SUNDAY 13 | APRIL 2014
put me on the other side of the table so I could relate to the anxieties of contestants. my current show on air on Zee Khana Khazana, is one I relate to as a middle class housewife,” she adds.
Recalling her experience at MasterChef, “MasterChef was another world, another life. It was competitive, emotionally charging, inspiring, energising, loving, fun and at times a little bi***y. There was plenty to learn from judges, classes, mistakes that you made or others. It was also a lesson in survival as I am a typical Cancerian mom who cannot live without kids and family!”
The pro in the kitchen has taken the newfound success in her stride, as is evident at the Varli Festival in New York which she is associated with. She explains, “Varli celebrates Indian food on foreign soils. It is organised in New York and showcases the beauty of the Indian cuisine. After my victory in MasterChef, I was invited there, and again invited the following year. I was amazed to see the popularity of Indian food in the US.”
She has been working closely with Rick Stien and BBC too, “What a darling old man Rick Stien is! He was patiently noting down every little detail of the recipes we did on the show. He even visited the fish market with me.”
The Lucknow-born teacher-turnedchef extraordinaire recalls a meal she had made for King of Bhutan, “When the King of Bhutan visited Lucknow at the invitation of the Lt. General of the Army, I had the pleasure of serving him, and it was Awadhi food!
She comes form a close-knit family which she says, “is ruled by my ma-inlaw who my daughter calls ‘ Queen Victoria!” Contrary to clichés, she finds her ma-in-law the biggest support and anchor. Ginger, her Labrador is also an important part of their lives.