Executive Chef Vijay was born in India, graduated from the National Business Management College in Sydney, Australia, then cooked in Thailand, New York, and now Dallas, TX. His samosas and chutneys topped celebrity Bobby Flay’s show, Beat Bobby Flay, and he has appeared on the Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen.

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Vijay Sahu

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<h4>VIJAY SADHU is a perfectionist. Whether he is standing in the kitchen of one of
 his many successful restaurants in the United States, competing with Bobby Flay, or simply sitting in meditation,
 Chef Vijay determinedly puts his heart into everything he does. The result? Great food that is filled with love,
 hardearned and well-deserved success, and a daily effort to show up as his best possible self. Sitting at a table at
 Fausto’s, Kanha Shanti Vanam’s Italian Restaurant, he shares more about his passion for cooking and his journey of
 becoming a chef with MAMATA VENKAT, how finding a Guru and diving into
 spirituality changed his attitude in the kitchen, and how all of his experiences have shaped his most important
 role: being a parent.</h4>
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<img class=" has-img-center lazyload" alt="the-heartful-chef"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulchef3_bc8a48b117.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:27:57.951Z" />

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Q: Chef, how did you discover your passion for being in the kitchen?
VS: My experience was very different. I was more
 into dancing when I was growing up, and I was part of a band that my friends used to have. I moved out of home when
 I was 15, and from that age I never depended on anyone. I was a dropout because of the band. We were performing a
 show in a hotel in Hyderabad, and the venue was right next to the kitchen. I was smelling the aroma and air of
 beautiful food, and I said, “Oh my gosh, this is so incredible!”
My eldest brother was a chef. My parents were worried about me. They were like, “What is
 this guy? He doesn’t want to go to school. He doesn’t want to go to college.” I was very careless. I didn’t really
 worry too much. 
 I said, “Take it as it comes.” 
 I started liking cooking, food, and serving people. There was no grandmother inspiration or mother inspiration. I’m
 a self-made person. I started working as an apprentice for some of the big hotel chains. Then, I had the opportunity
 to go to the U.S. at the age of 18 and ended up in Manhattan. There I started working for some of the best
 restaurants, peeling onions, and doing behind-the-scenes work. It was all old-school style.
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Q: What does the journey look like for someone who is trying to be a world-famous
 chef?
VS: Back in the day, not every chef went to
 college. I didn’t go to college to begin with. After working in New York, I made some money, and then I thought
 about going to college. I moved to India for six months, worked for one of the top hotel chains, and wanted to be at
 the management level, but people would say, “No, you don’t have a degree, so you can’t be a manager”. I thought that
 was discrimination, but while having tea with a cousin of mine, looking at a newspaper, I saw something about study
 abroad in Australia. So I packed my bags and moved to Australia. There I finished my hotel management degree right
 off the bat. I worked for a good restaurant there, and then I moved back to the U.S. again. That’s when I really
 started.
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<h5 style="text-align: center;">Whatever I did, I put my heart into it. 
 That’s number one. I don’t compromise at all.</h5>


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Q: What kind of attitude did you have in order to create success for yourself?

VS: From day one, I wanted to be a perfectionist in
 everything that I did. I don’t waste my time. If I do something, I’ll do it perfectly, otherwise I’ll say, “I don’t
 think this is for me” or “I’m not ready for this.” I don’t experiment with things, except recipes. That’s how I
 started working for some great chefs.
I had an opportunity to open my own restaurant in Milwaukee when I was a young guy,
 probably 29 or 30. It was called Saffron Bistro, with a lot of European influence, and it was rated one of the best
 restaurants in the world by Bon Appetit Magazine. My restaurant was a small hole in the wall, no bar, just tables
 and the food, some wines.
From there, it just kept growing, growing, growing. I appeared on television with other
 chefs, I was on the cover of a lot of magazines in New York and Milwaukee, and then I moved to India again. I came
 with my family here and opened a restaurant in Hyderabad. But the mentality didn’t suit me, so I packed my bags and
 moved back to the U.S. again. I opened a beautiful restaurant in Dallas called Northwest Frontier Cuisine. I
 prepared a lot of kebabs and barbequed food. My restaurant was once again rated one of the top restaurants in
 Dallas. I was the first Indian person to do that.
There I was blessed to work under one of the best chefs in the world, Steven Pyles, the
 father of Southwestern cuisine, who invented Tex-Mex. He pulled me out and said, “Hey, why don’t you work with me?”
 I worked for him, and then opened a restaurant called Sutra, with a Portuguese-Spanish influence and an Indian
 touch. It did phenomenally well. Whatever I did, I put my heart into it. That’s number one. I don’t compromise at
 all.
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 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartfulchef4_312642df14.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-10T08:29:55.809Z" />

