His grandmother always believed he was born to cook. Now, he cooked khichdi at the Cannes Film Festival. Meet Delhi chef whose Indian dishes reminded VIP guests of home

Some people are born with talent and lucky are those who recognise it early. However, it was a family member who helped now-renowned chef Manu Chandra pursue his innate talent. For the unversed, the New York-trained chef made waves at the 75th Cannes Film Festival held 4 years ago in 2022, in France, for whipping up humble Indian dishes, keeping in mind the foreign palette. Needless to mention, his culinary skills impressed the A-listers like music maestros, Bollywood personalities and prominent diplomats who attended the gala.

From New York culinary school to Cannes

When Manu Chandra was a young boy, his grandmother would often praise his cooking skills, stating ‘haath mei hai (He has it in his hands)’. Although Manu used to brush off her compliments, thinking that it was an old wives’ tale, he realised that there was actually truth to her words, once he started spending time in kitchens, as per a report by The Better India.



Manu Chandra graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, New York in 2001. 3 years later, he returned with one simple goal: ‘to bring back something new and create a difference in the culinary scene.’ The doors of Cannes opened to him when Manu received a call from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to handle the catering for the India Pavilion at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival, and also the official inaugural dinner.

How Indian flavours met French techniques

Manu Chandra and 2 other Indian team members created an array of bite-sized canapes for the India Pavilion, combining French techniques with Indian flavours from different parts of the country, as per The Times of India. On the menu, there was vada pao made with toasted French brioche buns, duck confit galouti kababs served on a pancake base, keema biryani arancini or rice balls, paniyaram shaped like French madeleines and Champaran-style jackfruit samosas.


That was not all. Manu Chandra even cooked lip-smacking dishes like achari asparagus and baingan ka bharta tart in French tart shells, paying homage to his Indian roots.
For the official dinner, attended by celebrities like Indian Ambassador to France Shri Jawed Ashraf, music stalwart AR Rahman, and actors R Madhavan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Manu Chandra gave his special spin on Gujarati, Rajasthani and French cuisines.

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Why khichdi became the star of the menu

For starters, there was Jodhpur's pyaz ki kachori in croissant pastry, baked to perfection rather than fried. However, Chandra admitted that the toughest dish to execute was the lal maas lamb medallion, which was served with ker sangri sabzi, risotto-like dal and bajra khichdi, with khichdi being the stand-out meal according to him. ‘To me, the dish means comfort,’ he told The Better India, adding that the humble rice porridge hit home for the guests.

Manu Chandra wrapped up his culinary creation with decadent desserts featuring almond financier topped with fresh strawberries, and rich kalakand sauce garnished with cardamom and saffron. When asked about what he has planned for the future, Chandra had an honest answer. He wants to leave a legacy behind and encourages everyone to do something they love.