i. Biography
Prateek Sadhu’s work sits in Himalayan cuisine, but the line to it runs through Kashmir, family farms, and early kitchen labor. Born in 1986, he grew up around the practical systems of fields and homes, where food was learned as work before it became a profession. That grounding later moved through The Culinary Institute of America and into the pace of a major Mumbai opening, before the mountains became the clearer frame for the cooking.
The Path
Training at The Culinary Institute of America gave Prateek Sadhu a formal base before the pressure of opening Masque in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (from 2016) sharpened it in public view. Opening-chef work asks for consistency, timing, and control; this was the phase that placed him in that register and marked the discipline of his approach. At Naar, that discipline is not abandoned but redirected. The role of founder and head chef places Sadhu in a kitchen where earlier experience is carried forward rather than set aside, with Kashmir, Mumbai, and the mountains all remaining present in the work.
The Work Today
At Naar in Kasauli, Prateek Sadhu’s current work is centered on Himalayan cuisine. The kitchen’s point of view comes from accumulation: early farm knowledge, formal training, and opening experience, all folded into a practice that reads terrain as much as technique. His cooking at Naar brings those parts together in a way that stays grounded in place. Kashmir remains visible in the food memory, while the mountain setting gives the work its present context. The result is a style that is attentive to season, locality, and the measured build of a dish. One signature work is sochal wangun, a Kashmiri preparation of sochal, or mallow leaves, and eggplant cooked with mustard oil, hing and chillies. The dish is spare in description but direct in craft: greens, eggplant, and spice arranged so that bitterness, richness, and heat sit in balance. Sadhu has spoken of this turn toward the mountains in direct terms: "The truth is, the mountains have always been calling. It’s only now that I’ve answered the call."
Signature
Prateek's signature dishes include Sip Slow, sochal wangun, jalpai, and sweet potato and black carrots.
In Their Words “The truth is, the mountains have always been calling. It’s only now that I’ve answered the call.”
Acclaim
Sadhu’s standing is clearest in the sequence of kitchens and roles: The Culinary Institute of America, then an opening chef and co-owner post at Masque, then founder and head chef at Naar, where Himalayan cuisine is the central practice. The line is defined less by scale than by focus, moving from training to opening work to a kitchen with a specific regional mandate. Sochal wangun gives that focus a visible form. With mallow leaves and eggplant cooked with mustard oil, hing and chillies, the dish ties Kashmir to the present-day work at Naar without losing technical clarity. It is the kind of preparation that shows how Sadhu frames the mountains: through ingredients, balance, and restraint.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Prateek
What is Prateek Sadhu's current role?
Prateek Sadhu is Founder and Head Chef.
Where did Prateek Sadhu train or study?
Prateek Sadhu trained at The Culinary Institute of America.
What is Prateek Sadhu known for?
Himalayan cuisine.
