i. Biography
Wild rabbit pulao, inspired by his mother, Sulu, remains the defining dish attached to Nirmal Save’s time at Gunpowder in London — a dish that carries the intimacy of home cooking into the sharpened rhythm of a professional kitchen. It is the kind of signature that lingers not only because of flavor, but because of what it gathers up: memory, technique, and the quiet authority of family influence.
The Path
Early in their career, Nirmal Save worked as head chef at Gunpowder in Spitalfields, London from 2018, bringing a poised edge to the role and helping shape a kitchen identity that moved with precision. Before that chapter, he also served as chef at Gong De Lin in Beijing, China, adding an international chapter to his path and broadening the lens through which he approached the craft. Taken together, these stops suggest a chef moving between cities and contexts with a steady hand, carrying a personal vocabulary of flavor while adapting to very different dining rooms.
The Work Today
Nirmal’s own words frame the deeper intent behind this style of cooking. In that statement lies the heart of the work: food as a communal act, food as a way of gathering, food as a tradition shaped by the table itself. The dishes do not simply feed; they invite participation.
Signature
Nirmal's signature dishes include wild rabbit pulao, Chettinad Pulled Duck, and Spicy Venison and Vermicelli Doughnut. Each one reflects a different facet of his range: the first rooted in family memory, the others in the compact, sharable language of the modern dining room. Together, they sketch a chef interested in both inheritance and translation, in carrying Indian flavors into forms that feel immediate and social.
Acclaim
The strongest recognition in his career is dish-led: a signature pulao shaped by family memory, followed by small plates that translate Indian cooking into a shared format. Rather than resting on a single fixed style, his acclaim comes through the way his food seems to hold two spaces at once — the personal and the public, the remembered and the served.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Nirmal
Where did Nirmal Save work before?
Nirmal Save's earlier career included Gunpowder and Gong De Lin.
What is Nirmal Save known for?
Authentic, interesting Indian dishes.
