Official Cocktail Reception honoring Miss America 2014, Nina Davuluri Hosted by Miss New York 2013 Amanda Mason « ‹ of 7 › »  ...

Rajesh Bhardwaj, founder of the acclaimed Junoon restaurant in NYC, is our November Restaurateur of the Month for very good reason. Born and raised in New Delhi, Rajesh is seen as a pioneer in Indian cuisine with a track record of running cutting edge restaurants. After graduating from the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering & Nutrition (IHMCN) in New Delhi, he received his Masters in Hospitality Management from the International School of Tourism Sciences in Rome, Italy. With extensive experience in hospitality with the ITDC Group and Taj Group of Hotels already under his belt, Rajesh came to the United States with a definite vision. Rajesh began with a small restaurant in Queens in 1997 and co-founded Café Spice, an establishment that grew into a chain of Indian bistros and changed the landscape of Indian cuisine in this country. When he opened Junoon in 2011, his inspiration was to create a contemporary restaurant that offered a complete dining experience in all aspects – great ambiance, service and cuisine. While he recognized that quality cuisine is the most important factor in any restaurant, he wanted to tackle the challenge of maintaining the core of what makes traditional food so tasty with the desire to break away and give dishes a modern interpretation. He thought of it as the “future of classic cuisine” and brought together a team that shared his unique vision. Rajesh emphasizes that he “constantly challenges his culinary team to be innovative and different in their approach.” ” I think the new breed of restaurateurs should follow the path of innovation, adopting new and modern techniques without fear of rejection.” When it comes to being inspired in his own life, Rajesh credits people from all stages of his life. As a child, inspiration came...

Bollywood actor, Chandrachur Singh, is a native of Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. A music teacher at Doon School before his acting career took off, Chandrachur made his acting debut in 1996 in “Tere Mere Sapne”, and has since starred in movies with Shah Rukh Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Preity Zinta, Aishwarya Rai, and Tusshar Kapoor. After taking a few year hiatus, he made a comeback in 2012 with “Chaar Din Ki Chandni”. Read below to find out more about this talented star. What are your favorite types of roles to play? I like to constantly keep things interesting and explore the versatility of my acting abilities. Each role offers new challenges and the opportunity to find something out about myself that I didn’t know before, so I’m intrigued by all types of roles. I do think comedy roles in particular are fun and exciting, but haven’t had the chance to explore many of these yet. “… they say the only constant is change, and I try to live my life by embracing that motto. I’ll never forget what it felt like to start out in this business and get my first big roles.” What do you enjoy most about acting? Acting is an exciting channel for creativity. For me, it’s become a favorite playground over time – one where I can try different things, push boundaries, and learn something new through each role or project. It’s fun to be in that kind of environment, and to know that you’re connecting with people through your work. How do you feel about being back in the scene after your hiatus? Well, they say the only constant is change, and I try to live my life by embracing that motto. I’ll never forget what it felt like to start...

Shuchi Naidoo is a name you may want to familiarize yourself with, as the former banker is turning heads with 29calories, an Indian tapas concept brought home. Indian food commonly invokes images of large servings filled with rich, buttery entrees followed by a post-meal laziness. But this entrepreneur is hoping to change that perception with bite-size servings, hand-picked healthy ingredients, and creative fusion recipes. What makes this concept especially unique is that Shuchi manages to embed her other passions of home-cooking and photography into creating an unforgettable evening. The idea is a “mobile private kitchen” with customized service offerings including in-home tasting parties, collaborative events, or private dining. The in-home tasting party is a chance for foodies to visit her NYC home with stunning views of the Brooklyn Bridge as she prepares mouth-watering treats and guests mingle with other like-minded individuals. The collaborative events are geared towards small businesses while private dining is attractive to smaller groups that want a more intimate gathering. She also allows patrons to get in on the fun and help cook the meal while providing secret tips and recipes. The avid photographer in Shuchi helps her memorialize each event for patrons and the public to view on her blog. She realized at a young age that it was not only the food itself but the presentation of the evening that turned cooking into art. A true self-made entrepreneur, she is an inspiration to many hoping to crack the tough business of food. With no formal culinary training, Shuchi followed her passion in creating a niche market within a well-established industry. This passion was borne from an unwavering enthusiasm expressed by her mother who cooked for “home-food-starved” children. She realized at a young age that it was not only the...

