There are cookbooks that teach us how to cook, and there are books that remind us why we cook. Back to My Roots belongs to the second kind. Written by Gymkhana Las Vegas Chef Himanshu Pandey, the book is a deeply personal journey into the food, memories, people and traditions of Uttarakhand — particularly the Kumaon region that shaped his earliest understanding of food.

For Pandey, food was never simply about ingredients or recipes. It was part of everyday life: the sound of vegetables hitting a hot iron kadhai, the fragrance of mustard oil and garlic moving through a mountain kitchen, seasonal greens gathered and cooked with instinct, and dishes prepared not for restaurants or special occasions, but for family. Those experiences became the foundation of a culinary philosophy that he would carry from his home in Uttarakhand into professional kitchens across India, the Middle East and the United States.

Back to My Roots is his way of returning to those beginnings — while also making sure that the flavours of the mountains are not forgotten. “More than a cookbook, this is my tribute to my homeland, my culture, and the people whose love lives in every recipe I create” said Pandey.

The Roots Behind the Chef

Chef Himanshu Pandey’s culinary journey is rooted in a simple but powerful idea: before a chef learns technique, a chef learns memory. His earliest lessons came not from a professional kitchen, but from home — from his mother, Mrs. Hansi Devi Pandey, and his Nani, whose understanding of traditional cooking was based on observation, instinct and generations of knowledge.

In those kitchens, recipes were rarely written down. Measurements were often remembered by feel. Heat was judged by the sound of the pan and the behavior of the ingredients. A potato was ready not because a timer said so, but because its color, texture and aroma told an experienced cook that it was ready. Greens were added at the right moment. Spices were balanced by instinct. The cooking was precise, even when it did not look technical.

That contrast became important in Pandey’s later career. Professional kitchens taught him discipline, consistency, systems and precision. His mountain kitchen had already taught him something equally valuable: how to listen to an ingredient.

From the Mountains to the Professional Kitchen

Over more than 18 years in the culinary profession, Pandey has built an international career across India, the Middle East and the United States. His professional experience spans Indian cuisine, fine dining, tandoor, kebabs, biryanis, banquets and large-scale kitchen operations. Today, he brings that experience to his work as Executive Sous Chef at Gymkhana Las Vegas, where the discipline of a high-level professional kitchen meets his continuing passion for Indian culinary heritage.

Yet the higher his professional journey has taken him, the more strongly he has felt the pull of where it began. For Pandey, success is not about leaving his roots behind. It is about carrying them forward.

That philosophy is at the heart of Back to My Roots. The book is an attempt to document flavours that can easily disappear when traditional cooking is passed orally from one generation to another. It is also an invitation to a wider audience to discover Uttarakhand beyond its mountains and landscapes — through its food.

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