Kitchen genius

Naman Vakharia, a Class VIII student of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans has impressed none other than celebrated chefs Sanjeev Kapoor and Vicky Ratnani on the TV show 'Sanjeev Kapoor Ke Kitchen Khiladi'.

Cooking and experimenting with food from the age of five, Naman, now 13, was inspired by the TV show 'Junior Master Chef Australia' and gives credit for his passion to his mom and grandmother. “I was introduced to the kitchen when I was five and I started baking cakes and experimenting and inventing my own recipes.”

One evening after Naman returned from school, a news changed his life. “As I came back home after a hectic day at school, my mom asked me to pack my bags and said that we were leaving to Mumbai to be a part of 'Sanjeev Kapoor Ke Kitchen Khiladi'. It was like a dream come true for me.”

At the show, impressing Sanjeev Kapoor and Vicky Ratnani wasn’t easy; but for this city boy, destiny was on his side. “The theme that was given to us was South Indian. The first thing that came to my mind was dosa. I prepared my inventions — chat dosa and Chinese dosa. To my surprise I was able to impress the judges,” adds Naman.

“I had seen Sanjeev Sir only on TV till then. To describe him in three words: he is fast, simple and smart. And Vicky Sir was cool and friendly. It was a good experience to be part of the show,” says the little chef.

The episode where Naman’s food received appreciation will be aired on Children’s Day on Sony TV. “I am excited about seeing myself on TV and more than me, my friends and family are even more excited.”