stick Cinnamon
4 nos Cardamom
4 nos Clove
2 nos Bay leaves
300 gms Onion grated
2 tbsp Chopped garlic
3 tbsp Grated ginger
1 kg Lamb cubes
3 tbsp Coriander powder
600 gms Tomato puree
1 tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tbsp Turmeric
Curry leaves
4 tbsp Tamarind pulp
½ cup Coconut milk
Coconut paste
50 gms Cashewnut
50 gms Coconut grate
Meriyal masala - yield - 8-10 ports
50 gms Coriander seeds
5 gms Cumin seeds
5 gms Green cardamom
3 gms Cloves
2 gms Mace
2 nos Star anise
5 gms Cinnamon
2 nos Bay leaf
5 no’s Red chilies whole
Method:
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pan. Splutter whole spices (cinnamon, green cardamom, clove). Add onion, cook till golden brown.
2. Once the onions are done, add, chopped garlic, grated onions, lamb cubes, stir around to sear the meat on a medium to high flame.
3. Add coriander powder, salt & curry leaves to lamb, mix gently, cover the pot and allow the lamb to cook on a low flame. Add little water in between if required.
4. Once the lamb is cooked to 60%, stir in tomatoes, kashmiri chili powder & turmeric powder. Continue cooking the lamb on a low flame with lid on.
5. When the lamb is soft enough & cooked add coconut & cashew paste along with 4 tbsp of spice powder, coconut milk & tamarind pulp. Mix it gently & cook for another 5 minutes.
6. Towards the end adjust seasoning with salt & add crushed peppercorns along with chopped corriander, ginger juliennes & ghee.
Coconut paste
Roast the grated coconut in an oven till dry & golden brown in colour. Soak the toasted coconut & cashewnut in hot water for an hour & than blend them to a fine paste.
Meriyal Masala
For Meriyal masala dry roast the spices & than grind them to a fine powder.