Afghani Saffron Chicken & Rice

Aarthi Sampath is a New York-based renowned chef, restaurant consultant, food truck expert and TV personality, one of the industry’s rising stars, now gaining popularity with her stint as judge on MasterChef Tamil. Born and raised in Mumbai, Aarthi Sampath began her culinary journey with a rebellious spirit. At IHM Jaipur, her alma mater, she would spend hours in the library reading culinary literature, familiarizing herself with classical French cooking techniques. Among the chosen few, Aarthi forays into the culinary world in the diverse kitchens of India at the prestigious Taj hotels in different restaurants in Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad.
Her curiosity for learning and exploring global cuisine brought her to America where she specialized in Food Service Management and Baking and Pastry at one of the best culinary schools in the United States; Johnson & Wales Culinary University in Providence, Rhode Island.
During her undergraduate program, she got the opportunity to intern at the fabled Michelin-star Junoon in New York City. Aarthi quickly rose through the ranks to become Chef De Cuisine.
Later, Aarthi was crowned Executive Chef at American Gymkhana, an upscale Indian restaurant in Orlando, Florida by the founders of Junoon.
A solid understanding of Indian cooking backed by practical experience, Sampath’s control over her vision and passion for Indian food brought her into a number of unique spaces. At Junoon, Aarthi was honored to work on The “Billionaire’s Club Dinner” hosted by Prime Minister Modi at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC.
Aarthi has made several appearances on American television. She gained critical acclaim by winning Chopped, a famed culinary cooking competition. She participated with Iron Chef Bobby Flay on his game show, where she presented biryani as the winning dish. She also competed on Fire Masters, a Canadian based open fire competitive cooking show. She has also been a judge on Worst Cooks of America as well as Beat Bobby Flay. She made her latest television appearance on MasterChef Tamil’s debut season where she was invited as a judge. She is slated for more television appearances.
As a chef and F&B consultant, Aarthi worked closely at the iconic Breslin under Chef April Bloomfield who mentored her with a deeper understanding of ingredients and techniques. Later, Aarthi ran a fast-casual food truck called 39 Kukree; in Seattle, which focused on local produce, seasonality and healthful eating which gained wide popularity.

Read more