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Q: I imagine that you apply that mentality of perfectionism to your meditation
 practice. What drew you to spirituality and, specifically, to Heartfulness?
VS: In 1998, my brother said, “Hey, why don’t you
 try Heartfulness?” 
 I said, “What is that?” 
 From my childhood, I was never into idol worship. I used to go to the temple with my parents, but I wasn’t really
 into it, although I believe there is a God. I started Heartfulness, and met the Guide, Chariji, in 1998 in Austin,
 did for a month, but I didn’t continue. I was back to my usual stuff. People do service, and cooking for people is
 my kind of service.
Two and a half years ago, I met my wife, who was into Heartfulness, and the first thing
 I told her was, “Don’t try to get me into Heartfulness.” One day, Daaji started coming in front of me in subtle
 form. There was a Heartfulness trainer in Dallas and I went to him and said, “I want to have a meditation session.”
 So I never stopped. I know we all miss parts of the practice here and there, but as I mentioned to you earlier, if I
 like something, I do it.
The first book I ever read was Designing Destiny from cover to cover. I’d never
 finished a book before. It changed my perception about lifestyle and everything. I used to eat meat, breakfast,
 lunch and dinner, but after finishing Designing Destiny I stopped eating meat right away. I used to smoke
 and I just said no and stopped right away. It’s not just respect for the guru; I love him. I’ve started to really
 miss him from the bottom of my heart. I used to only listen to hip-hop and jazz, Cuban jazz. That’s what pumped me
 up in the kitchen or in my car. After finishing that book, now I listen to Babuji’s talks. It changed me so much, my
 way of thinking.
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Q: Do you think that the love for this practice and the connection with your guide has
 positively impacted the way that your food turns out?
VS: I always cooked with love from the beginning. I
 used to call it focus. My mentors taught me that it was all about consistency, quality, using proper ingredients,
 and then putting love, putting your heart and cooking. That’s always been there. It wasn’t because of Heartfulness,
 but Heartfulness added a layer to it.
When I came to Kanha two and a half years ago, I visited Daaji. He looked at me, shook
 my hand, and that was it. Later, my brother came, so I went with my brother to Daaji’s apartment. While leaving, at
 the entrance, I started crying. It just happened. And I didn’t know why I was crying. It was like a child missing
 his mom.
My desire was always to cook for Daaji, and during this visit I started cooking for him
 from the first day. Until today, I’ve been cooking for him. That connection between him and I – I don’t ask for
 anything. I don’t want to ask for anything because I don’t need to. I took a break for two days and went to Vizag
 with my wife. I literally started crying in the cab, saying, “Honey, let’s go back. I miss him.” I don’t expect
 anything from him.
When I open my eyes, I think of him. That has improved my cooking a lot. My flavors have
 changed. The way I cook vegetables is different. The way I use spices. The way I create dishes is natural,
 spontaneous, and it just comes automatically now. When I cook for him, I don’t have to plan, it just comes. My love
 toward food has gone up tremendously. It has improved so much.

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<h5 style="text-align: center;">The way I create dishes is natural, spontaneous, 
 and it just comes automatically now. 
 My love toward food has gone up tremendously. 
 It has improved so much.</h5>


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Q: How do you think your attitude in the kitchen has changed?
VS: There was a tremendous change after practicing
 Heartfulness. Three years ago, when I worked for the W Hotel, I was very tough and very straightforward, I would
 never compromise, and I would yell at my staff. At the end of the day, we all have emotions, so we need to balance
 them. People would sabotage me because I was tough. Ego was there. I was in competition, I was in the newspapers, in
 magazines, and it was a big deal. People would come from the East Coast to try my food. I always wanted more. My
 dream was to get a James Beard Award.
My ego started melting because of this practice. In general, I don’t like to show off,
 and I’m mellow, easy, I need my space. I took Daaji’s advice on how to change, how to look at things in a positive
 way. I had problems with everybody. I looked at the right way, but I didn’t compromise. I wouldn’t let things go.
 Now, every day, I park at my same spot, and before I go inside to work, I pray. I have seen the change, how people
 started approaching me in a positive way. They started approaching me in the kitchen, and that is a big plus.
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Q: Your path during your teens and twenties was unconventional. It was not a
 stereotypical, linear path. I imagine that your parents had moments of deep stress, concern and worry. How has
 your experience impacted the way you parent? What advice would you give to people who are in their teens and
 early twenties who want to follow their passions?
VS: I don’t tell my kids what to do, and what not
 to do. All I tell them is to focus, and put a lot of your love in whatever you do. Don’t give up. Stick to your
 passions. Don’t jump from here to there. Don’t be fickle. Think always that there is a God that is helping you, that
 is always there for you. I don’t see what they study. I don’t go through their homework. I don’t do any of that. I
 am teaching them to be independent, but I’m there for them all the time. With my experiences of what I did in the
 past – smoking and drinking and relationships – I do tell them to be careful.
Every human being makes mistakes. Just don’t repeat the mistakes. I tell my daughter,
 who is sixteen, “If you get a ticket, you will have to pay for it, not just money, but you will have to pay the
 consequences. Do you really want to go through that, or do you just want to be careful?” 
 My son is nineteen: “I know what you do. I’m not asking, but cut it off, don’t do it.” Why? This is the reason. I
 don’t just tell them,“Don’t do it,” I give my own examples as a father and friend to show them why it’s important to
 be careful.

