Events & Personalities
Cuisine and culture
"I made dhansak with kebabs and kachumbar. The judges (chefs Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Vineet Bhatia) were so impressed with the way I presented my dish and the concept behind it. They had nice things to say about our religion and culture 
and the way I represented my dishes being a Parsi,” exulted 22-year-old Hyderabad based Danishi Bhagat (pictured here and on pg 16). She is one of the top 40 contestants of MasterChef India, Season 6 that is due to go on air early December on the Star Plus network.
Undaunted by her previous journey in the reality cooking show in Season 5 (2016) where she could make it only to India’s top 60, Bhagat said she was then "still young (19) and with very little culinary background… I couldn’t go further but it did not dent my confidence. I started learning about various cuisines and started studying more about food. I also started my own bakery from home wherein I took orders on a daily basis.” When the program was back after a three-year break, she applied to be a contestant again. "This time I was more confident and held my head high as I was not only trying to showcase my talent (but) to promote my culture as well. I feel the Parsi food culture is diminishing… For me, I want my food to not only touch people’s souls but for them to know more about the culture I come from.”
Bhagat, who runs a home bakery business, and also works in the area of social media with cab hailing company Uber, told us that she started cooking when she was nine, and baking at 11. "I’ve always watched my grandmother (Dolly Debara) and mother (Fashutana) cook and that got me interested in cooking.” Her first independent foray into the kitchen produced an omelette for her grandfather. "I’m a self taught cook. I learnt everything from the internet,” she said.
A graduate in mass communications and journalism from Saint Francis College, Hyderabad, Bhagat is assisted by older sister Farah, a business analyst in her bakery business. Parents Fashutana and Sam are retired.
and the way I represented my dishes being a Parsi,” exulted 22-year-old Hyderabad based Danishi Bhagat (pictured here and on pg 16). She is one of the top 40 contestants of MasterChef India, Season 6 that is due to go on air early December on the Star Plus network. Undaunted by her previous journey in the reality cooking show in Season 5 (2016) where she could make it only to India’s top 60, Bhagat said she was then "still young (19) and with very little culinary background… I couldn’t go further but it did not dent my confidence. I started learning about various cuisines and started studying more about food. I also started my own bakery from home wherein I took orders on a daily basis.” When the program was back after a three-year break, she applied to be a contestant again. "This time I was more confident and held my head high as I was not only trying to showcase my talent (but) to promote my culture as well. I feel the Parsi food culture is diminishing… For me, I want my food to not only touch people’s souls but for them to know more about the culture I come from.”
Bhagat, who runs a home bakery business, and also works in the area of social media with cab hailing company Uber, told us that she started cooking when she was nine, and baking at 11. "I’ve always watched my grandmother (Dolly Debara) and mother (Fashutana) cook and that got me interested in cooking.” Her first independent foray into the kitchen produced an omelette for her grandfather. "I’m a self taught cook. I learnt everything from the internet,” she said. A graduate in mass communications and journalism from Saint Francis College, Hyderabad, Bhagat is assisted by older sister Farah, a business analyst in her bakery business. Parents Fashutana and Sam are retired.
B. E.
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