There is nothing glamorous about being a chef, you have to be a good listener, be organised. One must be willing to work through the long hours and most of all is you have to be passionate about cooking, says MasterChef winner Deena Naidoo.
Naidoo never thought he would become South Africa’s celebrity chef. As a certified electronics engineer, he works in the IT sector, as his 9-5 and in the afternoon, Naidoo switches his computer systems for pots and pans at his restaurant Aarya that was named after his 14 year old daughter.
After winning season 1 of MasterChef South Africa, Deena Naidoo quickly gained his strips in the world of culinary and is infact the only MasterChef in the world to have his own restaurant as a culmination of his title. “After winning MasterChef I was given the opportunity of opening my own restaurant Aarya in 2012. The restaurant is situated in the vibrant outdoor piazza of Montecasino and since then I have never looked back.”
Becoming a chef was a self taught venture for the extraordinaire. “I drew inspiration from family; coming from an Indian family we love cooking and lots of company. When I entered the professional world of being a chef I became a product of industry experts sharing their expertise and knowledge on cuisine and the business. “I leveraged from the knowledge of local chef like Shaun Munro who masters traditional Durban cuisine and other chefs I have worked with before like Jackie Cameron, and Kevin Joseph.
“There are so many ways of learning how to make food. I was given the amazing opportunity that presented itself and I grabbed it with both hands. You can learn anything as long as you’re committed and passionate about what it is that you want to venture out into.
I have the leverage of a well balanced life as an electrical engineer by profession and still learning all there is about cuisine,” says Naidoo.
Since the Easter period is upon us City Press asked Chef Deena what are his top three flavours and dishes for this season. Easter is all about warmth, I like the rich warm flavours of cinnamon, and rich brown spices with almonds and raisins.
My memories of Easter take me back to my childhood “No Easter holiday is ever complete without the fresh smell of hot cross buns infused with its traditional spicy cinnamon.
“The traditional recipe of the hot cross bun will remain a mystery just like our bunny chow. There are many versions of it one can only make the version that best suits them,” he says.
The base of a hot cross bun is made up of sweet and savoury flavours. It’s a dish that can be eaten as a main or dessert. Naidoo’s approach to food is to keep it simple as he says he’s not much of an experimental chef but this season the hot cross bun has taken a twist with recipes ranging from chocolate hot cross bun with ice-cream as a dessert to a more savoury dish of hot cross beef burgers. “This year he says he will switch the recipe a little by taking the bread like textured yeasty bun and make it into a loaf. “I love the flavours of a warm vanilla butter toasted hot cross bun.”
We live in a country that makes anything possible. It’s up to the individual to take the opportunity and realise what is out there for themselves.
*This article first appeared in City Press on March 20, 2016
Comments