Why chef Vikas Khanna’s Bungalow is a tribute to India

Bungalow is a promise he made to his sister Radhika Khanna. A fashion designer and entrepreneur, she had lupus and passed away in February 2022. “She kept saying that there is a lot more to explore in Indian cuisine, it has a lot of potential. We are not going back to our roots,” he says. In September, this year, Bungalow, which reimagines classic Indian dishes, made it to The New York Times list of top 50 Restaurants of 2024 in America. In this interview, Khanna shares insights on Bungalow, his culinary vision and why it’s time to give Amul cheese its due. Excerpts:

Could you describe your restaurant Bungalow to people outside of New York?

Many diaspora kids born in America cherish the comforts of an Indian home— being served with love, inhaling soothing scents and experiencing the healing presence of grandmothers. This nostalgia is captured in the aromas that permeate Bungalow. I aim to infuse everything I’ve learned from India as a tribute to my homeland. We aren’t creating this cuisine, we have inherited it. While we add our own twists and modern touches, the soul of each dish remains unchanged.

Smoked Sweet Potato Chaat

Some of your dishes at Bungalow are reimagined variations of the classics that your sister used to like. Could you take us through some of them?

A menu is never rigid; it is fluid and alive. This one has also evolved over time, featuring just 18 dishes. One highlight is the Smoked Sweet Potato Chaat. Radhika reminded me of Delhi winters, where sweet potatoes are smoked on street corners. Our version comes with a tangy, sweet, and spicy sauce made from green mango and boondi tossed in ashwagandha.

Another intriguing dish is the Yogurt Kebab. I first encountered dahi ki tikki in Indore’s Sarafa market, and I was captivated. The original uses a suji crust, here, we’ve replaced it with seviyan. The base adds a twist, made from fermented purple cabbage that’s been pickled and pureed.

We have the Anarkali Chicken, a chicken tikka where the first marination is with pomegranate molasses, garlic and lemon juice. Once it’s out of the tandoor, it’s glazed with Amul cheese and pomegranate. The food is very desi, there is absolutely no fusion.

I am particularly intrigued by your use of Amul cheese, which is rarely seen in gourmet dining.

Why is Amul cheese considered inferior? Is it because we’ve been conditioned to believe so by Western standards? I can demonstrate that it is just as sophisticated as any other cheese. In my experience, Amul cheese has a superior texture and quality compared to any mozzarella or gouda I’ve ever had. Moreover, I would like to see another cheese that has empowered a quarter of a million women.

What are the challenges have you encountered while establishing yourself in competitive New York?

New York is the toughest and most competitive market. Every great chef is vying for recognition, space and reservations in a city of 12 million people, including 350,000 millionaires and about 100 billionaires. The real challenge is catering to everyone, ensuring that an 80-year-old woman feels just as welcomed and valued as a 25-year-old with new disposable income.

Yogurt Kabab at Bungalow

What continues to inspire you?

It is the promise I made to my sister. I remember a moment back in 2003, in New York, when we were both struggling, and she saved up money to take me to a birthday dinner at a restaurant run by a chef I admired. During the meal, I noticed she repeatedly got up to speak with the maître d’. When we stepped outside, I asked her what had happened. She had asked the manager if the chef could come out to say hello, as he had initially promised but she was told the chef would only greet guests who ordered the tasting menu. Later in life, she told me, ‘Don’t be like that chef’. That experience continues to fuel me — to ensure that no one who visits my restaurant ever feels like they are not worthy of respect. It’s a promise I’ve kept and it guides everything I do.

How do you view the future of Indian cuisine on the global map?

It’s going to take over Italian cuisine. We are entering an era of increased investment and development for our chefs. Instead of chasing Western culinary trends, chefs in India will begin to master and celebrate their own cuisines.

During my time in France (in the initial years of my career), I worked under many Caucasian chefs. I often found myself trying to emulate them. But, I was called a ‘slave’ who was ‘obsessed to be them’. It was a painful realisation that my obsession with imitation reflected a lack of pride in my own heritage. This experience taught me the importance of embracing my roots and culture.

Today, young chefs are confidently cooking Indian food. Institutions like the culinary center in Manipal are dedicated to the development and preservation of Indian cuisine. What chefs like Manish Mehrotra and Garima Arora have done is phenomenal.