Pankaj Bhadouria is an Indian chef who became the first winner of the Indian cooking show MasterChef India in 2010.
Pankaj receives cash prize for winning ‘MasterChef India’ show
Wiki/Biography
Pankaj Bhadouria was born in New Delhi on Wednesday, July 14, 1971 (age 51; as of 2022). Her zodiac sign is Cancer.
Pankaj’s childhood
She studied at Kendriya Vidyalaya, New Delhi. She did her graduation from Lucknow University. Her academic qualifications include a BA in English, an MA in English Literature, and a BA in Education.
Pankaj when he was young
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′8″
Hair color: black
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Pankaj’s father’s name is Vinod Khanna and his mother’s name is Priya Khanna. They are all chefs. When she was thirteen, her father died, and when she was twenty-two, she lost her mother. She has a younger brother.
Collage of photos of Pankaj and her father
Pankaj as a young woman with her mother
Pankaj and her brothers
husband and children
Pankaj married Charu Samarth on April 25, 1995.
Pankaj and husband
She has two children, a son Siddhant Bhadouria and a daughter Sonalika Bhadouria, who is a social media influencer.
Pankaj and her son
Pankaj and her daughter
Profession
a school teacher
Pankaj worked as a teacher at Lucknow City Montessori School for sixteen years before choosing a career as a chef.
cooking
Pankaj started her cooking career in 2010 by appearing in the first Indian cooking show ‘MasterChef India Season 1’ on Star Plus. She became the winner of the show.
Pankaj appears on MasterChef India Season 1
In 2012, she started her own culinary institute ‘Pankaj Bhadouria Culinary Institute’ in Lucknow. The college offers professional and certificate programs.
Pankaj Bhadouria’s Culinary Academy
She also opened Tramp Tree Cafe and Cafe by Default in Lucknow.
Pankaj Cafe “Default Cafe” Menu
host
After winning the Masterchef show, she hosted TV shows including Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka on StarPlus, Kifayati Kitchen on Zee Khana Khazana, 3 Course with Pankaj on Zee Khana Khazana, Rasoi se- Pankaj Bhadouria ke Saath on ETV and Sales Ka Baazigar on ETV .
Pankaj in the show ‘Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka’
writer
Pankaj wrote her first cookbook, MasterChef India Cookbook, in 2011. She later wrote other cookbooks, including “Barbie: I’m a Chef,” “Chicken in My Kitchen,” and “Secrets in the Spice Mix.”
Pankaj’s cookbook “Secrets in Spices”
advertise
Pankaj has appeared in various advertisements for brands like Knorr, Taaza Tea, Eastern Masala, Samsung Smart Oven, Kent Juicer & Pasta Maker, Sensodyne, Reliance Fresh, Kelloggs and Tefal.
Pankaj in Reliance Fresh advertisement
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 2011, she gave a lecture at Cambridge University to promote Indian cuisine.
- In 2015, her name was included in the list of “9 people who became famous after participating in reality shows” by the Times of India.
- In 2016, she won the Right Choice Award for Chef of the Year.
Pankaj wins Chef of the Year award
- In 2016, she won the “Outlook Social Media Kitchen Queen of the Year Award” from Outlook magazine.
Pankaj wins Outlook Social Media Kitchen Queen of the Year Award
- In 2018, she was awarded the title of “First Lady” by the President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind.
Pankaj with Shri Ram Nath Kovind
- In 2021, she received the Impact 2021 Award from Dainik Jagran.
Pankaj receives Impact 2021 Award from Dainik Jagran
- In 2021, she received the Mission Shakti Award from the UP Government and Femina.
Pankaj wins Mission Shakti Award
- She was selected by the Spanish government as an ambassador to promote olive oil in India, participating in a movement called the Olive Oil Revolution.
Pankaj promotes olive oil
Favorites
- Movie: Bollywood- Jab We Met (2007), Devdaas (2002), Barfi (2012), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995); Hollywood- Love Story(1970)
- Song: “Firework” by Katy Perry
- Vacation destination: New York
- Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
car collection
- She owns a Ferrari.
Pankaj poses with her Ferrari
- She owns a Volvo S90.
Pankaj poses with her Volvo car
- She owns a BMW.
Pankaj poses with her BMW
Facts/Trivia
- Pankaj follows a non-vegetarian diet.
pankaj chicken
- In her free time she enjoys traveling and dancing.
- According to Pankaj, her parents used to organize parties at home and cook for them, which sparked her interest in cooking.
- Pankaj had to quit his job as a teacher to participate in the show MasterChef India. In an interview, she shared this and said:
I started my career as a school teacher teaching English to ISC classes. The call to audition for MasterChef on TV was a turning point in my life. This motivated me to keep working hard and later quit my job of 16 years. “
- In an interview, she talked about her journey on the show “MasterChef” and said:
MasterChef was a turning point in my life. Making it to the Top 12 for the first time was a challenging challenge that awakened the dormant competitive spirit within me! From that point on, there was no turning back. I only entered the “danger zone” once during the entire trip, but I made it through. I became more determined to win, and by the grace of God, I did. “
- In 2012, she participated in an event called “Be a Hero” where she made New Delhi’s largest sandwich.
Pankaj’s Facebook post about making the biggest sandwich
- In 2015, two Nepali children, Bahadur and Krishna, claimed that Pankaj’s husband Charu beat and threatened them.
- Pankaj has spoken at various platforms including TEDx Seminars at IIT-BHU Varanasi, TEDx Indus Business Academy, Bangalore, TEDx IMT, Hyderabad, TEDx IIM, Shillong and International at Sharda University, New Delhi Forum on Youth Policy, Change and Development.
Pankaj in TED talk
- She is often seen doing social work. once. She teaches skill development classes to children at train stations.
Pankaj teaches children at railway station
- She said in an interview that her family has been supporting her throughout her time on MasterChef India. She said,
This would not have been possible without the support of my mother-in-law. She is like a rock, running everything in my absence. There was one shoot where I missed my family and my mother-in-law immediately came to Mumbai with my son and spent four or five days with me. My husband is also very supportive; I turn to him for any advice. My children are proud of me when they hear good news about me from the outside world and their friends. “
- In an interview, she discussed the issue of women choosing a career in cooking. She said,
Now if you look, a lot of women can be considered professional chefs. But yes, things were different earlier. This is true of every other profession. In the past, girls were not allowed to go out for a long time. “
- Pankaj is a passionate animal lover and often posts pictures of animals on social media.
Pankaj poses with her dog
- She said in an interview that when she cooked, she tasted foods that led to weight gain, and to stay healthy, she exercised regularly and frequently posted photos on Instagram.
Pankaj working out in the gym
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education