Journey Into the Enchanted Kitchen of Chef Vikas Khanna

From the moment I first set foot inside the restaurant Purnima – off a hectic, bustling street in New York’s Theater District – I knew I had entered a separate and magical world. One where stress and chaos would melt away, welcoming smiles could overturn the frowns of the most irate of city dwellers, a warm glow infused the atmosphere and simple ingredients would be turned into masterful creations which nourished the body, while also enriching the soul.

So just who is the exceptional force responsible for this mystical world, where New York meets India – via Nirvana – and where the heart, the body and the mind are fed with equal care? It is Chef Vikas Khanna, a tall, striking man with a velvety voice, born in Amritsar, Punjab and who has dedicated his life to Hospitality. Hospitality school is what one enrolls in when considering a career in the culinary or hotelier professions and what Chef Khanna attended in Manipal, Karnataka despite a devastating accident on his way there, which left him blind in one eye. But the Hospitality of Chef Khanna is one with a capital letter “H”, a collective caring for the world around him and a giving of himself above and beyond the call of duty for any human being – let alone a successful, celebrated and incredibly busy chef based in demanding NYC.

As the founder and main promoter of several organizations, Chef Khanna has been caring for the human race, literally feeding one person at a time. Through the award-winning workshop SAKIV – a name of mysteriously magical origins translating from Hindi to “South Asian’s Vision” – Khanna takes visually impaired individuals on a tasting journey of textures, scents and flavors. With “Cooking for Life”, formed in 2001, he is aided by some of the best-known talent in the culinary world – chefs like Nobu and Daniel, who don’t even require a last name – to bring relief during times of crisis. They have raised money for Hurricane Katrina victims, Tsunami Relief and the crisis in Darfur, among others, and bring continued awareness to the issues faced by people with disabilities, through events like “The Living Pyramids” hosted in Giza, Egypt in 2006.

But as serene and centered as Chef Khanna appears, he is definitely not sitting back, basking in his achievements. He admits to staying up late at night thinking of solutions to the upcoming shortage of food which the Third World will face first – but is also not far behind as a problem for all – and preparing for his upcoming journey to the Himalayas to collect all the information he will need to write his next book. In between, a trip to Tokyo for the Asia21 – Young Leaders’ Initiative in November.

When I first met Chef Khanna – at the Rubin Museum of Art where he had prepared their lavish Nine Rivers Gala dinner – I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would spend such an amazing evening interviewing him. I was treated to his unforgettable food, his kindness and generosity and even a prolonged visit to his organized kitchen. There, he talked about his childhood, his beloved family, the small and not-so-small miracles that have shaped his life and even showed me how he prepares tandoori bread and lamb. The evening was one I will never forget. I can only hope is that I have done him justice through my words.

Chic Today: You have a personal philosophy about food that goes way beyond the simple act of feeding the body. Can you elaborate on your concept of nourishing the soul and how you believe that is equally – if not more – important for the enjoyment of a meal and the resulting feeling of being satiated?

Vikas Khanna: When I feed people, I experience a sense of satisfaction of having shared a part of myself with the food I served. Food nourishes not just the body but the mind too, enhances our ability to think and thus live. Food is very important in almost every event in our lives and therefore our memories. Different foods hold varied meanings for us by association. I still connect certain foods with moments of my life which helped shape my personality. The foods that my grandmother fed us in tough times, in times of scarcity, even today remind me of the value of all we have.

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