Chef Sadiya Khan: Turning rebellion into recipes

It’s 2003. The air in Jhansi is thick with cumin and coriander. A young girl perches on the kitchen slab, handing over spices to her mother.

“I found spices fascinating,” she recalls. “The same potato, the same mutton—yet with different mixes, they turned into completely new dishes. That’s where my curiosity began.”

What began as stolen glances into the kitchen would one day take Sadiya from the narrow lanes of a tier-two city to the gleaming kitchens of Dubai, to leading all-women brigades in Chennai, and now to redefining regional Indian cuisine as Brand Chef at Pincode.

Barely in her thirties, she has already helmed nine restaurant openings across three countries, mentored dozens of chefs, and carved her space in an industry where women in leadership are still a rarity.

Roots and Rebellion
Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. A joint family, a household where food was rich with heavy curries, kebabs, biryani, and salan. Yet the kitchen wasn’t meant for her.

“My mother was strict. For her, academics came first. She didn’t like children spending time in the kitchen.”

But passion is restless. Whenever her mother stepped out, Sadiya would sneak in, calling her cousins over for tea, eggs, maggi, rasna. “That instant gratification—when someone said ‘this is so nice’—that kept me going.”

Her culinary classroom extended beyond home. Aunts from Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh, neighbours with recipes of their own—each taught her something new.

She taught herself to make momo by boiling them first instead of a steamer and then deep-frying them to perfection. It was a lesson in resourcefulness she would carry for the rest of her career.

The Fork in the Road
For a long time, she didn’t even know cooking could be a profession. As a biology student, she was preparing for a conventional career. But then came a turning point: Ms. Ratri Chokroborty’s (biology professor’s) potluck.

“She told me, ‘There’s something called hotel management—you can become a chef, get paid for it.’ That was the first time I thought, okay, a hobby could become a career.”

In a culture where career paths were typically limited to doctor, engineer, or CA, this revelation was life-altering. When Sadiya qualified for both biotechnology and the NCHMCT (National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology) entrance exam, her parents made an unusually progressive choice for their times. They let her decide.

They said, 'See, it's your life, and ultimately you have to make the decisions. We don't know much about hotel management, and we don't want you to regret that we influenced your choice.”

Her emotionally evolved parents, especially her father, gave her the rare agency to step into an unfamiliar world.

The real world and a setback

At IHM Pusa, Delhi, Sadiya discovered that being a chef was about more than just cooking. "I never knew that even if you're interested in kitchens, you have to take all the classes—front office, housekeeping, sales, accounts, everything about how a hotel runs."

Soon after, she was placed with the prestigious Oberoi Group. But life had other plans: recurring health challenges and low immunity threw her a curveball.

With hotels unable to accommodate her health limitations, she faced the possibility of walking away. "I was asked not to pursue work that would be very physically exhausting," she recalls.

Yet sometimes obstacles become opportunities. Chef Sainyam Kapoor of Farzi Café gave her a chance. "He was kind enough to give me the job and also that small window to take care of myself without leaving the industry altogether."

From there, Sadiya found her footing under Chef Saurabh Udinia, earning her spot at Masala Library, where a 19-course menu, molecular gastronomy, and relentless innovation defined her training. She counts both pioneers, Udinia and Chef Himanshu Saini (Trèsind Studio, the first Indian restaurant to win three Michelin stars) as pivotal influences. “It was a space where ideas collided, and I began to understand not just cooking, but costing, inventory, and the architecture of a professional kitchen.”

Dubai and Back
As second-in-command at JW Marriott, Dubai, she was thrown into the deep end, managing operations and a diverse team. "Most of the cooking and most of the team handling was under me." It was an intense, formative experience.

Then came COVID. Back in Jhansi, she turned to roots. With her mother, she began standardising the spice mixes that had always been part of their kitchen—masalas ground in an electric chakki, never store-bought. “Growing up, I never saw any packaged masala in our house pantry. It was full circle. From the mixes I grew up on to the ones I now incorporate into restaurant kitchens.”

Pivotal Openings
Her return to India was marked by landmark projects. At Taj Wellington Mews in Chennai, she led an all-women kitchen, training 22 young chefs—many of them first-timers—to handle 150 covers, room service, and banquets for over 1,200 guests.

“It was difficult, not because they were women, but because they were young & inexperienced. By the end, they were running the show. That remains one of my proudest moments.”

Considering her own career trajectory and personal wellbeing, Sadiya moved back to base in Delhi where she helped launch RED, a Japanese-inspired robatayaki restaurant by the owners of Miss Pinto, under the mentorship of Chef Gaurav Sircar.

She designed the kitchen layout, selected crockery, and trained the team. “People called it my first baby restaurant,” she laughs. What began as a bar-first concept evolved into a dining destination after food critics and bloggers championed her menu.

She also took on consultation work with Madam Chutney, developing menus and concepts that further broadened her culinary vocabulary.

Today at Pincode
As Brand Chef at Pincode by culinary genius, Chef Kunal Kapur, Sadiya is charting new territories firmly rooted in Indian food. “We travel to different cities, research local food, and build menus that highlight regional cuisine. For me, the idea is not to import ingredients but to celebrate what India already has.”

Her menus now span across Mohali, Indore, and Abu Dhabi & Dubai, catering both to the Indian diaspora and Arab expats. The success validates her belief that authentic regional cuisine, when presented thoughtfully, can cross cultural boundaries. “Every menu is different, every city teaches me something new. Being with Pincode = being in sync with the trends and food choices, complimenting each geography.”

Beyond the Kitchen
Ask Sadiya what she enjoys most, and her answer isn't about accolades or perfectly plated dishes. It’s about people. “What I’ve enjoyed most is working with and training people, learning how to bridge cultures and manage teams across nationalities.” Each launch has been a masterclass in human dynamics.

Looking back, each challenge helped her connect the dots. "Even when I was not asked to do the research bit, I was always into it, and today it is all paying off.” What seemed like curiosity then feels like a weapon in her armour now—every extra hour spent understanding ingredients, every conversation with suppliers, every late night spent perfecting techniques.

In line with the idea of a bigger picture, Sadiya is looking for ways to give back, the latest attempt being a part of a workshop, with over 35 food supply expert stakeholders to ensure a farm-to-fork safe food chain. “It’s about ensuring farmers get a fair system, and consumers healthier, chemical-free food.”

Full Circle
Her trajectory mirrors a shift of and for a generation willing to bet on themselves, backed by families who have learnt that passion and paycheques don't have to be enemies.

Her story, at its heart, circles back to the child in Jhansi who sat on the slab, passing spices to her mother. From sneaking into kitchens to reshaping them, Sadiya Khan’s journey is proof that when curiosity refuses to stay quiet, it can turn a spark into an entire career.