After a long day in the kitchen and multi-tasking to amplify his short film ‘American Sikh’ for a nomination at the Oscars, Vikas Khanna finally takes a breath for a heart-to-heart with Home & Art. Despite being a 6-time Michelin-star winner and garnering global fame for his endless list of achievements, Khanna is humble and strongly connected to his Punjabi roots. When asked about his incredible journey that has spawned documentaries and biographies, he modestly replies, “It’s still a work in progress.”
Born and brought up in Amritsar, Khanna carries his Punjabi flair with pride even after living in New York for over 20 years. In 2004, he couldn’t say anything except “Thank you” on stage because he was nervous to speak in English. Fast forward to today, he has made India proud by creating dishes for various prominent personalities including US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, not once but twice, at the White House.
On top of his incredible good looks and unparalleled culinary expertise, Khanna is a humanitarian with several charitable ventures. His biggest aspiration? To see Indian chefs get the recognition they deserve. “I want to invest in culinary centres across India, right from the grassroots level. So in 20-25 years, we have trained enough chefs to receive the coveted Michelin stars. It would be a dream come true for me to see Indian Michelin-star-winning chefs conquering every major city in the world.”
Dark Underbelly of Culinary World
For a brown boy from Punjab, finding his footing in the concrete jungle of America was no easy feat – Vikas Khanna
“Just clean and prep. Don’t cook,” his peers used to tell him. That’s when he resolved to rise above all odds and show the world the greatness of Indian chefs. He wants his voice to be heard loud and clear, across every corner of the globe.
“Just clean and prep. Don’t cook,” his peers used to tell him. That’s when he resolved to rise above all odds and show the world the greatness of Indian chefs. He wants his voice to be heard loud and clear, across every corner of the globe.
Eventually, Khanna went on to work with Gordon Ramsay and Eric Ripert, two of the greatest chefs in America, learning a lot along the way. His hard work and resilience earned him his first Michelin-star mere months after opening his restaurant, Junoon, in New York which envisions Indian food in a futuristic and modern light. Khanna’s two restaurants in Dubai named Kinara and Ellora are equally coveted by fine diners.
Staying Fit and Keeping Your Palette Clean
“As a chef, you need to be on your toes constantly. When the fires are soaring and orders are piling, you need to keep calm and navigate the situation mindfully,” says Khanna. He understands the importance of staying fit and does so by carefully planning his diet down to the last calorie. With a blend of smoothies, protein, and natural produce, Khanna follows a strict regime.
Khanna was proclaimed GQ India’s Man (Chef) of the Year in 2012 and appeared on People Magazine’s ‘Sexiest Man Alive’ 2011 list.
“While working in the kitchen, I need to taste a dish several times and perfect it to the best of my abilities. I keep my diet neutral to keep my palette clean too. This helps me identify the flavours instantly and realise what’s missing.” adds this show-stealer chef.
“I get bored if a dish does not surprise me enough. I take a couple of bites and then I’m done.” Khanna wants his food to be a dance of different textures and flavours on people’s taste buds. Food is supposed to pack a punch while being extremely interesting and engaging.
Eating a dish needs to be like a roller coaster, a burst of different flavours, one after the other – Vikas Khanna
Even after spending more than 30 years in the industry, Khanna still goes back to simple dishes like Kheer and Dahi ke Kebab to find a newer direction. “There’s an infinite number of combinations that a chef can try while playing with textures, colours, and distinct undertones of ingredients. I want to differentiate myself from people who are merely serving a dish on a plate. I want to go above and beyond, making food an enriching experience.”
A Born Cheerleader
Though Khanna agrees that the industry is highly competitive and sometimes downright nasty, he believes in being a cheerleader for all his peers. His social media feed showcases his pride and joy for everyone who represents India on a global stage. “When the water rises, all the boats rise with it. I want to be the water,” he proudly expresses.
“My heart swells with joy to see the Indian culinary space expand with such unbelievably talented chefs like Prateek Sadhu, Garima Arora, Chintan Pandya, among many more. The risk Sadhu has taken with his restaurant Naar is sheer bravery. That’s what we need in the industry,” Khanna adds.
With a new restaurant all set to launch in New York by 2024, 3 novels lined up for release and more movies including “Imaginary Rain” starring Shabana Azmi to follow, Khanna is giving a fitting reply to everyone who believes he should retire. He aspires to make the best use of his public platform with millions of followers to talk about things that matter. His work as a filmmaker shifts the narrative to ensure Indian chefs find success without facing racism. “This is my time to do more and thank everyone for the love that has gotten me so far. Considering my position in the US and in India, I have to find a way to become a bridge rather than just somebody who is a cook,” he claims.
Recipe
Dahi Ke Kebab
Serves: 06 Portions
Ingredients
1 kg Yoghurt
60 gms Ginger
10 gms Green Chilies
15 gms Yellow Chili Powder
20 gms Salt
20 gms Fresh Coriander Stem
200 gms Dried Dates
500 gms Fresh Kunafa Dough
400 ml Frying Oil
For Turmeric Aioli
50 ml Refined Oil
40 gms Turmeric Powder
To Taste Salt
10 gms Sugar
05 gms Garlic Powder
01 No Lemon
200 gms Labneh
For Pickled Beetroot
100 gms Red Beetroot
50 ml White Wine Vinegar
10 gms Salt
20 gms Sugar
For Pickled Beetroot
100 gms Red Beetroot
50ml White Wine Vinegar
100 gms Salt
20 gms Sugar
For Garnish
Passion Fruit Gel
Pea Shoots
Method
1. Prepare hung yoghurt in a muslin cloth for at least six hours to remove all the water from it. Keep it in the refrigerator so that yoghurt does not become too sour.
2. Peel the ginger and finely chop it. Slit the green chillies, remove all the seeds and fine chop it as well.
3. Wash the coriander stems and chop them finely. Similarly, chop the de-seeded dates.
4. Mix all the chopped ingredients with the hung yoghurt and season it with salt and yellow chilli powder.
5. Put that in a piping bag and refrigerate for at least one hour.
6. Blanch the beetroot in salted water. Peel them and cut them into 1cmx1cm cubes. Make a mix with equal quantity of water and white wine vinegar, salt and sugar. Put those beetroot cubes in the mix to pickle.
7. For the turmeric aioli, add refined oil in a shallow pan, heat it and add turmeric. Give it a quick stir and switch off the gas. Place the bottom of the pan on an ice bed to stop the turmeric from overcooking immediately.
8. Slowly start whisking the labneh. It should get a nice bright radium color.
9. Add lemon zest and lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning and it’s ready.
10. To make the dahi ke kebab cylinder pieces, spread the kunafa dough length wise with a dimension of 5 cm width and 15cm length.
11. At one width end, pipe the yoghurt mix and roll it towards another end. Yoghurt mix will be covered with Kunafa strings now. After rolling all the Kunafa dough, put them in deep freezer for 2 hrs below -15 Deg C.
12. Get the frying oil at around 160 deg C and fry the kebabs. Drain on kitchen cloth to remove the extra oil.
13. Before serving, spread the turmeric aioli on the base of the plate and few drops of passion fruit gel.
14. Place the fried kebab with a pea shoot and pickled beet as garnish.
