David takes the road less travelled and finds a tranquil vineyard outside busy Mumbai that produces fine Italian wine. The discovery inspires an Italian-Indian culinary adventure.
It’s the weekend in Mumbai and David embarks on a thorough exploration of Mumbai’s food scene. From small traditional cafes to hip new restaurants, David is everywhere collecting and sharing recipes including a vegetarian carbonara, Indian carrot salad, melanzane spaccate, pasta con broccoli, and coconut curry shrimp.
Giving back to the community is a big part of Indian culture. David and some friends volunteer at Delhi’s largest Gurudwara, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, which serves 20,000 people of different religions every day. The next day is Holi, or the festival of colour, and David helps prepare a feast with exotic ingredients he has never seen before!
David embarks on a remarkable culinary journey through Rajasthan and discovers that its cuisine has been defined as much by the region’s arid climate as by its traditional warrior culture. The experience is authentically guided by Executive Chef Akshraj Jodha, a descendant of a Rajput royalty.
David is in Rajasthan exploring the land of the Kings, and who would be a better guide than the direct descendant of a Maharajah? David meets up with KV Singh to learn about Rajasthan’s royal history and customs while sharing some of his own between a heated match of elephant polo.
There’s a growing community of Italian expats living in Mumbai, and it was only a matter of time before David sniffed them out. David and his newfound Italian friends bring the dolce vita to Mumbai playing soccer on the beach and enjoying a traditional Sunday pranzo with authentic Italian ingredients.
David is challenged to an Indo-Italian cook off by ITC Maratha’s Executive Chef Rajdeep Kapoor. The three round cook off will pit Indian against Italian cuisine using a common star ingredient. Who will reign supreme?
David takes a trip to the remote village of Mundota to visit his friends, Vikram and Alka, who will teach him about the spiritual nature of Indian cooking. He is surprised to learn that this flavourful way of cooking does not use onions or garlic (talk about a breath saver!). Here, David learns to make traditional and rustic Rajasthani recipes.
When David discovers a dairy farm that makes Italian cheeses in India, he takes it upon himself to investigate. Inspired to see Indians embracing the fundamentals of Italian food, David returns the favour and meets up with of world-renowned ITC Hotel Chef Manjit Gill to explore the properties of the mustard plant and the oil it produces.
Bukhara is one of India’s most famous restaurants, known for its highly guarded dal recipe. David is determined to get the recipe from ITC Bukhara’s head Chef Manisha Bhasin, who graciously teaches him the principles of developing his own garam masala and how to use it for flavouring.
David’s comedian friends Mohan and Vidyu take him on a culinary tour of Chennai’s Tamil Nadu vegetarian culture, from a typical breakfast to a tour of a snack factory where they teach him how to make chutney. The group receives an invitation to a potluck that evening, so David barters with the locals for vegetables and takes his newfound knowledge to create a hot new version of some Italian classics.
David explores Hauz Khas village, taking advantage of the local food scene.
David makes some Italian dishes to prepare himself for heading home.