Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lakhvir Khinda. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Lakhvir with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
My work ethic comes from my family and our farm back in Punjab. When I was growing up in Jalandhar, my father worked the land every single day – 45 acres of farm with vegetables like cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes. You learn quickly that nothing comes easy, you have to work hard for everything. When we opened Electric Karma in 2005, I remember I stayed in the kitchen for two years straight, just working on getting the recipes right. That’s what my father taught me. If you want to do something, you do it properly. You don’t take shortcuts. This is how I learned to live, and this is how I run my restaurant.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the owner and chef of Electric Karma here in Los Angeles. We serve authentic Punjabi food, the way my mother taught me back home. What makes me most happy is when customers tell me the food reminds them of home, or when someone tries Indian food for the first time and they love it.
When we started in 2005, not many people in LA knew about real Indian food. Now I see how much the city has changed, how people are more open to trying new things. We just started a new cocktail menu where we use saffron and different spices. It’s still Indian, but in a new way that people here can enjoy.
What I want people to know is that when you come to Electric Karma, you’re not just getting food. You’re getting the same hospitality we would give you if you came to our home in Punjab. This is real food, made with love, the way it should be.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The first thing is you have to stay true to what you know. Even when I worked in German kitchens cooking Italian and Chinese food, I always knew my heart was with Indian cooking. Don’t try to copy someone else. What you bring from your background, that’s your strength.
Second is you must be willing to learn. When I came to America, everything was different. I had to learn about business, about what American customers like, but I never forgot what my mother taught me in the kitchen. Always keep learning, but don’t lose yourself.
Third is patience and hard work. I spent two years just in the kitchen when we opened, making sure every dish was perfect. Many people want success right away, but good things take time. You have to be willing to put in the work, day after day.
My advice for young people starting out – work hard, stay humble, and remember where you come from. Your family, your culture, these are gifts you can share with the world.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
My parents gave me everything, from good values and love for food. My father showed me what it means to work hard every day on the farm. But my mother was the one who really changed my life. She was such a good cook, and she knew how to use all the fresh vegetables from our farm. She taught me and my brothers everything about cooking, about how food brings family together.
My parents showed me that it doesn’t matter where you go in life, you carry your family with you. The values they gave me, the recipes my mother taught me, this is what made Electric Karma possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.electrickarma.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/electrickarmahollywood/?hl=en
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/electric-karma-los-angeles
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