A little background on my training and career highlights. I was initially a trainee with the Oberoi hotels and later served as a banquet manager at The Oberoi hotel in New Delhi,India.. After coming to the US, I continued with my education, earned a PhD and am now a professor at Maharishi University of Management with a PhD in business. I am also the owner and chef of Sabi’s- an Indian restaurant serving freshly prepared authentic Indian food. We are only open for lunch from Monday to Friday. Located at 2094 185th street, Golden Gate Building , Fairfield.
Who or what inspired me to become a chef? I have always loved to cook and have received complements for my cooking from my family, relatives, colleagues and friends but the inspiration to become a chef took seed two years back when I first taught the two week Ayurvedic cooking course to the students of Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield,Iowa. At the end of each day the students were required to submit a journal entry commenting on the food prepared/ eaten that day and their general experience and what they learned. I was struck by the enormous outpouring of gratitude I received in each student’s journal. They unanimously appreciated the delicious, authentic, freshly prepared food cooked each day and expressed the powerful impact this food was having on their physiology. Furthermore, the students expressed how energetic, healthy and satisfied they felt all day after eating my food. The students begged me to open a café where they could come often to eat food prepared by me. Thus, Sabi’s was born and Dr. Sawhney became a chef!
Do I develop new recipes? I mostly enjoy cooking authentic traditional recipes instead of creating new recipes. Over the years, the Indian diet has undergone a transformation because of changing lifestyles and the easy availability of packaged foods. The result: many dishes that were once prepared regularly at home have been forgotten, replaced by meals that are quick to the table. My focus will continue to be in reviving these traditional Indian recipes.
What neglected food should more people eat, and why? People should incorporate ghee in their daily diet. Ghee (clarified butter) is made through a simple process of heating butter and then pouring off the butterfat It is a digestive which helps to improve absorption and assimilation. In addition, Ghee nourishes and is good for improving memory and lubricates the connective tissue. Ghee makes the body flexible. Ghee is also a yogavahi- a catalytic agent that carries the medicinal properties of herbs into the tissues of the body.
Why should people come to my cafe? People should come to my cafe if they want to experience freshly prepared authentic Indian dishes in which the main ingredient is love! There is a certain degree of craftsmanship that goes into preparing Indian food that begins with a prayer, grinding fresh spices and slow cooking.
How would I describe my Cafe in a sentence or two? A little taste of heaven on earth hidden away in Golden Gate Building in Fairfield, Iowa. And yes, you can get traditional freshly prepared authentic Indian food here!