Arts & Culture PEOPLE
A conversation with Chef Aarti Sanghavi on belonging, culture, identity and tattoos Turning the Tables
BY MADHUSHREE GHOSH PHOTOS BY MATT FURMAN
I
wrote a third of Khabaar , my food narrative memoir, during the pandemic. I couldn’t talk about immigrant journeys and the way food travels with us without acknowledging what the forced break in “normal” life meant. During this time in San Diego, we hunkered down, thanked our essential workers, and celebrated our unique chefs like Claudia Sandoval, Claudette Zepeda, and Tara Monsod for transforming California food to reflect the life-changing period. One of them who stood out to me was the celebrated chef Aarti Sanghavi, who returned to San Diego three years ago from LA. For her, San Diego is home. “Here, I’ve never had to explain my motivation, as a chef or a woman of color, but also, I’m a chef. Period,” she says. “Why highlight gender?” She rolls her eyes, laughing at this description. I realize she is a contrarian. I agree but remind her that she’s a South Asian trailblazer. Most South Asian chefs work with regional recipes. With her clean, refreshing takes on California food and her focus on sourcing from responsible foodways, Sanghavi nods to where her parents come from while celebrating where she belongs. Her culinary vision pays homage to her immigrant roots and her California world. “But your Indianness comes out anyway,” I say, teasing her, and she agrees. “It’s just a hint,” she admits. I first encountered Sanghavi through her American Masala line of spices. Each packet of the mouth-wateringly spicy chicken tandoori masala mix has her likeness as a fiery pinup girl, complete with tattoos, dark eyes, and dazzling smile, plus a
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Sanghavi crafted a potato-and-chutney- topped pizza reminiscent of a deconstructed samosa.
40 JUNE 2023
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