Weekend Exclusive | Food is enriched with emotions: Chef Vikas Khanna

The versatile Vikas Khanna is an Indian chef , restaurateur, food writer, filmmaker, humanitarian and the host of TV show MasterChef India. He  was awarded a Michelin star for his restaurant Junoon by the Michelin Guide  for 2012 and 2013. Based in New York , he opened  his own catering company at the age of 17 and has never looked back since then. He gained  culinary experience as a helper in his grandmother's kitchen, from whom he  and learnt the art of cooking . At a tender age of 12, he  supplied kitchenware to the Amritsar Club. He has also been referred to as "The Hottest Chef in the World" by the People Magazine. Known to have worked with some of the most honoured chefs in the world ,Vikas Khanna has come a long way.

Since 2011, Vikas has been hosting the TV show MasterChef India, an Indian competitive cooking game show based on the original British version of MasterChef.  The exciting third season of the show which is informative  and entertains  audiences will be aired from 11th March 2013.

On the occasion of ‘Masterchef India Season 3, Kitchen Ke Superstar’ launch, Adgully caught up with Vikas Khanna to get more insights about him and his forthcoming show.
When asked about his experience as a known celebrity chef, he said, “It’s ok to be famous but more than that it’s more important to be useful.  Becoming a symbol, an identity for any culture is very important  for me , as money will come  and go.  Today people recognize me but they might forget me tomorrow. So, when you get an opportunity in your life to share the essence of your country you should go for it and that’s what I am trying to do with the help of food.”

“I don’t stay in India, I come here only for shooting and my research purpose and so for me the journey has been totally different, but it has helped me to connect with the masses. Wherever I go and travel I do make the simple Indian dishes like dal and  roti, because I believe that one should never forget their roots . This will take them ahead in life. I learned to make rotis from the Golden temple and I am never going to forget that,” he added.

Although an expert chef, film-making holds much interest for him and elaborating further on this he said “Every year I make one movie based on a place and food.  The first one I made was based on the Sikh religion The reason behind making these movies is to create interface relationship through food. India is the only country which follows so many religions and the base of every religion can be found here. My next movie would be on ‘Buddhism and Food’ and will be narrated by the Dalai Lama. The movie deals with  religion, food, television hosting experience, media interaction and most importantly the culture of India which exists in our roots.”

Chefs are always surrounded by mouthwatering cuisines but manage to keep themselves fit and healthy.  When  asked to share a few tips with his readers with regard to this he advised “Don’t have your meals very late, it’s not about eating bad or right because whatever food you are not able to digest turns out as wrong food. Food is fuel for our body and when you don’t know how to burn the fuel it’s a waste.” He personally does not  drink or  smoke and advises the youth of today to indulge in both but within certain limits .

According to Vikas, being a chef is not an easy task as it involves loads of patience. He considers it a tough industry whereby being  aggressive makes it difficult to achieve heights of success.
Accepting the  fact that women too have always been  the  best cooks and giving them their due credit he  said, “It’s a reality that women cook the best food in comparison to men. Men are famous because they have been in the industry since a long time and women entered this industry recently. Women understand two things the best  viz. the emotions of food and the purpose of food. We to some extent do inspire women but we can never understand the sensibility of food better than them.” He also went on to inform that till date the Head Chef at the White House in USA is a woman.

Speaking about his upcoming show and sharing his views on the reason behind so many food based shows on television today , he said, “What was once treated as just a hobby for many and a career option for few, is now being looked at as an art form that people are trying to pursue . It is this interest and desire of people that has become the basis for the concept for these shows. Food has always been an important part and with time it has become a passion, from simple homemade food to exotic dishes. The season 3 of Masterchef is going to rock this time as it will show how every contestant lives their dream and desire to be India’s Masterchef. The show will make a place in everyone’s heart and food is something that connects people.”
“Indian foods are enriched with emotions in it, with sense of connection and that is what the rest of the world misses out on,” concludes Vikas Khanna.

Vikas recently launched his book ‘Khanna Sutra’ and has also authored several books, including  ‘The Spice Story of India’ and ‘Modern Indian Cooking’ , ‘Flavors First’. He is also the founder of Cooking for Life and SAKIV Organizations which hosts gastronomic events around the world in support of different relief efforts and awareness issues. | By Ranjana Gupta [ranjana(at)adgully.com]