Chef Titti Qvarnström, renowned in her country as the first female Michelin-star chef of Scandinavia, was hosted recently by The Embassy of Sweden in Delhi. She gave a master class to celebrate the 75 years of Sweden-India relations and also to cook up the culinary richness of her nation with an aim to please Indian tastes. Qvarnström curated the menu for the Sweden-India Nobel Memorial Gala Dinner held at Ambassador Dr Ralf Heckner’s residence on October 13; the menu was inspired by the 1948 Nobel Banquet dinner served 75 years ago. The meal was a vegetarian one in which Indian ingredients held pride of place.
The event was dedicated to the International Year of Millets, with a specific focus on the sustainable use of the Indian millet. “In honour of the UN-declared Year of Pearl Millet, we used millets to create a fusion. Even though both countries are far apart geographically, there are similarities in the cuisine once you dig into it,” she says.
Chef Titti QvarnströmQvarnström is one of the four chefs in the culinary-focused campaign, bringing her knowledge of the Skåne region to the table. A resident of southern Sweden, her years of local foraging influences what she put on the table for the gala.
The first culinary creation was a fusion of traditional Swedish cuisine with an Indian twist. The dish, Hasselbackpotatis, features fried and baked potatoes. The dish is elegantly served with a dollop of rich sour cream and a delicate touch of caviar. The second dish on the table was Västerbottenpaj, a delightful cheese quiche. Västerbottenpaj showcases the richness and depth of Swiss cheese, complemented by a side of sour cream, creating a harmonious balance of creamy and tangy notes.
Qvarnström honed her culinary skills in Copenhagen, Denmark, and subsequently worked at esteemed restaurants in Berlin, Germany. She went on to become the executive chef at Bloom in the Park Restaurant in Malmö, Sweden, a move that catapulted her into culinary stardom.
What inspired her to become a chef? Qvarnström was studying to become an engineer, and by coincidence, got a summer job in a kitchen. “I got to work with my hands. People enjoyed our food and it felt joyous and meaningful,” she reveals.
She tells TMS about how she looks for what is in season when she cooks and focuses on vegetables and using pure flavours. She loves the fact that Indians use layers of flavours in a dish and one cannot get the entire taste until the very last bite. Her favourite Indian food is Delhi’s chole-bhature. “I loved the puffed-up fried bread and chickpeas,” she says.
A showstopper at the meal was another Swedish special, Ärtssoppa, made from dried yellow peas, soaked and transformed into a hearty soup. This comforting and wholesome soup is traditionally served with a dollop of sweet mustard, enhancing its earthy and satisfying profile.
Jan Thesleff, a Swedish diplomat, who was also present at the event, talks about how both India and Sweden show equal interest in one another. “We have tried to bring a flavour of diplomacy through this event. Titti Qvarnström uses Indian ingredients to make a Swedish dish. What she makes here, anyone in India can make in their homes.”
The best part of the meal was the dessert. Hirspannkakor is a pancake, which is made from a blend of Swedish wheat flour and nutritious pearl millet flour from India. These pancakes are a delightful fusion of cultures, featuring a delicate, golden-brown exterior and a soft, airy inside. “We serve them with a generous dollop of sweet strawberry jam, marrying the sweetness of the jam with the wholesome goodness of the pancakes,” says the chef. It was a sweet end to an interesting afternoon.
