I cook butter chicken in my paneer recipe and thats what makes it popular : Chef Saransh Goila

Located in suburban Mumbai’s Andheri West, Goila Butter Chicken is Chef Saransh Goila‘s first commercial venture. Acting bug had bitten him very early in life but after a big no-no from his family, he went on to pursue cooking at IHM Aurangabad, encouraged by his grandfather and the moment you spot the outlet, you can see how he married his two passions so beautifully! The sign board is absolutely filmy and you’re surrounded by the aroma of simmering butter chicken gravy.

At twenty-nine, he is India’s youngest celebrity chef, after having won the ‘Food Food Maha Challenge’ in 2011, hosted by the culinary master, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and the diva, Madhuri Dixit. This was his first brush with the celluloid success. He has also been the most widely followed columnist of Discover India Magazine, alongside hosting India’s biggest travelogue show, ‘Roti, Rasta Aur India‘, where he travelled twenty thousand kilometres by road in a period of 100 days to discover India’s culinary heritage. The show bagged a Limca Book Of Records in 2014. In fact, he is also known as the ‘Sadak Chef.’

I asked Chef Goila if his travel across India inspired any dish in his kitchen and he quipped, “The Baked Mango Rosogullas that we make our inspired by the famous shop in Kolkata called, Balaram Mullick and Radharam Mullick, that is where I first tasted this unique concept and today we sell it in our outlet with a mango twist.” In fact, the unique Naan-Bombs that you get at Goila Butter Chicken were first invented by him at Ludhiana’s famous Aman Chicken Dhaba as a sweet gesture for the owners for their hospitality. They’re a delicious and sumptuous mushrooms (veg) or chicken (non-veg) filled Naan dough balls cooked in tandoor – very tandoori momo like dish!

He points out how he comes from a pure vegetarian family and it is his vegetarian dishes that have inspired his non-vegetarian ones.  For instance, the gravy used in the famous ‘Goila Butter Chicken’ is inspired by the one he used to make ‘Paneer Makhani’ in. He adds a smoky flavour through burnt coal to these gravies which sets them apart from the ones you usually eat anywhere else. “I cook butter chicken in my paneer recipe and thats what makes it popular“, he adds.

Ask him why he chose Mumbai to open his first outlet and he explains, “Mumbai lacked a good go-to place for north Indian food, unlike Delhi and it was important to give to Mumbai a place to call their own when it came to the ever popular butter chicken and hence, Goila Butter Chicken was born in Mumbai.”

Having grown up in Delhi and watching Sanjeev Kapoor’s popular and revolutionary show Khaana-Khazana on TV religiously, he says that to be mentored by the man himself was unreal and yet a dream come true. After having tasted success and acceptance, he also published his book – a travelogue and memoir of his vastly intense experience of travelling to over 60 Indian cities and curating their cuisines. Launched in 2015, ‘India On My Platter‘ has travel stories, food tales and Saransh’s story.

Mumbai lacked a good go-to place for north Indian food, unlike Delhi and it was important to give to Mumbai a place to call their own when it came to the ever popular butter chicken and hence, Goila Butter Chicken was born in Mumbai

Extremely active on social media platforms, he says he owes his success to it. “I built my entire career on social media, because who you are as a person can easily be chartered on social media unlike television. Aap logon ko woh dikha sakte hain jo aap reality mein hain.”

He is not just a great chef, but an even better host, mark our words. He treated us to some of his famous dishes that come out of his kitchen and boy were they delicious! Telling us the story behind each dish, he ensured that we taste every thing on the menu. And yet, though our tummies were full, our hearts weren’t!

A humble person and a talented chef, he always eats all his meals with his team at the outlet and goes out of his way to prepare staff meals (sign of a great leader!)

So, if you are in Mumbai or are visiting Mumbai, make sure not to miss out on this foodies paradise called Goila Butter Chicken! Its thumbs-up all the way from Delectable Reveries.

Quick tip from the chef: To make delicious butter chicken gravy or paneer makhani gravy use lots of fresh tomatoes and keep the ratio of dairy to tomato as 70:30. And don’t forget to add kasoori methi.