Meet our new resident chef Anurag Aggarwal, who tells us about his MasterChef UK journey and shares his thoughts on his food favourites.
Chartered accountant turned MasterChef favourite, Anurag Aggarwal, from Langdon Hills is Essex Life magazine's new resident chef.
The 42-year-old father-of-two has previously told how a "mid-life crisis" during the Covid-19 lockdowns led to his journey on the BBC One show in 2023.
Anurag, who grew up in Gurgaon, India, and moved to the UK in 2010, says his Indian-inspired cooking style is inspired by his late mum.
Here he chats food memories, stereotypes and shares a classic dish...
It all started with a thought, an inner calling to find some meaning to life. At some stage in life, everyone reasonably achieves all their material goals. Then you start questioning, what’s next, what’s the purpose of life and what really gives me true happiness.
The same happened to me sometime during the years 2015-2017, and I knew that food was that something, that I was meant to do. Well, one thing led to another, and I ended up leaving my corporate career in finance to pursue my passion for food and cooking. I was very fortunate to be part of MasterChef UK in 2023. This exceptional experience gave me courage to take my passion forward and to make it my full-time profession.
What are your strongest and earliest food-based memories?
It goes back to my early childhood, growing-up in a loving family back in India. Indian culture has a special place for food, from all aspects of life starting from birth, festivities, weddings, death and even after death rituals that we do for our ancestors. This has left a great impression in my heart for food, and I started looking at it in a holistic way, rather than just a means to sustenance.
My late mother was an amazing cook, and most of my food memories are together with her. I remember making a cup of Indian Tea (Chai) for her at the age of 10, on a gas burner. My earliest food-based memory is cooking with fire, however very special.
I love cooking traditional Indian desserts. I believe food is a medium which carries many stories. And some of the desserts, bring back those memories and lovely stories attached to the dish.
One of my favourite Indian puddings is Sweet Semolina Fudge Pudding. Whenever I cook or eat it, it brings back nostalgia of a bi-annual Indian festival (Navratri), where as a child we used to be invited by our neighbours to have this pudding, which was an offering during festive rituals.
And what do you hate cooking?
It’s a hard one to answer, as I love to cook almost everything. If I must pick one, then it will be grapefruit. I am not a big fan of its bitter taste.
How have things changed for you since MasterChef UK?
At a practical level, things are very much the same, however as an individual, being on MasterChef UK has given me an immense confidence boost, to be able to follow my passion and self-belief. Now I don’t hesitate to take actions due to the fear of failure, this is priceless for me. After MasterChef, things don’t come to you on a platter, however it does open doors for many opportunities to present your case and take it forward from there.
What might people be surprised to know about you?
There is a stereotype about Indians that all are in absolute love with cricket and play it all day. Forget about cricket, I am not at all into sports of any kind. I like to stay fit, so I enjoy running, swimming, and going to the gym, but none of the sports ever interested me.
As a child there was a stigma attached to this preference of mine, back in India as a male. Over the years I got more courage to be assertive about it, and be expressive for my love for arts in general via cooking, photography, or public speaking about philosophy etc.
Food stories bring together my passion for food and philosophy. As I mentioned before, from my early years I was always into food and very curious about the deeper philosophical aspects of our life. Like whom we really are, what’s the purpose of life and focusing on the ‘why’ of things rather than just ‘what’ and ‘how.’
During covid times, I got this amazing opportunity to study a few philosophical texts in a systematic way. That has given me a clearer and broader perspective about everything, including food.
Food stories are fundamental to me when I present myself as a chef. I believe stories are the anchor through which civilisations, cultures and humanity in general evolves over centuries. And food acts a as medium to carry those stories, which could relate to technology, rituals, geography, nostalgia and so on. Food is meaningless without stories and stories will be lost without food. They are inseparable, therefore very important for me as a chef and philosopher.
Are your family all foodies? What’s your favourite meal to enjoy as a family?
