August 15: In 50 years of India's independence, one thing that has really emerged as a winner is Indian cuisine. When one talks of Indian cuisine globally, one need not restrict oneself to just hot curries. Now, Indian cuisine is being understood in its true perspective, that is, its versatility. The legacy that has been left behind for us can easily be used for another two or three centuries, before we actually start creating. Four to five decades ago, cooks were busy replicating recipes that were secrets of khansamas of maharajas and nawabs. Then came a time when cooks started modifying recipes. These modifications were necessary to assure the growth of Indian cuisine, it was imperative to cook for today. In the recent past, adventurous cooks have taken much pain to create dishes that are relevant to the need of the hour. These dishes are created by keeping in mind our body's present-day nutritional requirements and tastes. In the last five years we have all heard about liberalisation and this applies to Indian cuisine as well. When we use the term liberalisation of Indian cuisine it does not mean that we are liberal in using masalas. Instead, it means that people at large have become liberal and worldwide, Indian cuisine is being understood in its new form. In our efforts to internationalise Indian cuisine, we have successfully given people a taste of India, that is much more than curries. Chefs of today's generation are making a conscious effort to modify Indian cuisine so that it is not only truly understood but also eaten and relished. One drawback that always bothered me was its look and presentation. With the world graduating to designer food, Indian dishes were always poorly presented and hardly ever garnished with flair. The most common garnishing ingredient was coriander leaves and only on rare occasions were more imaginative garnishing used. In my continued efforts to give Indian cuisine a place of pride I created a dish, five years ago. At that time, I was asked to make a few dishes for Independence Day. Little did I know that five years hence I would be fondly called `Shaam Savera' uncle. Shaam Savera is a dish that has all the elements of a star dish. It is spinach dumplings (koftas) stuffed with paneer, served with a velvety tomato gravy. This recipe was shared on my first ever episode of Khana Khazana. The visual appeal is as good as its taste. It became so popular that to date some people identify me more with Shaam Savera than my name, Sanjeev Kapoor. It is dedicated to the golden jubilee of India's independence. The recipe has been perfected with the help of chef Dhanukoddi (Kutty), chef Madhur Sheel and chef Inder Dev of Centaur Hotel, Juhu.Recipe and text copyright with Sanjeev Kapoor © 1997

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