My Journey
My journey began when I was ten and my grandfather had taught me the ways of using spices and the basics of authentic Indian food. Then my father Chef Mola Baksh had taught me how to cook food and how to deal with spices and to mix and match the best of the best. then I had got my official job in Rajputana, Jaypur ITC Five star property as a chef then my father Chef Mola Baksh sent me to work in several places to enhance my knowledge about food.
My father Chef Mola Baksh sent me to Hyderabad to open hotel in Ramoji Film city to work at the five-star Sitara Hotel where I worked in a restaurant . During this time I gained valuable experience (mostly with vegetables, meat and seafood) all flown out from Hyderabad,Hyderabadi biriyani and various Hyderabadi meat dishes make up part of Hyderabadi cuisine. The rest of Andhra cuisine has a various versions of lamb and chicken, and the coastal region has extensive varieties of seafood. Dishes include kodiguru (chicken stew), kodi pulusu (chicken gravy), chepa pulusu (fish stew), fish fry and prawn curry.
I went to Kalicat south India in malabar place where I learnt south Indian food , Kerala cuisine is very diverse, a diversity is best classified on the basis of the various communities. The Syrian Christian dishes and Malabari Muslim dishes are famous. Since Kerala’s main export is coconuts, almost all of the dishes, irrespective of the variety in the cuisines of the different communities, have coconuts associated with them, either in the form of shavings or oil extracted from the nut. Seafood is also very popular in the coastal regions and eaten almost every day.shrimp coconut curry, fish curry (various versions depending on the region), fish fry, chicken fry with shredded coconuts, fish pickle, podimeen fry, meen thoran (fish with coconut), karimeen (pearl spot fish) pollichathu, shrimp masala, chicken stew, mutton stew, duck curry, malabari fish curry, fish molly ,kakka (shells) thoran, kalllumekka, crabs.
Some of my achievements
Me and my dad work in Himachal and Bhopal.
Joined Park Royal(New Delhi) a five star hotel as a chef opening team.
We contributed to the development of Hebitat world new Delhi opening team as a Indian chef.
Joined ITC welcome Hotel new Delhi as a chef in the opening team, I am proud of this achievement because it made me the chef that I am today.
Also flew to London and worked as a sous chef in Jaipur restaurant in Milton Keynes as the opening team.
worked in Ragamama Catering company as a head chef.
I worked in DNC Wembley Stadium as a food controller Looking after 40 to 45 Kitchens Units checking food quality and maintaining food & hygiene standards and give training to new chefs
CELEBRATING 10TH ANNIVERSARY AT MOTI MAHAL Holborn London .
I was the guest Chef showcase a special menu in honour of the great artist M.F. Husain, from the 13th until the 18th of July 2015
Chef Irfan Khan works with Aromas Catering as Executive Chef since 2011.
Chef Irfan consultancy Chef at SOHO FARMHOUSE in Oxford since April 2018.
Have you always wanted to be a chef?
My family has been working as a chef for the last three generations. Cooking has always been a big part of my life, since I was a young child. I ventured into cooking, and before I knew it I was cooking away and the rest is history.
How would you define your style?
Mainly influenced by Indian cuisine, with the addition of spices and local fresh produce. I always make the best of what is readily available in my region Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences?
My father Chef Mola Baksh My Uncle Chef Imtiyaz Qureshi