Rajasthani chef, wedding food consultant, author. Fifty years in Rajasthan, a lifetime at the stove. From the kitchens of the City Palaces of Jaipur and Udaipur to the James Beard House in New York, and now a book, Relishing Rajasthan, written with Pratibha Jain. He teaches from his home kitchen studio in Jaipur, Uncle Sam's Kitchen.
City Palace JaipurCity Palace UdaipurJames Beard FoundationAsia SocietyHyatt Regency DelhiWestland BooksGourmand Awards 2026 finalistIndia Book of RecordsAsia Book of RecordsGolden Book of World Records
A Rajasthani chef, fifty years in Rajasthan
Family from Uttar Pradesh, born and raised in Jaipur, and still cooking from his grandmother's kitchen.
He grew up in a neighbourhood where families lived like one large community, helping the women next door roll papad and badi until his palms reddened.
He began in a five-star hotel on the front-office side, in billing, and over the decades climbed, through maître d'hôtel, F&B manager and sous chef, to executive chef at the City Palaces of Jaipur and Udaipur. He has worked with the royal families of Udaipur, Jaipur and Patan, and contributed to Jaipur's iconic restaurants Chanakya and Chaitanya, where his cooking classes for home cooks and visiting travellers first began.
As a food consultant he has played a key role in launching restaurants and cafés in India and abroad, and curated grand Indian and destination weddings in New Jersey, Toronto, Bangkok, London and Europe. In 2003 he presented his cooking with Madhur Jaffrey at the James Beard Foundation in New York and cooked a dinner for the President's Circle of the Asia Society. In New York, through Dr. Manjula Bansal, he catered her son's wedding at the Botanical Garden and cooked for Chandrika Tandon, Indra Nooyi, Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek, Mira Nair, Suvir Saran, the late Floyd Cardoz, Ambassador Nirupama Rao and Dean Nitin Nohria. He has served his Papad Goli at Lakshmi Mittal's London house.
He champions Rajasthan's vegetarian cooking wherever he goes: one of the oldest and most inventive vegetarian cuisines in the world, and one that needs no apology. Today he teaches from Uncle Sam's Kitchen, his home kitchen studio in Jawahar Nagar, Jaipur. His first book, Relishing Rajasthan, written with the award-winning food writer Pratibha Jain, was published by Westland in January 2026.
50years in Rajasthan
20+restaurants and cafés launched
100,000+people taught to cook
1book, with more inside him
On a consulting visit to a food production unit.Slow cooking in a handi, the way his grandmother did.
How I cook
Rajasthan is a desert. Everything my grandmother cooked began with that fact, and so does everything I cook. Water was scarce, so we cooked with milk, ghee and yogurt. Fresh vegetables came for a few weeks a year, so we dried them. Nothing was thrown away. That is where the depth of Rajasthani food comes from. It is not heaviness. It is ingenuity, done beautifully.
Earthenware on the flame: the pots his grandmother cooked in are still the ones he reaches for.
01
Vegetarian by heritage
Lentils, millets, dairy and dried desert produce were feeding people here long before anyone used the word "plant-based". A vegetarian table is not a limitation; it is the whole of Rajasthan's tradition, and I want more people to eat this way.
02
Simplicity, fresh ingredients, clean flavours
Good food does not need to be complicated. A few ingredients at their best, cooked with attention, will always beat a long list cooked carelessly. I want you to taste the gram flour in the gatta and the mustard oil in the chutney.
03
Learn from the elders, then write it down
My signature moong dal came from Gangali Bai. Chakki ki Sabzi from Ghasi Maharaj, the most famous wedding cook in Jaipur. A garlic and kachri chutney from Firaki Kaka of Nawalgarh. Recipes that live only in one grandmother's hands are one generation from being lost. Documenting them is the work.
04
Honour the source
Our food choices should be ethical and sustainable, kind to the land and to the people who work it. I cook with organic produce where I can and with whole spices, ground when needed, never packets.
05
Heirloom first, then play
Learn the dish the way it was cooked for two hundred years before you change it. Once you understand why dal baati needs that much ghee, you have earned the right to bake the malpua instead of frying it. Where I tweak a recipe for modern tastes, I explain why.
