The Khanna sutra

In the city to conduct a master class, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna tells Susanna Myrtle Lazarus that he has his plate full - a book release at the Cannes Film Festival, a book for children and reinventing desi cuisine.

May 04, 2015 07:08 pm | Updated November 16, 2021 07:00 pm IST

For an internationally famous chef who is interviewed many, many times, Vikas Khanna has a great memory. “I remember you asked me on the phone a few months ago if I’d be coming to Chennai anytime soon; well, here I am now,” he beams. In the city to conduct a master class at the Mercedes Benz Luxe Drive event at the Madras Motor Sports Club Race Track in Irungattukottai, he’s as dapperly dressed as always; having been conferred with the ‘Most Stylish’ award at a recent event in Delhi, he’s living up to it.

“I was never a TV guy; I still think a chef belongs in the kitchen. Usually, he is called only when the food is exceptionally bad, but now, diners want to meet the person who made their meal. In the beginning, I used to refuse. It took me some time to learn that being on primetime television and representing my country’s cuisine comes with a lot of responsibility, and I had to oblige,” says Vikas.

Even as he speaks of this, a bevy of admirers flock around the  MasterChef India  judge; he seems to be more popular than the luxury cars that are lined up outside. He’s gracious, excusing himself to not just click photos, but also chat for a while with them, asking them about their food preferences and what they do.

One of the most heart-warming celebrity moments Vikas has experienced was here in Chennai. He recalls reaching a star hotel at 3 a.m., tired and hungry after a long international flight during which he had not eaten: “I called room service, and the person who answered said, ‘Chef, all of us have been waiting for this call.’ Now, this is a tough job where people want to rush home once their shift is over, but these guys had stayed back several hours just to have a shot at cooking for me, without even knowing for sure if I would order anything. After hearing that, I just had to go down to the kitchens and meet all of them. I get very emotional about such incidents.”

But he better get used to this, as his latest book,  Utsav , is all set to be released at the Cannes Film Festival later this month. It’s been 12 years in the making, and chronicles the history, methods and authentic recipes used in festival foods all across the country, coupled with amazing imagery, all shot by the chef himself. “I used to struggle for one or two dollars for a meal in Amritsar, and this book’s starting price is Rs. 8 lakh (roughly USD 12,500). It’s unbelievable to me that I have been able to see all this in my lifetime. This is the first time a cookbook is being launched at Cannes. It’s setting a benchmark for future chefs to meet,” he says.

Talking about  Utsav  gets Vikas really excited, and he quickly swipes through his phone gallery to show some of the stunning photos that are featured in it. “See, this is the first photo. It shows a large number of women holding the  thaal . They’re welcoming the reader; how much more Indian can it get?” he smiles, adding, “Bollywood showcases only a few festivals; if a movie shows Karva Chauth, then everyone wants to celebrate it. There are a lot of wonderful festivals in each state that are not known about at all. Mizoram and Nagaland were just wow. And I don’t know how many people have heard of the Three King’s Feast celebrated in Goa, or the salt ceremony of the Sindhis, or the history of the sugarcane with relation to Pongal and Onam. It started as a passion, but now it has become an obsession.”  

While the festivals are listed according to their annual calendar appearance, there is one that is close to his heart — Koovagam Koothandavar festival. Vikas says, “I went there for three years during the festival. Not many people have heard of it, but it is such a fascinating thing to witness. And the food aspect of it has never been explored even though it is very significant. It has been given the same number of pages as Diwali.” The book itself has 1,400 pages and will be available in India with a lower price tag than its American counterpart.

Vikas is also ready with his next children’s book that will be launched on November 14 (it’s also the Michelin-starred chef’s birthday). This is the second in a series of four books. While the first one,  The Magic Rolling Pin , was about a little boy with a magical  belan  that helped him make perfectly round  rotis , this story looks at milk rituals in different households from a cow’s point of view. “The fun focus is on milk moustaches,” he says with a laugh.

“I don’t focus on selling food; in that case I’d put butter chicken and dal makhni on the menu and be done with it, and it’ll be the best you’ve ever had. The point is to showcase more than just that, and to experiment,” says Vikas, who looks to learn constantly from those around him. His current favourite ingredients are mullati, which is the bark of a tree used heavily in Ayurveda, and kadumpuli from Kerala. Speaking of the latter, he says, “I guess you could call it kokum’s sister. It’s got a strong smoky flavour and I’ve bought 20kg of it and sent it over to my restaurant in New York so we can find new ways of using it.”

When it comes to South Indian food, he’s obsessed with the flavours of Chettinad cuisine and loves the Onam sadya, but it’s the traditional vegetarian food of Tamil Nadu that bowls Vikas over every time. “There’s no drama and it’s clear cooking. Instead of it being idli-sambhar-dosai all the time, I wish someone would have a restaurant where home-style food is served,” he says. And even though he’s in Chennai only for the day, he has a list of places to check out: this includes Ponnusamy Hotel and Velu Military Hotel.

With a newly-opened restaurant in Dubai, TV appearances and the Cannes film festival coming up, Vikas is going to be one busy man in the coming days. “There’s a fine balance to being global. I’m taking it as an opportunity to get the best of both my countries,” he says as he rises from his chair. There’s a new line forming to meet the chef, and he doesn’t want to keep them waiting.

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