Copper Chimney’s Premiere in Delhi

The freshly built Rajouri Garden location of the restaurant brand Copper Chimney has been given a fresh lease of life. Drawing inspiration from the late JK Kapur, a prominent Mumbai film distributor, the restaurant features family-secret spice mixes and specially made tandoors. Shikha Nath, its culinary editor, talks about the brand’s long 52-year history, her relationship with it, and why they decided to establish themselves in Delhi rather later.

Copper Chimney became a customer when Nath, 62, joined her family’s restaurant consulting firm, Charcoal Concepts, in 1997. The original location was opened by the renowned actor Dilip Kumar in Kalaghoda, Mumbai, where it made its debut. The restaurant is now doing well in Pune, Chennai, and Bengaluru. It also has locations in Kuwait, London, and Kuala Lumpur.

Nath had an early love of eating. “I’ve always found pickling, fermenting, and street food to be fascinating. Even though my culinary abilities improved with time, I didn’t think about making this hobby my job until I met Kapur in 1997, the woman adds. As a pastime, Kapur founded Copper Chimney in Mumbai in 1972, fusing his love of food with recollections of the cuisine of divided India and his time spent cooking as a refugee. He taught me the subtleties of traditional cuisine. In his recipes, Kapur never used any artificial color. You could be certain that the turmeric was the reason for the yellowish color of the curry. It would be our robust chilli paste if it were a vivid red color, according to Nath.

Each taste of food at Copper Chimney evokes a memory. One of our cooks would turn the roomali roti on the griddle and forget about it, as was the case with kadak roomali, which originated as a “accidental dish” in the kitchen during the 1970s. Covered in butter, spices, and a blend of sesame seeds, it comes with a Bengal gram hummus that pleasantly surprises the palette with its complex taste. A dish of kababs was served next; each piece of meat, from the flavorful seekh kabab to the succulent reshmi kabab, was drenched in a seductive spice mixture.

Soon after, I start with a bowl of rogan josh and continue with paneer butter masala and Chelo Kabab, Nath’s favorite rice pudding topped with bits of kabab. This meal from 1972 strikes a special balance between the mild comfort of the rice pudding and the spice and heat of the kebab.

The Ustaads

According to Nath, the Ustaads are in charge of the eatery. “Ustaads come in two generations. They are the ones who have supported us from the start. They are the primary trainers for the new hires, according to her.At a period when men ruled kitchens, Tari, a wonderful woman, was the first Ustaad at Copper Chimney. Tari, who moved to Bandra from Pakistan, was well-known for her delicious choti roti. “We are going to honor her culinary prowess by reintroducing them soon, even though this delicate creation isn’t on our menu right now,” she explains. Do you believe that what worked in the past will still be appealing to customers today? It’s always the classics, she says. “With a few minor adjustments, the dishes on our menu have been there since 1972.”

The Influence of Indian Cuisine

Nath, who considers paneer, butter naan, kali daal, and jeera aloo to be her perfect dinner, enjoys eating a variety of cuisines but is an avid supporter of Indian food’s comforting and lasting qualities. “Indian food offers a plethora of creative and imaginative opportunities. At Copper Chimney, we work hard to uphold the heritage we’ve established over the last 50 years, even when we introduce something new,” the spokesperson adds. Fusion cuisine doesn’t fit with the brand image, therefore Nath avoids it.

Why did Copper Chimney take 52 years to make its way to Delhi, despite its widespread success? Nath adds that it might sometimes take some time to go to a certain city. She also recognized the difficulty, given Delhi’s prominence in the north Indian culinary scene. We are under a great deal of strain since we are introducing Bombay’s North Indian flavors. On the other hand, Delhi gave us a warm welcome. Huge crowds of diners have been frequenting our restaurant,” she continues.