06
Cook for the person in front of you
Laadbai, my adopted family's grandmother, kept the first roti for the cow and the last for the dog, and nobody left her chowka hungry. That is still the whole job: a Jain wedding, a vegan guest, a child who will not eat dal. The dish adapts; the care does not.
Food consulting, from one wedding to a whole menu
Thirty years as a food consultant: weddings in India and abroad, restaurant and café launches, menu planning and recipe development for kitchens and food brands.
Wedding food consultant
Indian and destination weddings
Menu design, vendor and kitchen coordination, tastings and on-the-day supervision for Indian weddings in India and overseas. He has planned and cooked weddings in New York, New Jersey, Toronto, London, Bangkok and across Europe, among them Dr. Manjula Bansal's son's wedding at the Botanical Garden in New York and a week-long Jain wedding with more than fifty guests at every meal, and has worked with the royal families of Jaipur, Udaipur and Patan.
Concept, menu planning, kitchen layout and staff training for new and existing restaurants. He has helped launch more than twenty restaurants and cafés in India and abroad, from Celebrations and Indian Spice in Jaipur to guest promotions such as Aromas from Rajasthan at the Hyatt Regency Delhi.
Original recipes and standardised, scalable versions of traditional Rajasthani and Indian dishes for restaurants, packaged-food brands and production units, including vegan, Ayurvedic, Jain and oil-free menus. Coordinator of the 2026 Zero Oil Feast that served 16 oil-free dishes to 2,108 people and entered three record books.
Hands-on vegetarian classes for travellers, families and private groups at Uncle Sam's Kitchen, his home studio in Jawahar Nagar. Three-hour sessions, up to ten guests, taught in English and Hindi.
Time-honoured vegetarian recipes from a chef's home kitchen. By Chef Sameer Gupta and Pratibha Jain. Westland, January 2026.
Heirloom and contemporary, in his own words
Many recipes are generations old; others are his own creations or tweaks for modern tastes, with the reasons behind each step explained.
Traditional names are kept to honour the diversity of the recipes, and woven through are the kitchen utensils, unfamiliar ingredients and food stories of Rajasthan. The book carries a note for vegans: every recipe that calls for ghee, butter, milk or buttermilk can be made with plant-based alternatives, and the authors encourage it.
It began at a wedding in Bangkok in 2010, where Sameer met the food writer Pratibha Jain, co-author of Cooking at Home with Pedatha, named Best Vegetarian Cookbook in the World in 2006, and of Sukham Ayu. "Start documenting, Sameer-ji," she told him. "You have a book, more than one, inside you." Fifteen years of documenting later, this is the first. Pratibha's passion for recording India's food traditions runs through every chapter; read more about her work on her website.
"The process of shaping this book has been touched with the same magic as the process of raising a child. Each page, each recipe, has been a process of giving and learning. A process of balancing spontaneous and delightful flow with focus and dedication. A process of being kind to mistakes while gaining confidence."
From "My Fifty Years in Rajasthan"
"Beyond Dal Baati Churma and Ker Sangri, the desert's cuisine reflects ingenuity: the Bheel community's Paaniya made from tree leaves, the cooling spicy chutneys of the Banjaras and the one-pot meals of the Gadiya Luhars. Through it all, I've stayed true to the flavours of the desert I love, my dreams forever filled with its beautiful sand dunes."
From the front office to the Beard House
Palaces, restaurants, weddings on four continents, and a home kitchen in Jawahar Nagar. Scroll sideways.
Front office to kitchen
Began at a five-star hotel in billing and front office; rose through maître d'hôtel, F&B manager and sous chef.
Jaipur Samaroh
Recognised by the festival organisers for his part in a month-long celebration of Jaipur's culture.
Sous Chef, ITC Jaipur
F&B Production, ITC Hotels, Jaipur.
Executive Chef, City Palace, Jaipur
Cooking for the household of H.H. the Maharaja of Jaipur; later executive chef at the City Palace, Udaipur.
Chaitanya & Chanakya, Jaipur
Chef and senior executive at the city's landmark vegetarian restaurants; began the cooking classes that became his signature.
