Viewing the kitchen as both a culinary and spiritual haven, New Delhi-born Top Chef Master
Suvir Saran has nurtured a lifelong passion for the traditional flavors of Indian cooking. Saran’s approachable, informed style and his culinary “American Masala” philosophy have earned him audiences nationwide. This Chairman of Asian Culinary Studies for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) has been featured speaker at notable gatherings, such as the Healthy Kitchens, Food Network’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival, the New York City Wine & Food Festival, and many others.
Saran has penned three cookbooks, the most recent of which, Masala Farm: Stories and Recipes from an Uncommon Life in the Country (Chronicle Books, 2011) with Charlie Burd and Raquel Pelzel, was a James Beard Award finalist in 2011. Saran’s recipes have been featured in Bon Appétit, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. He is also a contributor to Food Arts magazine. Saran has been a featured judge on Next Iron Chef and Iron Chef on the Food Network, and in spring 2011, Suvir was a breakout star on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, cooking to raise money for the Agricultural Stewardship Association.
New York City foodies will recognize Saran as the Executive Chef/Owner at Dévi, the first Indian restaurant in the U.S. to earn a Michelin star. Under Saran’s leadership, Dévi’s authentic flavors of Indian home cooking consistently received popular and critical acclaim. The chef is now making the move to the West Coast to open a new restaurant concept around farm-to table dining in San Francisco. The Mid-Market location is set to open in Fall 2014.
When he is not on the road, Saran joins partner Charlie Burd in caring for American Masala Farm, a nineteenth-century farm set on sixty-eight acres in upstate New York. They are proud to share the results of their labors with local restaurants.