About Yogi Gupta

Native of North India, retired engineer, retired restaurant owner operator in USA, owner webmaster of IndiaCurry.com

Photograph Yogi Gupta Cooking

I came to United States in 1963 to be an Engineer. In 1988, I gave up engineering and decided to follow my dream of owning a restaurant. I bought an Italian restaurant, 'Plaza Restaurant' in Cambridge, OH, population 14,000. Cambridge is a small town located in the heartland of USA, a real 'beef and potato' country. If I was to just rely on Indian food, I'd have no clientele. I decided to keep steaks and pasta and slowly introduced Indian food. After all, taste is acquired for any food. Even Indians aren't born craving curry. By the year 2000, revenues from the Indian section of the menu (Taste of India) had risen to 60%. Our signature items included Spinach and Cheese Kofta (a meatball-like vegetarian dish), Makhni Chicken, Prawn Curry and Karahi Beef. However, it was not meant to be. Events of 9/11 lead to closing the restaurant. After closing, I re-modeled and built an exquisite wedding reception hall by any standard within a 100 mile radius, and re-opened it as 'YOGIs' in July 2003. The business never picked back up.

My passion for food started when I was 10 years old. My mother was pregnant with my younger brother. She was bed-ridden. From bed, she instructed me how to fire up the 'Choolah' ( little U-shape mud stove with wood and dried cow dung) to make my first dish, tomato soup. I started to watch my mother cook. She cooked by instinct. Her cooking was truly a fusion North Indian cuisine.

Punjab: She was born and raised till the age of 17 in Lahore (Now Pakistan).

Uttar Pradesh: Her parents (my grand parents) were Ghee traders from Meerut (Uttar Pradesh) who migrated to Lahore in their youth.

Rajasthan: My father spent most of his life in rural towns of Bharatpur district as a physician. I reflect a lot about Rupbas.

Jammu and Kashmir: Her in-laws (my grand parents) lived most of their adult life in Jammu. My grandmother taught at a school for women, and my grand father was a head master at the high school.

Most of the recipes here are from North India. I have added Vindaloo from Goa, and Idli/Dosa from South India for their historical importance in the history of Indian Cuisine. I have also included many popular recipes from other regions. I have included a limited number of Italian items such as marinara sauce and Pizza as they are gaining acceptance in India as well.

Fusion Cooking

I came to United States in 1963 to attend New York University. At the time, in New York City, there were no Indian grocery stores and just one Indian restaurant, named 'India/Pakistan Inn' on 110^th street in Harlem. The hunger for native food and interest in cooking led me to learn American cooking and palate. I have developed a few recipes that can be made with ingredients available in standard American Grocery stores, still give it that 'Indian attitude!'.

My Indian friends will forgive me for saying this: In my opinion, the best Indian restaurants world-wide are located in United Kingdom. For past five decades, the operators of these restaurants have been busy modifying the traditional Indian dishes to create new dishes suitable for the British palate. They have done it successfully in the case of Tikka Masala.

Health and Nutrition

My father was a district health officer in Rajasthan. I did not grow up to be a physician but grew up with deep interest in health and nutrition oriented issues. Interest in nutrition became deeper with my age.

Social Events

I have included a section on planning home parties, including some of the basic recipes for a group of 25 persons.

I have operated a full service restaurant in United States with liquor license serving Indian food since 1988. I have designed this section specifically to address the Home Bar for persons of Indian origin, living in United States . All items are based on their popularity in the State Of Ohio.