Restaurant consultant
Set up Celebrations at Ganpati Plaza; later Indian Spice and more than twenty restaurants and cafés in India and abroad.
Wedding chef, New Jersey
Every meal for a week-long Jain wedding, more than fifty guests at a time.
James Beard House & Asia Society, New York
"Taste of Rajasthan, Cuisine of the Desert" with Madhur Jaffrey; a dinner for the President's Circle of the Asia Society.
Workshops across Rajasthan
Abhivyakti (Dainik Bhaskar), NIIT, ING Life, Vaishya Samaj Parishad, Bhawani Niketan College, International College for Girls.
Bangkok, and the Army
Chef at an Indian wedding in Bangkok, where he met Pratibha Jain and the book began. Led the Indian Army's South Western Command Officers' Mess dinner in Delhi.
Aromas from Rajasthan, Hyatt Regency Delhi
Two-week guest chef promotion at Aangan: Kesariya Paneer, Tarbooz ki Sabzi, Makke ka Soyeta, Masala Baati, Baked Malpua.
Uncle Sam's Kitchen
Home kitchen studio in Jawahar Nagar. The Times of India reports his classes as a new fixture of the Jaipur itinerary.
Weddings abroad
Food planning and cooking for weddings in Toronto, London and Europe.
The Zero Oil Feast, Jaipur
Coordinated 16 oil-free dishes for 2,108 people at the First Mega Zero Oil Cooking Mahotsav. Entered in the India, Asia and Golden Book of World Records.
Relishing Rajasthan
With Pratibha Jain. Published by Westland. Finalist, Vegetarian category, 32nd Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
15 moments, 1992 to 2026
Awards, records & press
Three record books, a Gourmand finalist seal, and what people have written about his food.
Finalist · 32nd Gourmand Awards · Ceremony May 2027
Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
Relishing Rajasthan, with Pratibha Jain, is India's finalist in the Vegetarian (English) category, alongside books from Australia, Malaysia, the Mariana Islands, Switzerland and the USA. Official nominees list, p. 44
Membership · 2003
James Beard Foundation
Professional membership conferred with the Beard House dinner.
World record · 2026
Golden Book of World Records
"First Zero Oil Feast." Chef Sameer coordinated the First Mega Zero Oil Cooking Mahotsav in Jaipur on 23 January 2026, held for Khandelwal Diwas and Basant Panchami to promote health and wellness.
National record · 2026
India Book of Records
Maximum people served food prepared without oil or ghee at a single venue: 16 dishes, 2,108 people, with Chef Sameer as coordinator. Certified 10 February 2026.
Continental record · 2026
Asia Book of Records
The same zero-oil feast recognised across Asia: 2,108 people served 16 dishes cooked without a drop of oil or ghee, coordinated by Chef Sameer. Certified 10 February 2026.
Honour · 2010
South Western Command, Indian Army
Command tie and memento from Maj Gen Balwinder Singh, VSM, for the Officers' Mess dinner in Delhi on 20 February 2010.
Judge
Competitions & food shows
Rich's Exclusive Cake Carnival (2008), the International College for Girls cookery competition (1998), and Rajasthani food shows across Jaipur.
“
This Rajasthani cookbook revives culinary memories and connections.
Sameer Gupta grew up in Jaipur and has many happy memories of his grandmother's kitchen. Although his culinary path has taken him into the royal courts of Rajasthan, those early memories continue to inspire his cooking.
The James Beard Foundation, Beard House programme, May 2003
“
Only through the team effort and your personal touches, we were able to deliver an excellent food. Your cuisine was very much appreciated.
It was quite a feat considering we had over 50 people at almost every meal with special requests, such as Jain food. Your specialty dishes delighted all who experienced the food.
Kumar Pal Shah, Cresskill, New Jersey, 2002
“
It was only due to your extended help and guidance to our staff that we were able to conduct a mega event with clock work precision.
Maj Gen Balwinder Singh, VSM, South Western Command, Indian Army, 2010
“
This place is not just about taste, it's about love, experience, concern, knowledge and taste. Must visit if you are in Jaipur.