Rohit Khattar is Chairman & Managing Director of Old World Hospitality Private Limited, India’s largest live entertainment organizer. Old World Hospitality operates three hotels, two convention and performing arts centers and over thirty restaurants. While his very first restaurant, ‘Chor Bizarre,’ is still as much in demand 23 years after opening, his latest venture, ‘Indian Accent’, continues making waves in the culinary scene and has earned him Restaurateur of the Month honors. Rohit is a bit of a modern-day renaissance man, having excelled in a breadth of industries from food to hospitality to entertainment. Having studied Hotel & Restaurant Management in the United States, he developed an all-encompassing focus on the consumer experience. Rohit believes the most successful recipe for a business is “conjuring up the concept and then balancing every ingredient that goes into making that concept successful.” He is heavily involved in all aspects of planning including design, selecting chefs and managers, and hiring staff. Though his time is split across seemingly different industries, Rohit believes producing a film and producing a restaurant are not all that dissimilar. Each focuses on creating a show for the audience and working tirelessly to ensure the details are not overlooked. It’s interesting that what may seem as exhausting and time-consuming to many people, comes naturally to Rohit. His strong personal connection to each industry has transformed into a labor of love. Growing up in Kashmir, Rohit used to find himself spending much of his time at his grandfather’s cinema watching the latest films. These days, his hours limit him to only two movies per week, but he is just as fanatic as ever about the next great production or watching a timeless classic. “The hours are simply too taxing for entrepreneurs to succeed without loving their craft.”...

About Kamal Arora Kamal Arora is the Chief Executive Officer of Arora Hospitality Group, which includes the acclaimed Moghul caterers, Urban Spice, Mithaas, and Moghul Express restaurants. From traditional Indian fare to street food to desserts, Kamal has dabbled in quite an array of Indian culinary ventures. Here’s a look at who he is and what keeps him going.  It’s fitting that Kamal Arora heads up the Arora Hospitality Group because being a restaurant mogul seems to come so naturally to him. Driven, passionate, and adventurous, Kamal has a unique vision and recognizes that despite the diverse opportunities diners have today, there is a growing positive attitude towards Indian cuisine. His dream? That sometime soon, Indian cuisine is as popular as Chinese food and pizza are in America today. And he’s well on his way to making that dream a reality. Kamal always wanted to be in the food business and got a big break in 2005 when he joined Moghul Express and Moghul Catering as a partner. In 2007, he took over both restaurants and shortly thereafter, added Mithaas in Edison and Urban Spice in Iselin to the portfolio. Today, he’s working on 2 new ventures – an Italian/Indian pizza place and a new Atlanta location of Urban Spice. Papa Pancho is an Italian/Indian pizza place that will serve brick oven pizza with Indian ingredients and toppings. Intentionally venturing outside traditional Indian cuisine, Kamal is looking forward to the excitement and challenge of meeting the growing demand for Indian food in America in a new way. Interestingly, Papa Pancho will appeal to the Indian population and the masses, the young and the old, and those looking to dine in or be on-the-go. It’s a great example of the innovation that Kamal strives to bring to...

Indian consulate, 3 E 64 St. NY, NY Hosted by the Honorable Consul General of India, Shri Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay Current Miss Universe, Olivia Culpo, and Global Fashion Designer, Sanjana Jon, have teamed up to promote AIDS Awareness and the Save the Girl Child campaign: On August 21st, the Honorable Consul General of India, Shri Dnyaneshwar M. Mulay, hosted the launch of Sanjana Jon’s 2013 Tour of India which will feature the reigning Miss Universe, Olivia Culpo. The tour is slated for September 27th through October 6th and will include trips to the capital, New Delhi, along with Mumbai, Agra and several other key cities in India. The tour will help promote AIDS Awareness and the Save the Girl Child campaign which strives to fight female feticide and empower women of all ages. The primary focus will be to eradicate female feticide especially in the states of Sanjana Jon began these tours in 2004 with then Miss Universe, Jennifer Hawkins. The tours have grown exponentially since then, evolving into an established awareness movement, with the primary focus being to eradicate female feticide especially in the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Sanjana Jon started her career working with her brother, Anand Jon, in New York to create a jewelry line which was endorsed by the likes of Iman, David Bowie, and Barbara Hershey and supported AMFAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. They pushed the concept further with a men’s collection donned by Bruce Springsteen, the Backstreet Boys, Prince, Collective Soul, and Matchbox 20. The line even had support from royalty at the Cannes Film Festival including Prince Albert of Monaco, Princess Sorayya, Princess Sara Al Saud, and Princess Olivia de Borbon. Their efforts eventually led to invitations to fashion weeks in both New York...

