What were your favorite foods growing up in Bombay?
I love street foods and grilled meat.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
When I was graduating from school and I realized I was really good in the kitchen and then I realized that was what I wanted to do.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
As a job it began in Bombay at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Growing up I was 14 when I started cooking.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
Maybe a racecar driver?

Who or what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
My family because I get a lot of my ideas from cooking from them. The second is the seasons—they inspire me and shape what I cook.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
My Indian culture that I grew up with and the second is my classical training in French/Indian cuisine and again seasonality.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
The oxograter—a microplane grader. I also love the heat resistant spatula—that is the most brilliant restaurant that I use at the restaurant and at home. All my cooks use them.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Chat Masala.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
To have the passion and love for what you are doing and to have passion, energy and fun while you're doing it. You cannot please people if you are not happy.

What advice do you have for aspiring chefs?
If you don't have the passion don't get into it. It's a hard job—without passion it won't be easy!

What was the most challenging meal you had to make?
The snail menu on Iron Chef because I have never cooked with snails before.

What is your least favorite food?
Bananas

What is your beverage of choice?
Single malt scotch

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?

Where do you like to get Indian food in New York City?
My own restaurant! The Dosa Hutt in Queens.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Always cook with love and don't try to make it too complex. We love One Spice, Two Spice.

What is a tip or recipe the home cook can follow when cooking Indian food at home?
A halibut with watermelon curry that seems complicated but its such an easy dish to make.

What do you like to cook for your family?
It varies. Something we can all sit down and eat together. Saturday is typically steak night for us.