i. Biography
Since 2023, Amninder Sandhu has led the kitchen at Palaash at Tipai, bringing direction to a format that asks for precision as much as scale. Palaash at Tipai, launched in October 2023, is one of India's first fine dining degustation experiences in the middle of a forest two hours away from Nagpur, and Sandhu frames it plainly: the setting is remote, the intent exact. The project depends on a chef who can hold both at once.
The Path
Hotel kitchens set the early discipline in Amninder Sandhu's work, beginning at Taj Lands End, where pace and repetition are part of the job. The next stops — chef at Arth and chef at Ammu — mark a career built through successive responsibility, with each kitchen adding another layer of practice rather than a break from the one before it. The pattern is one of continuity: learn the system, work it, move again with more control. Today, Amninder Sandhu is chef of Palaash (since 2023), founder chef of Kikli, and associated chef of Barbet & Pal. Those titles show a cook working across distinct projects rather than a single fixed brief. Read together, they point to range in application: one kitchen, one founding role, one association, each carrying a different kind of accountability.
The Work Today
At Palaash, the work is not just to lead a kitchen but to do so inside a forest dining format built around degustation. That combination leaves little room for looseness. Sandhu's role gives the project its structure, tying the meal to the place without over-explaining either.
Signature
Amninder's signature dishes include dhakai chaat and Kaju Rotla. The pair suggests a kitchen working across register and texture: one dish named for a chaat format, the other for something more grounded and specific. Together, they point to a style that values contrast, memory, and construction.
In Their Words “Recognition will really help us in our journey of changing the lives of the women and the team from a region long marked by farmer distress. And voices like yours make us feel seen for what we truly stand for.” “We launched Palaash at Tipai in October 2023 — one of India's first fine dining degustation experiences in the middle of a forest two hours away from Nagpur.”
Acclaim
Recognition, in Sandhu's telling, is tied to the people around the project as much as to the plate. Her own words put the emphasis on women, team, and a region marked by farmer distress, making clear that the work around Palaash is meant to register beyond the dining room. The acclaim attached to her name sits inside that wider frame: a restaurant project measured not only by format, but by the lives connected to it.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Amninder
What is Amninder Sandhu's current role?
As of 2026, Amninder Sandhu is Chef.
Where did Amninder Sandhu work before?
Amninder Sandhu's earlier career included Taj Lands End, Arth, and Ammu.