About Amit Sadh Amit Sadh is a talented television and film actor who has worked alongside both Bollywood and Hollywood stars. His first major role was in a Neena Gupta production, “Kyun Hota Hai Pyarr”, where he played the character of Aditya. Since then, Amit has starred in “Kohinoor”, Shobna Desai’s “Durgesh Nandinii”, and the reality show “Bigg Boss.” In February 2013, Amit made his film debut as Omakar Shastri in Kai Po Che, a movie widely acclaimed by audiences and critics.    1) What are the greatest influences for you in deciding whether or not to take a role?  I am fortunate enough to be at a point in my career where I have options and am able to choose what films I want to be involved in. There are a variety of filmmakers and stories that come my way, and I’m very open because I don’t want to restrict myself to a certain kind of role. I am however influenced by my role models in the industry and when looking at potential roles, I often think about their body of work and how the role fits into that. As long as I’m continuously challenged, there are many roles that I’d love to play.   2) How do you feel about your upcoming political thriller, 10 Janpath?  I’m very excited about this, there’s a lot of action in the film and the story is constantly moving along. Before that however, I’m actually filming a romantic comedy based on Shaadi.com. It’s a much lighter film set in Punjab and I think will be a great contrast to the more serious thriller coming up. Both these films should be released next year, which is exciting. 3) What do you think are the characteristics of a successful film today? ...

Purchase a Varli Cookbook today for only $3, filled with 20 top recipes, and most importantly 100% of the proceeds from your purchase will go to the Diya Foundation’s Save a Child campaign. VARLI COOKBOOK AVAILABLE NOW To Buy Online ($3.00 a copy only) Visit Diya Foundation...

The inaugural Varli Summer Tasting gives foodies a chance to enjoy succulent Indian food with a nice warm summer breeze. The attendees at Mint restaurant, Long Island on August 7th will experience outdoor grilling, tandoor, and BBQ. As with all Varli events, world-renowned chefs will be providing their creative tastings with an eye towards outdoor cooking. In particular, some of our past Varli Cook-Off contestants will be featuring some of their latest creations. Varli Summer Tasting benefiting Diya Foundation in association with Mint restaurant WHEN Wednesday, August 7th, 2013 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm WHERE Mint Restaurant 1 Ring Road West Garden City, NY 11530 TICKETS $50 per adult (100% proceeds go to Diya Foundation) Visit http://www.diyasaveachild.org   FOOD TASTING BY CHEF GARY SIKKA Chef Gary Sikka will be hand-delivering samples of his finest dishes to the attendees. VARLI COOKBOOK The highlight of the event will be when HR Shah, President of TV Asia, and the exclusive media partner of the event, helps introduce the launch of the Varli Top 20 recipe Cookbook, which includes signature recipes from some of the top chefs and restaurateurs in the area. The best part is that all proceeds from cookbook sales will benefit the Diya Foundation’s Save a Child campaign designed to provide education, medical care, and food to children. GIFT BAGS As a thank you from the team at Varli, each and every attendee will receive a gift bag which will include a wide variety of products and free gift certificates $100.00 value. SILENT AUCTION Guests will have the opportunity to bid on exciting items such as VarliWare Tandoor kitchen appliances and equipment, a Maya Foods basket filled with great ingredients for your next meal and much more! The best part is that all proceeds will be...

The exclusive source of global news from India and the Indian diaspora in North America New York, July 30, 2013: TheIndianEYE.net, a brand new news portal about Indians and the Indian diaspora in North America is promising to usher in a revolution in connecting with India and Indians around the world. Unveiled at a glittering event in the K Lounge at Bombay Palace, New York City on July 25, 2013, the portal has received an overwhelming response, both from eminent personalities and the general public.  The event was attended by an A-list of guests from government, corporate, business, finance, entertainment, academic and media spheres. In her opening remarks, Devyani Khobragade, Deputy Consul General, Consulate General of India in New York, said the portal reflected the changing dynamics of India’s global power and was an example of how Indians had consistently made their presence felt on the global stage. Though the global recession had impacted India too, the Indian economy was resilient and vibrant and had bounced back quickly, she said, adding that any attempt like The IndianEYE.net to capture that success story had to be enthusiastically welcomed. Dr. Navin C Mehta, chairman of the Board of Advisors, TheIndianEYE.net and president of the trustee committee of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, USA, said the portal was an ambitious attempt to link Indians through news and it reflected the true diversity of India. Introducing the portal, Sunil Hali, its promoter, said it promised a truly multicultural, multilingual and multimedia experience by effectively integrating radio, television and news under one platform. The portal integrated three different media products—Radio Zindagi, Crossings TV and Divya Bhaskar print editions—all of which were accessible at a single click, he added. Radio Zindagi had emerged as one of the premium Indian radio stations, reaching...

