9 Chefs Tell Us Food Trends That Are Going To Go Big In 2022

Chef: Ajay Thakur

Restaurant: Hichki & Bayroute

In today’s day, consumers are well cautious about what they eat and what health benefits their food has. For all such reasons, vegetarian food is catching on and vegan food is gaining more popularity. It will exceed the market expectation for certain. It’s inevitable that we’ll see more culinary talent trying their hands at fancy plant-based cuisine.

Experimenting with vegan or plant-based food trends may not be easy, as the market is not equipped with as many choices, since the demand is low. Sourcing and making of all such products will surely be a task. We will be experimenting with some of the most popular eating trends, such as burgers, shawarmas, kebabs and more as it might make it easier and more palatable for the consumers to try something new, in a familiar form. Mock meat too will be a huge trend. 

Chef:  Nester Garcias

Restaurant: Donna Deli 

This is a trend that is really going to be a game-changer in 2022. More restaurants are now opting to do things in-house rather than store-bought! Think in-house sauces like ketchup, mayo or aioli, house-made bread and nut butter, cheese, syrups for cocktails and mocktails. 

This leads to a MAJOR reduction in food cost, absolutely fresh flavours as no preservatives are added, optimum use of staff and a unique USP for the menu as everything is made by hand, and crafted for the restaurant. Asian restaurants have also trashed store-bought curry pastes like Thai curry pastes and sriracha etc and are making their own pastes, purées & sauces!

Chef: Abhishek Basu

Restaurant:  JW Marriott Mumbai

The concept of zero-waste cooking is simple - it involves using every aspect of an ingredient to ensure there’s no (or minimal) food wastage. As we continue to become more and more aware of the effects of food waste, we aim to adopt a sustainable lifestyle in the coming years which will lead to the popularity of this concept. Moreover, this can be practised not only in restaurant kitchens but home kitchens as well.   

From using ‘ugly vegetables’ to the scraps of fruits and vegetables, this concept can give any dish an interesting twist. Considering the minimal lifestyle, a lot of people are choosing to adopt these days, this will soon become a long-standing practice for restaurants and people everywhere.

Chef: Irfan Pabaney

Restaurant: Country Head, SodaBottleOpenerWala

I think Indian food is it. It's just waiting to explode. And by Indian food, I mean the yet undiscovered wealth of knowledge from North East India to small little villages in Andhra Pradesh.

The lockdown brought out the creative side of people. Everyone also started picking mom and grandma's brains about what they used to cook. There are so many secrets there that need discovering. Ours is such a diverse nation with food that differs by even a kilometre. Accessibility to different ingredients from all over India has made experimenting even more fun, and these home chefs have made it possible for the rest of us to see what is actually cooked in peoples houses.

The key here is to use elements that work. Doing something for the sake of it defeats the purpose altogether. It's important to understand how a certain state or even a sect uses these ingredients correctly. We as a country need to explore what is out there and it is our responsibility as chefs to showcase India in the best way that we can to our customers.

Chef: Sushil Multani 

Restaurant: Cafe Panama

With the recent Covid-19 situation, importing of ingredients took a very big hit. As Plato rightly said, "Necessity is the mother of all inventions." Chefs in India started looking for ingredients locally produced which when cooked well, can yield world-class products. Collaboration between producers and chefs during 2019 and 2020 have resulted in some phenomenal products which have made their way into many trial menus.

Now in 2022, it will start showing up on many restaurant menus. For example, cheese was one of the majorly imported ingredients but now there are many small creameries that are making great cheese right here in India. So I feel that 2022 will be the time for local produce to shine. At Café Panama, we produce our own ricotta with great quality milk and use it in some dishes. Apart from that fermented chilli sauce served with our tacos is made from Sankeshwari chillies. A lot of dependency on imports has been reduced in the last few years and chefs are experimenting a lot with local ingredients.

Chef: Hussain Shahzad

Restaurant: The Bombay Canteen and O Pedro

The pandemic helped so many people reconnect and appreciate their culinary lineage. I foresee a lot of micro-regional, heritage-based cuisines emerging in the coming year that will encourage this niche. The pandemic in fact even gave me a chance to unravel and learn so much more about Bohri cuisine from my mother after a very long time. At The Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, we have always embraced this philosophy and love the process of discovering and exploring our country’s lesser-known yet abundant regional cuisines which we will continue to do in 2022.

In 2022, guests can look forward to lots of exciting new menus that will reiterate our philosophy, promise delicious food and make this process of discovery an enriching one.

Culinary Director: Regi Mathew

Restaurant: Co-Owner and Culinary Director- Kappa Chakka Kandhari (Chennai, Bengaluru)

During the pandemic, people found it difficult to source imported ingredients and turned to inferior quality products that were available, which in turn prompted them to start looking for alternatives. This is what created a deeper understanding and demand for hyper-local ingredients. Farmers began producing quality ingredients and better consumption for home or through restaurants, which will only further enhance their business and open up the opportunity for more hyper-local ingredients to be grown and produced and used.  

By exploring the micro cuisines within regional cuisines and bringing dishes into the menu, it also encourages farmers to produce for our restaurant consumption.  

Delving deeper into the food culture of our vast country will be one of the most exciting things for foodies in 2022. Regional cuisine has already gained much popularity but with that extending to micro-cuisines - we open up to so many different flavours and tastes and of course ingredients that were hitherto not celebrated.

Chef:  Karan Upmanyu

Restaurant: Toast & Tonic

Traditionally, Indian dining out culture has seen non-vegetarian or omnivorous consumers preferring to eat meat-based dishes. However, globally and in India too, we are now seeing a phenomenon called “Reducetarianism”, where meat-eaters are reducing their consumption of animal meats. As a result, everyone, including those who do not categorically identify as vegetation or vegan, and excited to try well-crafted dishes made with and alternative proteins such as tempeh, plant-based and cultured meats. Especially since we are seeing an explosion of start-ups creating innovative and tasty food products within this category, which can cater to the tastes of a broader audience.

As a meat-eater myself, I am often most impressed by menus where vegetarian offerings can pique my interest as much if not more than the non-vegetarian offerings. So this rise in availability and interest in alternative proteins is an exciting challenge for me as a chef, as I get to work with new ingredients and create dishes that will excite me. In the coming year, we will only do more to create comforting yet playful plates in this category.

With growing conversations around sustainability, health, nutrition and food tech, our scope for culinary experiences going to broaden vastly in 2022. I believe this segment is going to surprise the carnivore and excite the vegetarian alike.

Chef-Owner: Shankar Krishnamurthy 

Restaurant:  Fusion 9 (Hyderabad) 

Gut-friendly foods are what is the need of the hour as they resolve multiple health problems. Fermented or preserved foods are easiest on the gut and herein ingredients like tempeh will play a relevant role. People need to be educated and made aware of its flavour, taste and versatility as an ingredient and adaptability to different cooking styles and cuisines.  

Tempeh is extremely flexible as an ingredient and can be moulded into any cuisine be it Mediterranean, Arabic, Oriental etc.  It blends beautifully with all flavours from various food cultures. As a Chef, it allows me a seat opportunity to experiment and explore different uses and cooking styles.

High protein and high on taste - tempeh fits into different cuisines and is a great option for not just vegetarians but conscious foodies as well and they will be excited to experience the variety of ways in which it can be cooked and incorporated into one’s diet. Great taste and good health - what's not to be excited about?