Vikas Khanna
Vikas Khanna (born 14 November 1971) is an Indian chef, restaurateur, cookbook writer, filmmaker and humanitarian. He is one of the judges of Star Plus series "MasterChef India". He is based in New York City. Early life and education. Khanna was born in Amritsar, India, to Davinder and Bindu Khanna. His mother still lives there. He did his schooling at St. Francis School, Amritsar. He was born with a leg deformity (club foot) and wasn't able to run until he was 13 years old. He was inspired by his Biji (grandmother) who loved to cook, and her  kitchen became a part of his foundational training. Khanna began developing recipes at a very young age and opened Lawrence Gardens Banquets to host weddings and family functions when he was 17. He graduated from Welcomgroup graduate school of hotel administration a constituent of Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1991. Vikas Khanna also received an honorary doctorate at GD Goenka University as a recognition for his outstanding work in culinary art philanthropy, altruism and humanitarianism and his global reach as a chef. He has also studied at Culinary Institute of America and New York University. Career. While in India , Khanna worked for the Taj Hotels, Oberoi group, Welcom group, and Leela Group of Hotels. Khanna had worked at Salaam Bombay and The Café at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York before he joined Junoon, an upscale Indian restaurant in Flatiron district of Manhattan. Junoon received a favorable review from Sam Sifton in "The New York Times" in its inaugural year and was awarded a Michelin star by the Michelin Guide for six consecutive years since 2011. He has also worked with top chefs including Gordon Ramsay, Eric Ripert, Bobby Flay and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. In 2019, he  opened a restaurant called Kinara in Dubai. In 2020, he opened a restaurant called Ellora in Dubai. Television shows. From 2011, Khanna hosted five seasons of "MasterChef India Season 2", "MasterChef India Season 3" "MasterChef India Season 4" "MasterChef India Season 5" "MasterChef India Season 6" a series based on the original British version. He has been hosting all the seasons of the show since then. Khanna was invited as a guest judge on "MasterChef Australia" in Season 6. He has hosted four seasons of the show "Twist of Taste" on Fox Life. Khanna was featured as a Consultant chef  to help a failing Indian restaurant named Purnima on the Gordon Ramsay TV series "Kitchen Nightmares". Khanna appeared as a judge and an Indian-cuisine specialist on the two-part season finale of "Hell's Kitchen". He has appeared on "Throwdown! with Bobby Flay" as a judge and as a guest chef on "The Martha Stewart Show". Film production. Khanna has produced a documentary series named "Holy Kitchens", which explores the bond between faith and food. The series has been showcased at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia and Oxford Universities and Film Festivals. His documentary "Kitchens of Gratitude" was featured at Marche  du Film at the 69th Cannes Film Festival. His directorial debut "The Last Color" is a film about the daily struggles for survival on the streets of the ancient city of Banaras, India. The teaser of the film featuring veteran Indian actress Neena Gupta was released at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. The film made it to the final list of Oscar 2020 Eligibility for Best Film. Philanthropy. Khanna launched the foundation "South Asian Kid's Infinite Vision" (SAKIV) to focus on worldwide issues that demand urgent action such as Tsunami Relief, Hurricanes of the Gulf Coast, Haiti. In collaboration  with charitable institutions, such as Save the Children, the foundation has hosted many events worldwide - from The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt to the Taj Mahal in India. In 2018 Vikas Khanna built the first Culinary museum of India at his alma mater Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal. "Cooking for Life" founded by Khanna in 2001 in New York along with the world's top chefs supports several social causes. "Vision of Palate" is his award-winning workshop developed to educate people with visual disabilities about the sense of taste, flavor and aromas. On 14 May 2012 , Khanna cooked for a fundraiser hosted for President Obama at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City Khanna is the goodwill ambassador for Smile Foundation and supports the cause of malnutrition in India. He has pledged to raise 1 million US dollars for the same. In April 2020, during the COVID-19 global pandemic, he started a "Feed India" initiative which is backed by Pepsi, India Gate, Quaker Oats, Hyatt Regency and Global Funds for Widows and delivers food and supplies to those in need in India. Bibliography. 1. "Ayurveda" - The Science of Food and Life 2. Mango Mia  - Celebrating the tropical world of Mangoes 3. The Cuisine of Gandhi - Based on the beliefs of the Legend 4. The Spice Story of India 5. New York Chefs Cooking for Life 6. Modern Indian Cooking 7. Flavors First: An Indian Chef's Culinary Journey 8. My Great India Cookbook 9. Khanna Sutra: Food Lessons in Love 10. Everyone Can Cook 11. Savour Mumbai: A Culinary Journey Through India's Melting Pot 12. Young Chefs 13. Return to the Rivers - Recipes and Memories of the Himalayan River Valleys 14. Bliss of Spices - The Essence of Indian Kitchen 15. Hymns from the  Soil "-" A Vegetarian Saga 16. Amritsar - Flavours of the Golden city 17. The Magic Rolling Pin 18. World Feast - My Favourite Kitchen 19. MasterChef India Cookbook 20. Shaken & Stirred - 101 non-alcoholic blends 21. Timeless Legacy - His Holiness the Dalai Lama 22. The Milk Moustache 23. "UTSAV" - A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals 24. Indian Harvest - Classic and Contemporary Vegetarian Dishes 25. Essence of Seasoning - My All Time Favorite Recipes 26. Mocktails, Punches, and Shrubs 27. My First Kitchen 28. A Tree Named Ganga 29. POEATRY - Poems from the heart of farms and a kitchen 30. "PÃTRA" - Heritage of the  Indian Kitchen 31. The Last Color 32. The Wholesome Grain 33. Pilgrim's Flavors 34. Ceremony of Aromas 35. Magic of Slow Cooking 36. Ganesha and Friends 37. BARKAT