My family are total foodies and to some extent that was the ignition for my passion of cooking as well. As a family, I do enjoy a traditional Indian feast, based on the concept of sharing. Generally traditional Indian meals will have two main dishes (meat or veg), lentils, greens, different breads, rice, yogurt preparation, salad, and pickles. For MasterChef UK finale, I cooked a similar meal for the main course as well.
Have you noticed any new foodie trends?
There are two key food trends which I am noticing over some time. The first being eating fresh, seasonal and local food. I think this is a brilliant trend and very good for the environment and for our own physical well-being. Not only does this kind of food taste good, it’s also relatively cheap as well. It’s a win-win position for society and nature.
The second one is more about casual and authentic/regional feel of the food rather than high end and classics. This style is very close to my heart as it resonates with my own style of cooking, which is inspired with my Indian roots and carries many stories and nostalgia with it.
Balance is the key to life and to food as well. With the increased awareness about the environment, health, and multicultural exposure, I predict a great deal of focus on food, which ticks all these boxes rather than eating something which is only delicious to eat. It could include a variety of themes like organic, regional, vegetarian, and fresh etc.
What one dish do you think everyone should master and why?
Being an Indian, I will be biased about this. As I think, everyone should know how to make a basic curry sauce. It’s a game changer, as the curry sauce can be a wonderful medium to make countless dishes (both meat-based and veg), is versatile and you can adjust the flavouring, spices, consistency, and texture as per your preference.
Where are your favourite places to eat out and drink in Essex and why?
Without naming the specific venues, I really like the quirky places in Leigh-on-sea on the Broadway. If I am in a relaxing mood, then I enjoy the small yet specialised places in or near Stock and Ingatestone. Both groups, provide a unique experience and depending on my mood, I choose the place. For me in any dining experience, food must be perfect without saying, however it’s the overall vibe/service of the venue that makes it worthwhile.
What does 2025 have in store for you?
Since reaching the finals of MasterChef UK in June 2023, my life has completely changed. The last year has been a wonderful learning ground for me, both personally and professionally. Things like running supper clubs across the country, consulting restaurants, motivational speaking in corporate companies, and a talk in the Houses of Parliament, cooking demos in summer festivals and even going back to MasterChef as a guest judge; were some of the many experiences, which were nothing short of being extraordinary.
This exposure has carved a clear path for me to take forward my culinary journey and build a business around it. In addition to some of the areas I have mentioned above, for 2025 I am focusing on two major avenues. Firstly, my cookbook, which is expected in late summer 2025, and secondly, a state-of-the-art food production facility in Essex, targeted at the B2B segment to showcase tasty, healthy, and fresh Indian food.
Anurag Aggarwal's potato & peas curry recipe
This is one of the staple curries in Indian households and very tasty, healthy and easy to cook. In fact, this can be cooked with different vegetables, meat or fish as well or instead of the potatoes and peas.
Ingredients (serves 4)
Ghee/oil 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds ½ tsp
Grated ginger 1 tsp
Crushed garlic ½ tsp
Green chilli 1
Curry powder 1 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Chopped Red Onion 1 cup
Chopped tomatoes 1 cup
Hard boiled potatoes 1.5 cups
Frozen garden peas 1 cup
Fresh coriander 2 tbsp
Fresh cream 2 tbsp
Serving suggestions: Flat bread, boiled rice or naan.
Method:
1. In a heavy bottom pan heat the ghee/oil, add cumin seeds. Once they start popping, immediately add sliced green chilli, ginger and garlic. Let it cook at a medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
2. Now add red onions and sweat them for 5 mins, before adding tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
3. Tip in the curry powder and salt and keep cooking at a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the oil separates.
4. Add peas and boiled cubed potatoes. Mix well, and add around 1 cup of water and bring it to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Adjust the consistency and taste by adding more water and spices.
6. Serve hot and garnish with fresh cream (optional) and coriander. It goes so well with paratha, flat bread or rice.
Replacement: This base curry sauce can be used to cook different dishes. Simply replace potato and peas with chicken, fish, lamb or any other vegetables like cauliflower etc. Step four cooking time and water quantity needs to be adjusted according to the replacement ingredient.