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<h5 style="text-align: center;">I don’t tell my kids what to do, 
 and what not to do. 
 All I tell them is to focus, 
 and put a lot of your love 
 in whatever you do.
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We are missing that relatability between parent and child. Most parents are very
 controlling and they want their children to be doctors and engineers because they are doctors and engineers. But it
 doesn’t make any sense at all. If you want to be a painter, be a painter. If you want to be a magician, be the best
 magician out there. That’s what I tell my children. Be who you are.
We work for money, but that is wrong. Work with compassion, work with love. If you’re
 really interested, do what you want to do. In any field, there is no limit. If you want to be a carpenter, you can
 be the best carpenter. If you want to be a teacher, you can be the best teacher. If you want to be a chef, you can
 be the best chef. That’s how I look at things.
Q: What is the one lesson that has resonated in every moment of your life?
VS: I say, “Be in love, just focus, and think that
 your Beloved is doing everything.” You are just an instrument. Be a perfectionist. Whatever you do, do it perfectly.

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<h5 style="text-align: center;">Work with compassion, work with love. 
 If you’re really interested, 
 do what you want to do. 
 In any field, there is no limit.
</h5>


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<img class="has-img-center lazyload" alt="the-heartful-chef"
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">Interview by MAMATA VENKAT</h4>

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The heartful chef

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<h3 class="has-black-color has-text-color">
 Chef VIJAY SAHU has cooked his way from India to Australia, and across
 Thailand, New York, and now Dallas, TX.&nbsp;Here he shares his thoughts on
 preparing a very special meal from the heart, and how important it is to
 fill the food with love.
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<h2 class="text-left">
 What is heartful
 cooking?
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 In my view, it is to cook food with love, compassion and gratitude; to cook
 food in remembrance with a balanced mind; and to eat food in a prayerful
 mood.


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<div class="text-center">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload has-img-center"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking3_042b4d7426.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:12:21.954Z" />
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Here are 10 tips for heartful cooking:

1. Food needs to be simple, fresh, healthy, and tasty.&nbsp;


 2. Cook with a focused mind by centering yourself, and cook food with love
 from your heart.


3. Never cook in a rush.&nbsp;

4. Follow the techniques to create a well-balanced meal.

5. Maintain hygiene in the kitchen and cook in a cleanly manner.

6. Select quality organic ingredients where possible.&nbsp;

7. Serve food with a loving attitude.

8. Eat in a prayerful mood with gratitude.

9. Cook perfectly – not well or great but perfectly.

10. Never waste food because food is prasad from God.

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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 700px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking2_9e559f1548.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:45:48.919Z" />
 <figcaption>Pickled beets, poached tomatoes, star fruit, micro nasturtiums</figcaption>
 </figure>
</div>

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<h4 class="text-center">
 Cook with a focused
 mind by centering yourself, and cook food with love from your heart.
</h4>

<hr />


 Before my visit to Kanha Shanti Vanam earlier this year, I had a strong will
 to cook a Sufi meal for around 300 of the participants of the 150th
 birth anniversary of Lalaji. Sufi cuisine is a combination of Turkish,
 Lebanese, and Persian flavors. I didn’t know how and where I could find
 people to help me with the cooking as well as serving, so I prayed and
 received help from one of the well-known culinary institutes in Hyderabad. I
 didn’t know any of these students, and had never cooked with them. Nor had
 they heard of Sufi cuisine and they were totally new to this world. But I
 had strong faith in my Master, which helped me during the event.


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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 600px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking4_eb69b8d62b.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:52:13.765Z" />
 <figcaption>
 Karinyarik, mujadra, garlic sauce, zaatar oil, gulab
 </figcaption>
</div>

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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 600px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking5_0abb73458f.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:53:37.368Z" />
 <figcaption>Falafel</figcaption>
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 With my will and faith in him, I built my confidence in cooking. During the
 entire evening my focus was only on cooking – how to get authentic flavors
 and presentation to make everyone happy. Without my Master’s help and
 support, I don’t think the event would have been successful. I am 100%
 convinced that it could happen only because of faith and confidence in
 him.&nbsp;


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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 492px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking6_7fce6f2b84.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:54:40.207Z" />
 <figcaption>
 Arugula salad, labneh, sour beet jam, sweet mustard drizzle
 </figcaption>
</div>
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 I have started applying this new technique both in my spiritual and culinary
 journey. Daaji gave me one piece of advice, which I will remember forever,
 and that is “Listen to your Heart while cooking.” This is really helping me
 a lot.


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<div class="block-image">
 <figure class="has-img-center" style="width: 492px !important">
 <img alt="heartful-cooking" class="lazyload w-100"
 src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/heartful_cooking7_8cdee4176d.jpg?updated_at=2023-04-12T07:55:49.331Z" />
 <figcaption>Aush reshteh soup</figcaption>
</div>

Vijay Sahu

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