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Between juggling matters in a home kitchen and a bustling professional kitchen, women chefs have admirably taken over the culinary scene globally - making their significant impacts. While they have the audience eating out of their hands and lapping up everything they do, these ladies are also dutiful mothers to their children, once they hang up the apron. These notable women, who have championed various issues - connecting everyday life to cooking, have given their cooking journey a unique character that's hard to miss.
Amrita Raichand
The multi-faceted Amrita Raichand forayed into cooking soon after her stint as a model and television host in the Indian entertainment industry. Aside from being a mom to 11-year old Agastya, she is most recognized as a celebrity chef and a passionate advocate for healthy cooking. Her repertoire of work includes hosting cooking shows and workshops, promoting nutritious and delicious recipes for families and creating recipes that are also kid-friendly.
Asma Khan
Image Credits: Great British Chefs
The Indian-origin British chef – who spearheads London’s acclaimed Darjeeling Express, was formerly pursuing a career in law before she transitioned into cooking full-time. As a mother to two sons, gained widespread praise for her authentic and flavourful representation of Indian dishes in the west. Celebrated not only for her culinary skills but also for her commitment to empowering women through employment opportunities in the restaurant industry, the chef employs an all-women team to run the everyday functions of her restaurant.
Shilarna Vaze
Also known popularly by her nickname – Chef Chinu – the chef and business-owner successfully operates Gaia Gourmet with husband, Christopher Perrin. Catering to A-List celebrities with their combination of Indian and European influences, Chinu is also well-known to share candid parenting tips and her journey as a mother to Zanskar Stella over the years. The Le Cordon Bleu alumnus who is based out of Goa has garnered recognition for her expertise as a chef through her appearances on television cooking shows and her contributions to food media.
Pankaj Bhadouria
Most known for emerging victorious in the inaugural season of Masterchef India, Pankaj Bhadouria is the quintessential role model to domesticated women who juggle work and home duties. Besides being a dutiful mom to her kids – Sonalika and Siddhant – Pankaj is also known for her expertise in Indian cuisine that led her to author several cookbooks. Celebrated for her ability to simplify complex recipes, making them accessible to home cooks of all skill levels, the former school teacher’s passion for cooking made her a household name in the Indian culinary scene.
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Romy Gill
Image Credits: Great British Chefs
Romy Gill – the British-Indian chef and food writer – rose to fame because of her South Gloucestershire based restaurant, Romy’s Kitchen. The mama to her two daughters, Neev and Reet, Gill also garnered acclaim for releasing a vegan cookbook named Zaika: Vegan Recipes From India, catapulting her expertise to also advocate for issues like diversity and inclusivity in the food industry.
Maneet Chauhan
Image Credits: Hallmark Channel
An Indian-American chef who nurtured her passion for cooking by helping out in her grandmother’s kitchen, Maneet is a mother to a daughter named Shagun. Working in prestigious kitchens across India, Europe and the United States, Maneet seamlessly blended traditional Indian flavours with modern techniques and global influences. Also known for being a proficient television personality, she has appeared as a judge on the show Chopped, as well as other stints on Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef.
Shipra Khanna
This prominent Indian chef, cookbook author and television personality rose to fame as the winner of the second season of Masterchef India in 2011. While juggling chef duties, Shipra also mothers her two children – Yadavi and Himannk – both of whom she has candidly expressed are major foodies. In addition to her television appearances, Shipra is the author of several cookbooks, including Sinfully Yours, which features a collection of her signature recipes and culinary creations.
