The Leela Palace Chennai presents the seventh edition of Shefs at The Leela in collaboration with ‘Dean With Us’ — the mother-daughter duo of Rupali and Akanksha Dean. The occasion honours the transformative position of Indian women cooks who’re shaping the long run of gastronomy. After previous editions hosted throughout Bengaluru, Gurugram, Chennai, and Jaipur, the seventh edition in Chennai will convey collectively 4 women cooks — Sambhavi Joshi, Taiyaba Ali, Sehaj Ghuman and Bunuma Patgiri, who will convey their years of experience into curating a menu that speaks each of their work and India’s numerous culinary heritage.
“This platform was created to amplify the voices of women chefs, long underrepresented in professional kitchens and provide them a space to flourish, inspire, and connect,” says Akanksha, co-founder of Dean With Us.
The menu is a fusion of world culinary strategies, with richly rooted sensibilities of Indian delicacies. “We selected Indian women chefs thriving not only in India but internationally as well, each carving their own niche with passion and flair. Each dish narrates a journey of personal and cultural identity, harmonising traditional elements with contemporary creativity,” says Rupali, founder of Dean With Us.
Sambhavi Joshi
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sambhavi Joshi will embody her dedication to rustic Italian delicacies, sustainability, and zero-waste practises, with signature dishes from her restaurant, Casa Pasta Bar, Delhi. “For me, I think it was it was about trying to put the best of Casa on the menu because that’s where I have learnt and kind of built on in the past few years. I am making a pumpkin soup. So, the pumpkin soup has a beautiful story from when I was training with Chef Alex Sanchez. One day he made me make the pumpkin soup almost 10 times — because it was just not right. So, I think for me it holds a place in my heart.” Here, the pumpkin is paired with smoked duck and a fragile parmesan foam.
Taiyaba Ali
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Taiyaba Ali is a chef and author from Lucknow who celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of women to Awadhi delicacies. Her menus highlight the area’s multicultural influences and seasonal substances. “I am doing a stuffed and seared butternut squash in a nut gravy served with dill pulao. Pulaos are big in Lucknow. We don’t always eat biryani. I am using dill leaves to make this home-style pulao, with little bit of spices. There’s the technique of dum, which is called dhungar, and there is also slow cooking of the butter nut squash which is being roasted.”
Bunuma Patgiri
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Bunuma Patgiri is the Chef de Cuisine at The Leela Palace Chennai. Her experience lies with Thai, Singaporean, Malay, and Northeast Indian cuisines. She is making larb gai, a dish impressed by Thai Krathong. I belong to the Boro tribe in Northeast India, which has festivals with rituals just like Thai traditions, together with choices of flowers and meals in a boat-shaped structur in water, mirroring Thai krathong.”
Sehaj Ghuman
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sehaj Ghuman is head chef, Academy Of Pastry and Culinary Arts, Gurugram. For the dessert menu, she is doing her model of choco bar. “It’s going to be super chocolatey with caramelised peanut parfait, a soft vanilla caramel, and chocolate chunk dacquoise. It’s just a childhood memory basically,” she says.
Shefs at The Leela will happen at The Leela Palace Chennai on July 20, priced at ₹5,999 plus taxes. To reserve name +91 7824813894.
