CT Exclusive: Kunal Kapur On Mom Keeping Him Grounded, MasterChef India, Healthy Food Being A Fad & More

“The higher you rise in your art, the more humble you need to be,”
were celebrity chef, MasterChef India judge and restaurateur Kunal Kapur’s words served with a quiet yet assertive confidence at his restaurant Pincode’s newest outpost in Bengaluru. Amidst the maximalist interiors of chandeliers and colonial furniture, the soft-spoken Punjabi chef from Delhi had no airs about him. Right before the interview, he enquired if my phone recorder could capture his voice, then tugged it closer. When a call slipped mid-chat, he declined it on my behalf. His eyes lit up when he spoke about his family and chef Ranveer Brar, whom he calls his brother.

Pincode Arrives In Bengaluru

I haven’t had the good fortune of being hosted in a Punjabi home, but I imagine it would be a lot like dining at Pincode Bengaluru. A space where aesthetics and hospitality were 10 on 10! On a beautifully laid table with florals, candles and silverware, I let the outpost’s signature Podi Idli Chaat surprise me, Kathal Galauti melt into my palate, devoured the sticky sweet-sour Mutton Ribs with Inji Puli, inhaled the Pressure Cooker Chicken Curry like soup, and the desserts — Moong Dal Halwa Pockets and Dark Chocolate Cheesecake — were pitted against each other, yet both reigned supreme.

Stuffed and well-fed, I sat there wondering how I walked into Kunal Kapur’s pin code (Pincode), assuming it to be a restaurant. Rather, it’s actually a typical Panju-Delhi home that enveloped me with a bear-like hug and magnanimous hospitality.

Kunal Kapur Chats With Curly Tales

Kunal Kapur needs no introduction, just like his restaurant Pincode(Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Goa and Bengaluru) that has received a Michelin Guide mention. The renowned Indian chef sat down for a candid, no-holds-barred interview that I believe to be a masterclass on all things food and even life.

Take us through Pincode’s food philosophy. How important is nostalgia as an ingredient?

Food has a way of connecting us. We each carry memories tied to certain dishes—from childhood, college days, time spent at nani’s house, or moments shared with friends. There’s always a hint of nostalgia in these experiences. The moment you taste or even think about that food again, you’re instantly transported back to those joyful times.

That’s what nostalgia essentially does. The idea is to invigorate nostalgia in the dishes we serve. Take Doodh Wali Bread at Pincode. That’s a very comforting dish for me because my grandmother would make it for us children, with doodh (milk), nuts, bread, and little chinni (sugar).

For me, that’s nostalgia— something so simple yet tasty and interesting. While pin codes have become redundant, there is a certain nostalgia attached to them. That’s best brought out by the food served at that pin code. We’ve collected pin codes from across India to curate a menu that resonates with diners and evokes a hint of nostalgia.

How was your experience returning to MasterChef India as a judge? What were your standout dishes this season?

I returned to MasterChef India after a four-year break. It was like homecoming, a place of warmth unlike many other reality TV shows that thrive on negativity and creating kalesh. MasterChef India is a positive show which you can watch with family.

Plus, my co-hosts and judges(Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar) are like my brothers. We are a tight-knit family. Last season was like a boys’ day out with a lot of fun both on and off the camera.

There are a lot of dishes that impressed me this season. I remember Simran and Himanshi Vohra made noodles out of chicken. What they pulled off was brilliant!

Then Nagpur’s Gandhe brothers (Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe). Arre baap re!
Their desserts were on another level!

Ranveer, Vikas and I were so happy that we got contestants who looked like underdogs. We got them in the show at the last minute. I remember Vikas and Ranveer telling me, “Kunal, tu decide kar le”.

That’s when I told my co-judges, “Let’s take them (Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe). I have a feeling they will do well.”

Vikram and Ajinkya went ahead and won the show. They are brilliant!

Some of my favourite dishes this season were the Gandhe brothers’ Aam ka Shrikhand and Lavender Cake, and Chandana-Sai Shri Rachakonda’s caramelised jaggery and rice flour dessert, which was like a panna cotta. 100 on 10! Some very, very good dishes!

Also Read: 5 Unique Dishes From MasterChef India 2026 That Received Appreciation From Judges

Is there any food philosophy that you’ve unlearnt and relearnt over time?

When you start out as a professional chef in a culinary college, you’re taught everything by the book.

Yeh chef’s knife hai, yeh filleting knife hai, yeh paring knife hai, yeh Chinese cleaver hai, yeh boning knife hai…(Animatedly gesturing a knife set)

Classic example: I graduated from college and travelled to South India. On a stool, between the legs, was a blade used to cut coconuts and vegetables. That’s when I realised I wasn’t taught this. In culinary college, you aren’t taught to be creative. You are just taught the trade in black and white.

So, what I basically unlearnt is that I don’t have to be rigid in my approach towards food. I can be as open as possible. For me, what significantly changed is that good food and great recipes can come from anywhere. You don’t need to be a qualified chef to cook well. Anybody can cook a great meal.

What’s a fad in the food industry you disagree with?

Healthy food.

I will tell you why. Health is a function of an individual and their condition based on their food habits and how much they are burning.

