A superchef who loves to write

Vikas Khanna is one of the best-known Indian chefs on the international circuit. Having cooked satvik food for former US President Barack Obama, and a fan list that includes Tom Cruise and Andre Agassi, Khanna has got many people interested in authentic Indian food. But success came hard to the 46-year-old Michelin star chef, restaurateur, and former judge of the popular show, Masterchef India.

Khanna was born with a club foot. Doctors told his mother that he would never be able to walk properly. An introvert, Khanna ended up spending time in the kitchen with his grandmother, and fell in love with cooking.

At 13, Khanna started to walk normally. By 17, he was running a catering business in Amritsar, when his uncle took him to ITC Maurya, New Delhi. After studying at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal, he did a three-year stint at the Leela Kempinski, Mumbai.

In 2000, Khanna landed in America. Working as a kitchen helper-dishwasher in a restaurant, he stayed in a shelter for homeless in New York. The dhokla he made during the time made him executive chef at a restaurant.

In 2006, Khanna appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s show, Kitchen Nightmares. Three-and-ahalf years later, he started a restaurant, Junoon, that won a Michelin star in 10 months. Khanna’s other love is writing. He has been writing books on subjects ranging from Himalayan cuisine to his hometown, Amritsar.