A chef is a person who is skilled in all aspects of food preparation, often with expertise in a particular type of cooking or cuisine. Indian cuisine is renowned for its richness and variety, with many different dishes and flavors found throughout the country. The following is a list of the top 10 award-winning chefs in India who have contributed to the quality of Indian cooking, promoted Indian cuisine globally, and taught people about delicious food items:
Sanjeev Kapoor
A well-known and respected chef in India, as well as an entrepreneur and television personality. He hosts a TV channel called “FoodFood” and was the first chef to own a 24×7 food and lifestyle channel. He also hosted the popular television show “Khana Khazana,” which was broadcast in 120 countries and reached over 500 million viewers in 2010. Sanjeev specializes in Indian cuisine and began his career in the hospitality industry in 1984. He is married to Alyona Kapoor, who is also a partner in his company, Turmeric Vision Pvt. Ltd.
Vikas Khanna
An Indian chef, restaurateur, cookbook writer, filmmaker, and humanitarian. He was born in Amritsar, Punjab, and was inspired to cook by his grandmother. He opened his own restaurant, Lawrence Gardens Banquets, at the age of 17 and later graduated from Manipal Academy of Higher Education and received a doctorate from GD Goenka University. He opened the restaurant “Junoon” in New York and, in 2020, opened Ellora in Dubai. In 2018, Vikas also opened India’s first culinary museum in Manipal. He made his directorial debut with the film “The Last Color” and specializes in Indian cuisine.
Ranveer Brar
An Indian chef, television and digital celebrity, judge, host, author, restaurateur, food film producer, and philanthropist. He was born in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and currently works as a senior official food expert at the Novotel Mumbai, Juhu Beach. He has also served as a supervisor at the Dosa Factory and Shalimar in Cambridge. Ranveer began his career at the Taj Hotel, Mumbai after completing his education at IHM, Lucknow. He has appeared as a judge or host on various shows, including “Zee Khana Khazana,” “Zoom’s Thank Got Its Friday,” “Masterchef India,” “Raja Rasoi Aur Andaaz Anokha,” “Rasoi ki Jung Mummiyon ke Sung,” “Health Bhi Taste Bhi,” and others. In 2016, he released his first book, “Come Into My Kitchen,” and in 2019, he launched his own mobile app.
Madhur Jaffrey
CBE is an Indian American chef, actress, author, food and travel writer, and television personality. She was born in Civil Lines, Delhi, and learned to cook at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in Britain in the mid-1950s. She specializes in Indian and South Asian cuisine and has written over 15 cookbooks. With her first cookbook, “An Invitation to Indian Cooking,” she introduced Indian food to the Western world. Her most recently published cookbook is “Instantly Indian Cookbook: Modern and Classic Recipes for the Instant Pot.”
Vineet Bhatia
A highly acclaimed Indian chef, restaurateur, author, and media personality. Born in Mumbai, Maharashtra in 1967, he was the first Indian chef to receive a prestigious Michelin Star Award, and the only Indian chef to receive it twice. He received his education at The Oberoi School of Hotel Management and is known for his modern Indian cooking style.
In addition to his successful career as a chef, Bhatia has also appeared as a judge on the Netflix show “The Final Table” and as a judge-host on “MasterChef India.” He has published several cookbooks, including “Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen” and “My Sweet Kitchen,” and owns a total of eleven restaurants.
