Chef’s Legacy
// Amninder Sandhu

CHEF’S LEGACY // AMNINDER SANDHU

Curated By Rahul Akerkar

Amninder Sandhu is the Chef at Arth, the first gas free restaurant in India embracing ethnic Indian methods of slow cooking over wood fire and charcoal. She is a national award winner for Best Lady Chef presented by the Ministry of Tourism. Chef Amninder was the only chosen Indian chef competing on the Netflix series- ‘The Final Table’ and represented the country on a global platform. She also won the award for Chef Of  The Year at the Times Food Awards 2019- Pune, and Outstanding Entrepreneur- Culinary at the prestigious Guide Awards 2019 by the media house Mid Day. She has hosted pop ups serving her signature dishes to a number of cities internationally including Michelin Starred Café Boulud New York by Chef Daniel Boulud, The Wonder Women Of Food and Wine at Paws Up- Montana, Hedley & Bennett Studio- L.A., Otium, L.A. by Chef Tim Hollingsworth, Meatopia- London, Botanik- Srilanka and Keraton at The Plaza Jakarta.   

Chef Amninder embraces ancient Indian methods of slow cooking on open fire. Each dish on the menu is rooted in the techniques of traditional, ancient cooking. Inspired by the fact that the earliest record of cooked food in history made use of a charcoal-powered hearth, Chef Amninder Sandhu ensures that each dish is prepared on wood or charcoal. Ingredients from all across the country including Majuli, Shillong, Khonoma, Alleppey, Mangalore, Guntur, Rishikesh and Kashmir find themselves at home at the Arth kitchen. The entirely bespoke kitchen at Arth exclusively features copper lagans, earthen chattis, a live sigri and a sand pit with live charcoal, which Chef Amninder uses to slow-cook meats and other items.   

At Serendipity Arts Festival, Chef Amninder Sandhu will be focusing on how recipes that are traditional, elaborate and skill-sensitive have been her driving force since the beginning. Once upon a time, all cooking in India was done over an open fire and Chef Amninder will run you through why she decided to go back to old ways of gas free cooking using ancient techniques, and how childhood food memories and stories just reinforced something that she has always believed in. She will be showcasing to the audience how to make one of her signature dishes Hay Smoked Jungli Murgi - Free Range Chicken, Wayanad Black Pepper, Grass Fed Cow's Ghee, Chicken Stuffed Bhavnagri Chilli and Charred Spring Onions served with Jowar Roti.

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