Demystifying the Indian cuisine - Mr. Suvir Saran

On the 28th of October, 2021 the Leadership Series was graced by the presence of Mr. Suvir Saran.

New Delhi-born and New York-based culinary authority Suvir Saran is the author of three celebrated cookbooks: Indian Home Cooking, American Masala, and Masala Farm, and the chef-creator of THC, The House of Celeste, a modern Indian restaurant in Gurgaon. His Slice of Life column appears fortnightly in the Sunday Eye magazine of Indian Express, where he shares musings that inspire provocative thinking and raise questions on life and living.

Mr. Saran’s approachable style helped demystify Indian cuisine and earned him the first Michelin star awarded to an Indian restaurant in America. His recipes and writings have been featured in many national and international newspapers and magazines.

Mr. Saran often uses food as a bridge to bring disparate peoples and groups together. He embraces the universality of cuisine and its ability to heal where there are wounds and transcend borders where politics and history have created divisions. His exposure to people from all corners of the world gives him an ease in settings that are bursting with diversity. Having always been the other wherever he has made home, he fits in seamlessly, and with his food he warms hearts, wins minds, brings peace, and makes lasting friendships.

In his eye opening talk, Mr. Saran spoke largely about how his childhood - both at home and in school - greatly influenced his identity and inspired him to chase his dream. He built on how his own individuality derived from learnings gained from a helper in his old childhood home who he fondly referred to as 'Panditji'.

A large part of his creativity and desire to live his dream came from the major appreciation of global arts and culture and he greatly encouraged each and every student to first and foremost dive deeper into their individual culture and heritage, and secondly explore the diversity of various countries and ethnic communities.

Mr. Saran, despite attending the session online from New York at 7am EDT, brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm and answered each burning question that the students asked, elaborating on things such as the process of establishing an Indian restaurant in a foreign nation and the challenges he faced while doing so.

It can be said with certainty that Mr. Saran very successfully engaged the students in an eye-opening talk and perhaps even fostered a goal for a few aspiring chefs.