Whipping up a gourmet delight: Sanjeev Kapoor A Telegraph file picture

What makes the Shaam-Savera (a spinach kofta stuffed with tender paneer and cooked in a tomato-based gravy) taste so yummy? Or the Lala Mussada Daal (cooked on slow-fire for 16-18 hours) just as delicious? Come Wednesday and cuisine connoisseurs of Calcutta will have a window of opportunity to find out how to rustle up fabulous food.

An open forum with celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor where participants will be encouraged to ask ?even the weirdest of questions?, promises to lay bare all the kitchen secrets that create a divine dish, both the tried and the true, as well as the new and the different.

To be held on the terrace gardens of his signature restaurant Grain of Salt on Camac Street, the interactive cookery show by the master chef of Khana Khazana fame is designed so that people learn while having fun, up close and personal with Kapoor. The two-hour show will be followed by wine and snacks.

?Some people ask me ?if you teach them all the tricks, why would they come to your restaurant?? However, I feel it?s extremely important to understand their mindset so that we can give them what they want and not just hand them a rigid menu card,? the crack chef told Metro, speaking from Mumbai.

Whipping up a gourmet delight is second nature for some. Yet, for others, navigating their way through a recipe of tablespoons and teaspoons is a challenge. ?Our aim is to promote this show as more than just a cookery discourse where guests can use the classes as a social experience and we can heed the feedback to gauge the local palate,? said Pankaj Tandon, administration head, Grain of Salt.

Whether it?s sampling an outstanding appetiser, savouring a succulent entr?e or relishing a delectable desert, fine food always tickle the taste buds and fuel culinary posers. ?This time, the chef will stick to vegetarian fare at the show since we don?t have too many veg options in town,? added Nitin Kohli, director at the eatery.

From the perfect soup with broccoli and toasted almonds to the recipe for an eggless brownie, Calcuttans have always scored high on inquisitiveness, felt Kapoor.