Student review, Uncle Sam's Kitchen
Press: The Hindu · The Times of India · Rajasthan Patrika · Dainik Bhaskar · Mahanagar Times · The James Beard Foundation Calendar.
Rajasthani cooking classes in Jaipur
Hands-on classes at Uncle Sam's Kitchen, his home studio in Jawahar Nagar. You cook, you eat what you cook, and you leave with the recipes.
Classes are small and every one is vegetarian; vegan, Jain and gluten-free menus are available on request. Taught in English and Hindi.
Rajasthani Home KitchenThe classics: dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri, a chutney and a sweet, plus the desert pantry of dried and preserved ingredients, panchkuta, papad and pickles, that they are built on. One session with lunch.
3 hours · price on request
Ayurvedic & Vegan RajasthanSeasonal, sattvic cooking from the same tradition, without dairy.
3 hours · price on request
Private group or family classYour menu, your date. Up to 10 guests.
On request
Uncle Sam's Kitchen, Jawahar Nagar, Jaipur
A class from abroad, after cooking lunch together.Hands-on from the first minute.
Recipes on request
Chef Sameer shares his recipes personally. Pick a dish, or name one you have eaten at Uncle Sam's Kitchen, and he will email it to you.
Kitchens, festivals, dinners and the people met along the way. Click any photo to enlarge.
With former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 1995.The James Beard Foundation listing for Taste of Rajasthan, with Madhur Jaffrey, New York, May 2003.With Chandrika Tandon, New York.Serving Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek at Bhoruka Village, 2015.With Ambassador Sanjay Panda, Consul General of India.Serving the chief guests at an official dinner.56 Bhog Utsav at Swad Rajasthan Ro, Rajasthan Haat, Jaipur, December 2022.Judging the Rajasthani food show at Rasoi 2019, Jaipur.With the kitchen brigade on a restaurant consulting assignment abroad.With fellow chefs after a guest-chef dinner.With Sudha Gupta and a visiting student at Uncle Sam's Kitchen.Among dried herbs and spices.In Jaipur.At an evening event.With a guest.
Questions people ask
About the chef, consulting, classes and the book.
Who is Chef Sameer Gupta?
Sameer Gupta, known as Uncle Sam, is a Rajasthani chef, food consultant and author based in Jaipur. He has cooked for fifty years in Rajasthan, served as executive chef at the City Palaces of Jaipur and Udaipur, presented his cooking with Madhur Jaffrey at the James Beard House in New York, and wrote Relishing Rajasthan, a finalist at the 32nd Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.
What does a wedding food consultant do?
A wedding food consultant designs the menu, chooses and briefs the caterers and kitchen team, runs tastings, plans quantities and service flow, and supervises the kitchen on the day. Chef Sameer has done this for Indian and destination weddings in India, the USA, Canada, the UK, Thailand and Europe, including Jain, vegan and regional Rajasthani menus.
Can Chef Sameer create a menu for my restaurant or café?
Yes. He has helped launch more than twenty restaurants and cafés in India and abroad, covering concept, menu planning, recipe standardisation, kitchen set-up and staff training. Write to chefsameer@me.com with your location and concept.
Does he develop recipes for food brands and production units?
Yes. He develops original recipes and scalable versions of traditional Rajasthani and Indian dishes for restaurants, packaged-food brands and production units, including vegan, Ayurvedic, Jain and oil-free ranges.
Where are the cooking classes and how do I book?
Classes are held at Uncle Sam's Kitchen, 2/154 Jawahar Nagar, Jaipur. Sessions are three hours, vegetarian, for up to ten guests. Book by email at chefsameer@me.com; prices are shared on request.
Is the food vegetarian?
Yes. Rajasthani cuisine is one of the oldest vegetarian traditions in the world, and every class and the whole of Relishing Rajasthan is vegetarian. Vegan, Jain and gluten-free menus are available on request.
Where can I buy Relishing Rajasthan?
Relishing Rajasthan, by Chef Sameer Gupta and Pratibha Jain, is published by Westland and is available on Amazon.in and from international booksellers. See the book section on this page for links.
Get in touch
Class bookings, wedding food consulting, menu planning and recipe development for restaurants and food brands.
