What’s in their cookbook

City chefs give us a lowdown on the secret ingredients that saved the day for them

You may have cooked a dish a hundred times, but there’s always a chance that something can just go wrong. But whether your food is too spicy or just a little overcooked, there’s no need to toss it in the bin. City chefs share their gamechanging ingredients that come to their rescue more often than not...

Ajay Chopra: Kasoori methi (Dried Fenugreek Leaves) Kasoori methi has a very earthy flavour and gives a beautiful aroma to a lot of dishes, specially the ones with tomatoes. I remember there was a big banquet and the dal makhni, which was over 120 kg in quantity got slightly burnt. I was thinking of a quick fix and remembered one of my gurus had told me to put extra garlic and kasoori methi to the dal makhni. It saved our lives, as we couldn’t have cooked that much dal an hour before the function. Ajay Chopra is a celebrity chef and food consultant

Gaurav Gidwani: Roasted Cumin Seeds and Eggs One spice that I would always have in my kitchen is homemade roasted cumin powder. It compliments most of the dishes in some way or the other and elevates the flavour profile in a very subtle manner. Also, eggs are something that I always have in my kitchen as it does wonders to any dish, almost like a saviour in disguise. It is one of the quickest things to cook and is very versatile. You can whip out some awesome things in a jiffy with this or add it to any dish to change its appearance or taste profile. They add texture and moisture to baked goods and compliment both savoury and sweet options. Gaurav Gidwani is a chef at (The) Bar Stock Exchange

Darshan Parmar: Butter Butter always saves any dish for me. We know it’s a very common ingredient and it tastes great, but it is also an ingredient with multiple uses. I add it to thicken and emulsify a sauce, or to give a deep rich flavour, or to give the dish a nice shiny glaze by just adding a little bit at the end. I also use it to brush it on a piece of meat not only for the shine but also when you just take a bite of it and it touches your lips and fingers, when you lick them off, you’d taste that lovely salty umami flavour of the butter. A tip I’d like to share that I learnt during my early days: The holy combination of butter and eggs. All you need to add to make the best eggs is butter, and lots of it. Darshan Parmar is the head chef at Light House Cafe

Ranveer Brar: Lemon Lemon is the ingredient for me. The acidity of the lemon juice is a perfect bridge that balances all tastes. Sweet, bitter, spicy or umami, lemon manages to also keep in line with the character of the ingredient. Lemon is also the best solution to counteract off flavours. It goes well with food and beverages, transcends sweet and savoury. Ranveer Brar is a celebrity chef