: This CA-Turned-Chef is Introducing Gordon Ramsay To South Indias Food Heritage #IndiaNEWS #Food The production team of the National Geographic show Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted was doing the final rounds

This CA-Turned-Chef is Introducing Gordon Ramsay To South Indias Food Heritage #IndiaNEWS #Food
The production team of the National Geographic show Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted was doing the final rounds of interviews in India to choose the chef who would introduce South Indian cuisine to the world. After almost five rounds of interviews, the producers chose Shri Bala, a Chartered Accountant-turned-chef from Chennai. The question that cinched the deal was, What do you think makes you a better chef than Gordon Ramsay?
And Shri replied with, Well, I think it’s the fact that I’m a mother.
As part of his shows new season, Gordon had made a visit to India in January this year and travelled to different regions in South India to showcase one-of-a-kind dishes. The show aired in India on 16 August this year.
Shri’s passion for food, her experience and witty answer paved her way to the show and brought several of her dishes to the limelight.
In talks with The Better India (TBI), Shri takes us through her culinary journey.
How A Chartered Accountant Turned Into A Chef
Shri Bala
“I’ve always been fond of cooking and watching other chefs. I also love to learn about the history and evolution of the food we eat. But when it came to my career, I followed a different route. I completed my graduation in Law and also cleared my charted accountancy papers. It was only in 2015 that I took a detour and stepped into the world of cooking,??? Shri explains.
Shri worked as a CA at a law firm in Chennai. But, the urge to make a career in the gastronomic field never left her.
“I started out my career as a cook in 2016 by organising a south Indian vegetarian food festival DakshinRivaayath at the Trident Hotel BKC, Mumbai under the guidance of the renowned chef Ashish Bhasin. That’s when I stepped into the world of 5-star hotels right from my kitchen,??? she explains.
Speaking to TBI about his experiences of mentoring Shri, Ashish Basin, the Executive Chef at The Leela, Gurugram says, “Shri Bala’s entry into the culinary world is actually quite an interesting story. She first reached out to me on Twitter when I had posted a picture of Gajar Ka Halwa. She complimented my food and asked me for tips and soon I saw myself get into an intense discussion with her about the lack of representation of South Indian food. At the end of the discussion, I agreed to organise a south India food festival with her. At the time, she was just a home cook and had no background in the commercial world but seeing her passion, I was ready to take on a challenge,??? Ashish explains.
“The food she cooked was absolutely spectacular and the festival was a huge success. The best part was that she kept it as original as possible and didn’t try to customise it.

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