Vikas Khanna, who has replaced Akshay Kumar for second season of MasterChef India , was recently in the city to promote the Star Plus series. The noted chef, who has been voted as New York's hottest chef and is honoured with the Rising Star Chef Award for his role in shaping the future of American cuisine, is a writer and filmmaker too. Excerpts:
The first season could not get high TRPs. Do you think Indians found the food and the format foreign?
Well, India has a rich culture of cuisines. Indians do have a taste for different food items. The only thing that is needed is exposure. I think it was a new format and like everything else in life, it takes time to absorb a new look and perspective. We have to bring people and food together and in this case TV shows like MasterChef play a vital role. As for the TRP factor, I am not worried. It's not my show. It's a show of 12 participants, who have risked their careers and family. They have to perform well in front of millions of viewers. I am just giving my support and hoping for the best.
Tell us about your journey from Amritsar to America
It was all possible because of my uncle, Pradeep Kapur. Since my childhood I have a great interest in cooking. I used to help my grandma in cutting vegetables and spend most of my time with her in the kitchen. I was 16 when I insisted that I would start the business of catering. After many hurdles, I managed to open a small business named Lawrence Gardens, a kitty party like thing at Amritsar. But it didn't prove viable. Seeing my passion and commitment to running a business in cooking, my chachu took me to America. He told me that passion and commitment is very good for a person to achieve something but the world will accept you only when you have proper skills along with the qualities. And then my journey started, learning the art of cooking in the U.S. Later on by God's grace I became the executive chef of Salaam Bombay Restaurant in New York, where I got the opportunity to work with renowned chefs of America. Now, I am the owner and consultant in several restaurants and food organisations including The Café at the Rubin Museum of Art.
They say you didn't know English when you first landed in the U.S. and had no idea permits were needed to work there. How did you manage?
“Rab rakha,” this was the phrase that kept my spirit alive. My mother said these words to me when I left for the U.S. It means God is with you. Besides, I had confidence in myself that I know how to cook and your hands are enough to make a start. I didn't know a permit was needed to work in America. I started my job as a dish-washer in one of the restaurants. But after some time I was fired from there because of some funny reasons. Then I joined Salaam Bombay, a well known restaurant in the U.S., where I got a proper job and platform to start my career. While working in restaurants of New York City, I enrolled at Cornell University and New York University. I think English is not very important by itself, but when I have to tell a story about my people, my culture and my country, English helps to communicate. It has become a universal language today. That's how I am managing still.
What is your response to those who believe that kitchen work is for women? After marriage, who will cook at home?
First of all, I would never fight the obvious! On a lighter note I would say, I am not cooking, I am just helping women. As for married life, I would love to have a wife who would cook for me, but every time I am in a relationship, I land up cooking for her and her family and her friends….
What are your plans?
I am happy with my restaurant and catering business. I am proud of my series of documentaries Holy Kitchens which is based on my journey to discover the spiritual foods that give us a shared identity. The first part of the series True Business is based on Sikhism and the langar culture. I am also excited about my books (“Flavors First”, “The Spice Story of India” and “Modern Indian Cooking”). I want to do work that has much deeper meaning and relationship with our people and culture.