We often term puri as unhealthy because it’s fried in oil. Puri is not unhealthy. It has atta (wheat) and fat. But if you indulge in puris daily without exercising or are suffering from a health condition, then it’s a problem.

But the same puris, when fed to a child, koi farak nahin padta (it doesn’t matter) because the child burns it.

Food is not unhealthy unless it’s highly processed or contains preservatives. Natural food isn’t unhealthy; our lifestyle is. Hum khaane ko typecast karte hai.

My dada and dadi lived for 96 years on meals loaded with ghee, sugar, butter and carbs. But they were extremely active.

At 96, my dada had a flat stomach and could touch his toes. So, health is a function of an individual and not all-encompassing.

You’ve said cooking is like a lifelong relationship and not a destination; so, chefs need to be humble. Please elaborate on this belief.

Arrogance is the biggest enemy of performing arts. Arrogance always takes away the best of you, the life of the art.

The higher you rise in your art, the more humble you need to be.

We are part of a trade where the art is edible. Reactions are instant. A customer doesn’t need to finish the dish. One bite, and the customer has decided whether they’ve liked your dish or not.

This comes out of personal experience. When you’re younger and immature, you see things the way you want to see them. You believe there is a right way and end up defending what you cook.

But food is a play of perception. So, it’s important to take feedback with a pinch of salt. Revel in good comments only for 24 hours because tomorrow you’ll end up serving the same dish to new customers.

How do you manage to stay grounded, being a massive TV personality with successful restaurants?

It’s got to do with my upbringing. I credit my mother.

She always tells me, “Kunal, jo aaj hai, woh kal nahin hoga. What you have in your hand is the way you are.”

Over a period of time, I understood that the trade doesn’t define you; you should be the one defining the trade.

With the three-Michelin-starred NOMA sparking a debate on toxic kitchen culture, what has been your experience in the industry?

Kitchens can be a difficult place. When I started out as a chef, 26 years ago, very little corporate culture had seeped into kitchens. Chefs needed to be behind the doors and not the face of a restaurant.

When I say “brutal”, I speak about long working hours, the unappreciative nature of the business most of the time, and the sacrifices you make for being part of the service industry.

Certain rules were followed in the industry. And, I am very glad that a lot has changed. I still believe we have a long way to go as an industry. Whether it’s fixing minimum wages, shift timings or HR getting involved— these things have helped. Yes, there have been slip-ups. Yes, we can be better. From what I’ve seen, we are moving towards a positive space.

Also Read: CT Exclusive: Anupama Chopra On SRK, Dhurandhar Casting, Rise In Bollywood Vanity And More

Rapid Fire With Kunal Kapur

1. Must-try dish at Pincode Bengaluru

Podi Idli Chaat.

When I worked at Taj Bangalore, we introduced deep-fried idlis, which became an instant hit. I thought, why not take familiar crispy mini idlis paired with chatpata podi and turn them into a chaat?

2. A dish you find overrated

Anything that comes out of a cloch with a whole lot of dry ice.

Done to death. Band karo!

5. Your comfort dish

Ajwain Namak Mirch ke Parathe.

A typical Panju thing!

5. A dish you find underrated

Indian home food.

6. An ingredient you cannot do without

Salt.

7. A travel destination you want to visit for its food

Japan and Karada village, near Coorg, to explore Karada cuisine.

8. A person you are most happy to serve your food to

My mother.

When she visits my restaurant, I serve her all sorts of dishes.
Yet she demands just dal-chawal or dal-roti with achaar, papad and raita.

But I make her try different dishes. So, she is happy to experiment once in a while.

Jab woh aise thumbs up karti hai, toh mujhe bada achha lagta hai.
(When she gives me a thumbs up, I feel very happy.)

9. Bengaluru restaurants you’d recommend

CTR and Karavalli at Vivanta Bengaluru.

10. Describe a dish that represents

-Vikas Khanna

Well-aged wine.

Because Vikas is very graceful. What a darling! He is a superb guy!

-Ranveer Brar

Lasagna.

Hearty, rustic and very pleasing.

Ranveer is someone who will comfort you. If you are going through something, he is there to help you.

Like a lasagna has multiple layers, he has different layers of expertise in domains you can’t imagine a chef would excel in.

-Sanjeev Kapoor

Shaam Savera.
That’s his iconic dish.

-Kunal Kapur

Gulab Jamun with Vanilla Ice Cream.
I’m a crowd pleaser. So, any dessert! (With a boyish grin)

10. Your advice for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs

Put your head down and work. Learn the trade. Don’t be in a hurry to lift your neck up and say, “I’ve arrived.” You will arrive, but it’s a skill that takes time.

Second, learn to laugh out loud. The kitchen is a very stressful place. Over the years, people tend to overeat and get depressed due to comments, ratings and sales. It’s long hours at work away from your family and away from your comfort zone.

Work on the feedback. Take comments with a pinch of salt. Laugh it off and move on.

11. What’s next for you, Chef?

I’m in the process of redefining what I want to do, what I want to be, and what I want to be known for.

I’m in the process of consolidating and putting structure into my mad schedule. Moreover, my focus is on settling down in a way that my base is so strong that when I branch out into different aspects of cuisine and trade, I’d be successful.

Cover Image Courtesy: Supplied