Varli Summer Tasting Kick off Event – July 29 at Bukhara Grill « ‹ of 7 ›...

An Interview with Chef Dheeraj Tomar Executive Chef, Devi, NYC   1) What made you decide to pursue a career as a chef? As a child, I was a very creative personality and started experimenting with food. I wasn’t really interested in academics or the common professions that everyone else went into, but I was always attracted to working in the kitchen and jobs involving design. A friend advised me to try out a food craft course and it was there that I felt most at home. 2) Why did you come to NY? Was there something about the NY culinary scene that attracted you? I came to New York City in February 2011. New York is an amazing melting pot of world culture, and the culinary arts have a heightened importance in this city because of all the great chefs and restaurants that reside here. The sizable Indian population in this city made me feel it would be a great place to utilize my skills, especially after working at the Intercontinental Delhi and having interacted with so many international guests. My gut feeling was that I would better understand different palates and tastes if I moved abroad and actually lived among the people who I used to serve in India.     3) What would you say are your specialty dishes? I enjoy all kinds of cooking, but awadhi and mughlai style curries are my specialty. The Muslim heritage in India gave us really great cusine. generally known as mughlai or awadhi food. and the person who taught me this delicate art (Ghulam Rassol) was an acclaimed chef in India. At Devi, I make Mugh Begum Bahar (chicken breast roulade stuffed with pistachios and minced chicken in a silky saffron laced sauce) which...

Looks like the Diya Foundation’s dessert tasting’s at the Vaisakhi mela yesterday were a huge hit! It was great for Diya team performing a Sewa at the Gurdwara.! Great attendance and participation all day. « ‹ of 3 ›...

Amazing Varli Kick-Off event at Tulsi restaurant as we introduced the restaurants, chefs, and cook-off contestants participating in the 2013 Varli Kids Food Festival on April 14th ! A big thanks to B4U Media for their full coverage of the event. Be sure to get your tickets for the food festival to meet all of these culinary greats! « ‹ of 4 ›...

Varli Magazine, in association with their Diya Foundation for Children, once again brought the Indian restaurant industry together on February 11th, 2013 for a night of food, fun and glamour. The ”Indian Restaurant Charity Week Appreciation Dinner” was hosted by Rohan and Rakesh Aggarwal at their NYC restaurant, Devi. The event was Varli Magazine’s thank you to restaurateurs who participated in Charity Week (January 21st-27th) to benefit the families of the victims from the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy. The evening was a foodie’s paradise with intriguing appetizers like soy wrapped within grilled eggplant. Dinner entrees ramped up the creativity with a chicken tikka lasagna that was easy on the eyes and the taste buds. However, the food was only the tip of the iceberg, as the evening also included live cooking demonstrations by Chef Walter D’Rozario and Chef Bachan Rawat of Bukhara Grill restaurant and a silent auction for VarliWare tandoor, Maya Foods basket, Alokozay Tea cases and Sufi Wines gift bags. But of course, the highlight of the night was the announcement of the donation amounts from participating restaurants. Some of the top contributors to this fundraising event were Thali, Devi, Moghul, Mehndi, Ming, Bukhara Grill, Chola, Malai Marke, Dhaba, Raaga, Masala Times, Madras Mahal and The Masalawala restaurant. The full weight of the industry was behind this initiative as Sunil Hali of Cinemaya Media and Sudhir of Sahara TV also contributed to the cause, alongside Varli Magazine, VarliWare and their promoting partners, Bawarchi Foods & Maya Foods. The unity of restaurateurs to help those in the community affected by this tragedy is something to be applauded and celebrated. Congratulations to Varli Magazine and the Diya Foundation for organizing this fundraising effort and achieving their goal. For list of donors : Click...