Vikas Khanna Dishes

New York-based chef Vikas Khanna’s latest project has taken him to the depths of the Indian countryside. He spent three days scouring villages near Varanasi in May, conducting what he calls “underground research on Vedic cuisines”. “My focus has been the grains that have been eaten in India since ancient times. I knew I’d have to visit all the major hubs, and Kashi (Varanasi) has been my first stop,” he says.

- Moeena Halim

A household name in India because of the four Masterchef India seasons he has hosted, as well as the television show Twist of Taste, Khanna travelled to India after attending the Cannes Film Festival last month to promote Buried Seeds—a docu-drama on his life by Andre Severny. An immigrant success story, the film chronicles Khanna’s path from Amritsar to a homeless shelter in the US and finally the kitchen of a Michelinstarred restaurant.