Harpal Singh Sokhi

Harpal Singh Sokhi (born 1966) is an Indian celebrity chef and restaurateur. He began his career in 1987 at The Oberoi in Bhubaneswar, becoming an executive chef six years later. Over the following years, he worked at several luxury hotel chains in India. He is best known for using the catchphrase "Namak Shamak".

Early life Harpal Singh Sokhi grew up in Kharagpur, West Bengal, India where his father worked with the Indian Railways. He has two older sisters and one brother. He studied at the South Eastern Railway Mixed Higher Secondary School. He was inspired to become a chef by his mother's cooking. His father travelled a lot for work, and encouraged his kids to try a lot of different cuisines.

Inspired by the academic atmosphere in Kharagpur (which is home to IIT Kharagpur), Sokhi initially wanted to pursue engineering, but was not good at studies.

Culinary career In 1987, Sokhi completed his diploma in catering from IHM Bhubaneswar. He also did research on Ayurveda-based food to see how cooking can improve nutritive value of the food. Vintage, a Hyderabadi speciality restaurant, Centaur Hotel, Juhu, Mumbai, Hotel Tuli International, Nagpur (1994–98), The Regent, Mumbai (1998–2001)z The Regent, Jakarta, Taj Lands End, Bandra, Mumbai , and Blue Cilantro in Andheri, Mumbai Sokhi has conducted cooking schools at Regent Jakarta and The Peninsula Manila. He has also organised Indian food festivals internationally.

Sokhi executed the business class menus on Singapore Airlines for seven years, and also conducted the "Ancient Indian Food" promotion on Indian Airlines. He has also developed menus for SOTC travels. Besides, he has developed menus for Wockhardt Hospitals. He has also designed menus for many events, including weddings and birthday parties. Sokhi came to be known for his phrase namak shamak.

He has also hosted the TV shows Kitchen Khiladi and Sirf Tees Minute on FoodFood channel. He is also one of India's top chefs on YouTube. In 2016, he participated in the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 9.

He is currently the Celebrity Chef Coach on the TV show "Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment" on Colors, where he guides celebrities through comedic culinary challenges along with Bharti Singh where harpal is making food too to help the celebrity participants to cook well

Other ventures

In 1998, Sokhi conceptualised and executed the opening of the Indian specialty restaurant Khazana in Dubai. The flagship branch of the restaurant opened on 18 January 2013 in Kolkata.

Karigari is an Indian casual-dining restaurant chain. Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi launched it. The restaurant's name is derived from HIndi language term referring to professional craftsmanship. The business model focuses on regional Indian cuisine, utlizing a menu curated by Sokhi that reflects his past work in various Indian regional cuisines. The brand distinguishes its services by formally recognizing its kitchen staff's culinary expertise.

The restaurant chain Karigari, founded by Sokhi, added Kanji to its menu at specific locations in Delhi, NCR region. This beverage is a fermented drink traditionally consumed in India as a probiotic. The preparation process relies on natural fermentation techniques and the brand specifies that the finished product does not contain preservatives or synthetic additives.

Sokhi has written food columns for newspapers and magazines. and has developed content for his books.

Personal life Sokhi lives in Mumbai with his wife Aparna. The couple has two daughters: Anushka and Antra. He is fluent in seven languages: English, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Odia, Telugu and Urdu.