Jaspal Inder Singh Kalra, fondly called Jiggs Kalra: A revolution for Indian cuisine and the man who brought lost Indian recipes and countless Indian chefs to the fore. As someone who started off as a food columnist, Jiggs went on to become a prolific writer of over 11 books (the most celebrated being PRASHAD). Today, his son, Zorawar Kalra, the man behind Farzi Cafe, Bo-Tai, and Masala Library, carries forward the legacy of his legendary father.
“For the world, Jiggs Kalra was many things but for me he was the maker of the best omelette in the world,” recounted Kalra junior. This Father’s Day, we took Junior Kalra back in time to narrate stories and talk about some of his fondest memories with Jiggs Kalra.
The Jiggs Kalra Omelette: An Occasional Sunday Ritual
The Kalra family was food loving and one that enjoyed their meals to be large, communal, featuring premium ingredients and diverse cuisines. That as context, Kalra spoke to me about his father’s love for large loaves of bread. “He would buy uncut loaves and use his electric slicer, which was quite rare at the time, to cut perfect slices.”
That’s not where the affair with the bread ended.
Anchovies with a strong flavour, was not something the Kalra kids enjoyed. Zorawar shared an instance of how Jiggs rolled anchovies in a block of cream cheese to create a spread for this sliced bread. “He fooled us into falling in love with an anchovies cheese spread,” Kalra added.
You can rarely go wrong with an omelette but there’s degrees to how right you can go. And the Jiggs omelette, that he would occasionally prepare on Sundays, is the best Zorawar has had. That is saying a lot when coming from a seasoned omelette-eater like himself.
“In the 1980s, oregano was rarely available in India. He would bring it from overseas, crush it in his palm, and make a beautiful omelette with multiple types of cheeses and the freshest oregano,” recalled Zorawar.
Kalra hasn’t eaten that omelette ever since 2019 when his father passed away. But it continues to be one of his strongest memories with his father.
Eating And Travelling Wide, With Jiggs
Travelling far and wide is a precondition to developing an evolved palate, and Jiggs Kalra understood that quite well. Zorawar shared how it was back in 1993 that his father exposed him to the idea of a farm-to-table experience. “We were on a memorable trip to Scotland and Wales for a family holiday. And for one of the meals, everything ranging from the vegetables to the meat was farm fresh in the morning. Even the animal we ate was alive that morning,” he said.
The Kalra family took an annual family holiday that revolved around food. “So, the food I was eating at 10 was what most chefs were eating when they were 25,” Kalra said with immense gratitude for his family.
Jiggs Kalra also played a key role in conceptualizing innovative dining concepts, such as the celebrated Dum Pukht restaurant at the ITC Maurya hotel in New Delhi. Reminiscing about the time when he was in school at St. Columbus, Zorawar said. “several times on my way back from school, I found myself seated at Dum Pukht doing trials of dishes that are culinary masterpieces of today.”
Keeping Jiggs Alive, Always
Jiggs passed away in June, 2019. Zorawar and the entire Kalra family keep him alive not just through memories but through food. “Till the very end, my father worked with our cook. And fortunately, the cook is still with us,” he said.
When I asked him how his father featured in his career, he mentioned how he was inculcated with an innate sense of responsibility towards Indian food at a very young age. “Every I do, it’s not just with a sense of responsibility towards the cuisine, the guests, but also towards him and his teachings. My restaurants are an ode to him,” he added.
He mentioned how all his restaurants are ingredient focussed and chef driven. “These are things that are now part of our DNA.” Jiggs and Zorawar, together launched Masala Library, arguably the first molecular Indian restaurant.
“My father always told me that you are as good as your last meal. And this is the philosophy that has been guiding all my restaurants even today,” concluded Kalra.
Read more: Are You Actually A Good Diner? Here’s What India’s Best Chefs Think
Also read: Restaurateur Amit Bagga On His Success Mantra And Running A Legacy Diner
