For those of us living in Ontario, enjoying celebrated Indian Canadian chef Vikram Vij’s nuanced cuisine has always required hopping on a plane to Vancouver. Until now.
Opened in Vancouver in 1994, Vij’s eponymous restaurant quickly put chef Vikram Vij, and his then wife Meeru Dhalwala, on Canada’s culinary map. Trained in Europe, where he was also certified as a sommelier, chef Vij created a menu of traditional, deeply-spiced Indian fare, updated with seasonal Canadian produce and classical techniques. The result was innovative, comforting and decidedly delicious. Dishes like marinated lamb popsicles with fenugreek cream easily became Vij’s calling card to an enthusiastic public craving something new.
Quickly recognized as one of Canada’s best Indian restaurants, Vij’s success was soon followed by the opening of Rangoli, a slightly more casual eatery with a similar culinary focus. In 2014, chef Vij opened My Shanti, an homage to the diversity of Indian cuisine. All along, the outgoing, vivacious chef has used his fame and significant influence to promote Indian cuisine, Canada’s natural bounty and sustainability in the kitchen.
Now, since April 27, chef Vikram Vij’s modern Indian fare is finally accessible to those of us settled firmly in the GTA by way of Chefdrop.
Launched in 2021, Chefdrop is a local company offering a curated selection of meal kits created by top chefs and restaurants. The company helps restaurants reach a wider audience outside of their delivery radius. Hungry diners, meanwhile, have access to easy-to-finish, premium meals from sought-after spots from Toronto, Montreal, and now, even Vancouver.
Among chef Vij’s meal kits, customers will find a selection of appetizers and mains. The ultimate Indian-inspired snack -- and Chef Vij’s “favourite” -- Naan Pizza, includes fresh naan bread topped with crispy oyster mushrooms, rich and creamy fenugreek curry sauce and cilantro. A featured item at Vij’s restaurant, vegan Black Chickpea Pakoras are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and served with a punchy sweet and tart tamarind chutney.
Mains include Butter Chicken Schnitzel, a family favourite that chef Vij created for his daughters when they were young. Also on the menu, are vegetarian Spinach Paneer Curry and Short Rib Korma. Each dish is prepped and ready to easily finish in your kitchen at home, meaning you can sit down to golden, crisp schnitzel napped with butter chicken sauce, creamy paneer with rice or a plate of rich, braised beef in mere minutes.
Expecting a crowd? Vikram’s Fan Favourites and Vikram’s Family Feast kits combine a selection of dishes into one box, allowing you to host with utmost ease.
A chef, cookbook author and television personality, chef Vikram Vij is one of Canada’s most celebrated culinary figures. Now that you have the chance to sample a taste of his delectable, modern Indian cuisine through Chefdrop, you won’t want to delay.
