About Chef

Know Your Chef

What inspired you to become a chef? Tell us your story!

The cooking seed was planted in me and nurtured in my early days when chefs such as Martin Yan from Yan Can Cook hosted shows on television. It was the love for food that inspired both me and my sister to experiment with dishes in the kitchen and prepare interesting meals ourselves. I graduated from the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Mumbai and later, was employed as a hotel operation management trainee at The Taj Mahal Palace and Towers. What was amazing about working at a hotel like the The Taj Mahal, was the variety of ingredients and the latest cooking equipment I had at my disposal. My interest in working abroad lead me to Dubai where I had a great learning experience and cooked food with the best chefs from around the world. I have also worked with Turkey’s most famous Chef, Vedat Basaran, in his restaurant Nar Lokantasi at Istanbul.

Which celebrity chefs do you admire the most?

Sanjeev Kapoor with his culinary skills has become a household name and has created a platform for all chefs in the country. Anthony Bourdain and Heston Blumenthal are two other chefs I really admire.

Which are your favorite films? What entertains you?

Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar is one of my all time favourite movies. I also became a big fan of actor Tom Hanks after watching Forrest Gump. I have watched most of the movies he has starred in.

What are your favorite travel destinations?

Singapore and Dubai are my favourite travel destinations that I frequently visit. Visiting Monaco and Paris has also always been a dream of mine.

Do you like to read?

Due to my busy schedule my reading habit is something that has suffered greatly. It is now only limited to a few cookbooks and blogs.

Have you tried food from Holachef? How was your experience?

Yes I have and it was a great experience. I particularly like Chef Madhusudan’s dishes, especially nimbu chicken and prawn mustard preparations.

Which cuisines/dishes do you love to cook and why?

I am fond of Indian cuisine and love preparing Awadhi dishes like biryanis and kebabs. During my tenure at Dusit, Dubai, I had crafted various biryani recipes for their chain restaurants.

A cooking tip/secret that you always follow.

While sauteing onions with a mix of masalas, be sure to add water to avoid burning the masalas and for preserving the taste.