Unarguably he is one of the most recognized faces of Indian television. He was in people’s living rooms for almost two decades introducing them to the delights of Indian and international cuisine in his inimitable easy going and cheery manner. The show Khana Khazana was one of those trailblazing cookery shows on Zee. Little wonder then that he has a massive fan following across all age groups, genders and countries! He has the proud distinction of being the only chef in the world to have his own channel – FoodFood. He has been conferred the ‘Best Chef of India’ award by the Government of India. He represented India in the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS) in South Korea and here he introduced them to the wonders of the ancient Indian way of Ayurvedic cooking. He was the Indian ambassador for UN’s Clean Cook Stoves campaign for the underprivileged of developing countries. He represented India as a Food ambassador in Spain under the Spanish Government’s Indian Future Leaders Programme (IFLP).
He has done cookery shows all over the globe with famous culinary personalities like Rachel Ray, Richard Quest and Rene Redzepi. In fact he is also known as the Rachel Ray of India. He has also cooked for many dignitaries, including the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. His website www.sanjeevkapoor.com which has more than 13,000 recipes, attracts more than nine million page views per month and over 3.5 million fans follow him on Facebook. His won the ‘Most Popular Website’ award in 2013 and ‘Best Website’ award in the Food and Beverages category in 2014. He is on the board of Singapore Airlines International Culinary panel. His YouTube channel sanjeevkapoorkhazana is very popular with over half a million subscribers.
Sanjeev Kapoor’s recipe books are bestsellers, with more than 200 titles in 7 languages and bagged Indian and international awards. His restaurants Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khazana, The Yellow Chilli, Signature, Hong Kong and Options are considered the best in their categories not only in India but abroad as well. His Khazana brand of blended spices, ready to cook mixes, pickles and gourmet chutneys are super popular in US, Europe and Middle East, in addition to India. His business of world class kitchen gadgets, Wonderchef has enabled and continues to empower women, a cause close to his heart.
In an exclusive interview with Salt and Sandals, Masterchef Sanjeev kapoor answers a few rapid fire question and provides us with the insights from his personal and professional life.
Amogh Tiwari (AT) :What drives you to be in the food and beverage industry?
Sanjeev Kapoor (SK):In my growing up years I used to observe my father cook. He proved to me that men can cook too…and as well! Soon after, my elder brother Rajeev started joining my parents in the kitchen. But naturally I followed suit. I was barely seven or eight years when I joined in! As a family we stayed in many different cities as my father had a transferable job. My mother would learn how to cook the local dishes and soon multi-regional dishes became an integral part of our daily menus. I became aware of my palate quite early in my life. Then, there was always this burning desire in me to do something different. So, just after HSC, when everyone back then was applying for engineering or medicine, I applied for architecture. But on friend’s behest, applied for the Hotel Management course too, knowing little that it would shape my destiny!
AT:Where do you draw your inspiration from?
SK:If you ask me about who my inspiration is, I will tell you that it is not any single person. It is many people. To start with it is my father. My father was an excellent cook and he churned out the most amazing meals by pairing unusual ingredients. My mother’s cooking though simple has an unmatched taste and a wonderful bouquet of flavours. Other than my parents, it has been many people whom I’ve worked with in the course of my career. I have learnt many valuable lessons from all the chefs and the people in the food business. I admire each one of them and I wish them success from the bottom of my heart.
AT:What is the most essential item in your kitchen?
SK:My ‘slow juicer.’ Not a single day passes without me using it!
AT:What do you cook at home that you never cook at the restaurant?
SK:There’s nothing in particular!
AT:What are 3 tips for running a successful restaurant?
SK:To make a successful restaurant brand I really feel that all these points are important:
Your branding.
Your positioning.
Your product.
Your marketing.
Understanding business numbers.
AT:What’s your regular comfort meal?
SK:Rajma or kadhi chawal or when I want to go a little fancy, then a hearty Laksa does wonders!
AT :If you were to open a new restaurant, what style of food would you pick and where would you want it to be located?
SK: It will definitely be contemporary Indian cuisine. Locations can vary as I’m already coming up with my restaurants across the globe.
AT :When you’re at home or someone else cooks for you, do people feel pressured to cook you something fancy because you’re a big a celebrity chef yourself?
SK :They shouldn’t! I always maintain that food served with love and a smile tastes best!
AT :Mention one project which is very close to your heart.
SK :My brand ‘Wonderchef’ that enables Indian women to empower themselves, especially in the North East. The business model of this business is such that it enables women to become financially independent.
AT:What would be your advice to upcoming chefs?
SK:Understand your strengths and work around it. Never cease to be a student and always be humble. Share your knowledge with others and keep raising the bar for yourself.
