Up-and-Comer Ripu Daman Handa

Ripu Daman may be a MasterChef India winner but his talents extend far beyond the kitchen. The energetic and vibrant 24 year is dabbling in television hosting, dancing, reality shows, and hopes to open his own restaurant someday. We caught up with him when he was recently in New York to film for Varli’s Choice, a new television show coming to Star Plus where Ripu will be the host.

MAIN-BIG-PIC

So what do you think of New York City?

This is my first time in New York and I can truly say that it is a brilliant place. It has always been my dream to come here because ever since I was young, my dad would 8
come to New York and tell me all about it. I think walking or biking is the best way to see the streets of this city so even though I have access to a car, taxis, etc. I’ve been getting around on Citibike everywhere so I can stop and visit every restaurant and street food vendor. As a huge foodie myself, I love that you can get so many different types of cuisine here from falafel to Thai to Japanese to Italian to Mexican. I also love the fresh and healthy make your own salad places and find myself eating there often!

How did you get started in your career?

I studied in New Delhi and was trained from early childhood to cook at home. We had this tradition where every weekend my mom and sister-in-law would relax and me, my brother and my dad would cook for everyone. When I started out making chapatti, it was all out of shape and looked like a map of India! But as I got older, I learned more and more and eventually when I started traveling I discovered the beauty of international food. I also began learning more about cooking as I started to become health conscious and had to find ways to make healthier dishes. I never set out knowing I wanted to be a chef, but I was always fascinated by food.

“I believe that cooking is like painting…I always try to envision how the final dish will look when I’m cooking, focusing on dishes that have rich colors and are visually appealing because we all eat with our eyes.”
How would you describe your cooking style? What ingredients do you enjoy cooking with?

I believe that cooking is like painting – when you’re painting, you want to make a colorful, vibrant image that people enjoy looking at. I always try to envision how the final dish will look when I’m cooking, focusing on dishes that have rich colors and are visually appealing because we all eat with our eyes. Some of my favorite ingredients are basil and cinnamon. Those ingredients are everything to me and the great thing about Indian cooking is that you can incorporate so many different flavors because there are so many ways to make a dish. For example, I think an Indian and Italian fusion dish like ravioli filled with lentils and curry sauce would be amazing.

What was it like to win MasterChef India? What did that competition mean to you?

I had never thought about being on a show on like that. My dad is a doctor and when I first brought up the idea of being on MasterChef, my parents said that show wasn’t for men and they didn’t understand why I would possibly want to do it. But being on MasterChef really allowed me to explore different cooking ideas and most of all, it boosted my confidence in my skills and abilities.

Why did you participate in the reality dance show Nach Baliye?

After I was on MasterChef, Nach Baliye called me and asked if I wanted to be on the show. At first I wanted to laugh because I am a terrible dancer and that would be the furthest thing from my mind. But my girlfriend was interested in the opportunity and I came around to it. When we started, the choreographers were shocked at how bad my dancing was! But we worked insanely hard to improve and it ended up being a great sense of accomplishment. For 4 months, all we did was rehearse day after day and kept telling ourselves we had to prove we could do it. There were times when we would do rehearse the dance for just one song close to 1000 times. Ironically, they started calling me “the dancing bawarchi of India” or “the dancing chef”.

What made you decide to volunteer as an ambassador for Diya Foundation? Was there something about the cause that particularly interested 24you?

I saw a Facebook post about Diya Foundation and when I started working with Varli, I learned more about the mission. I am a very religious person and when I thought about all the good fortune I’ve had, I wanted to do something with my time to give back. Since the Foundation is based in New York but helps children in India, I thought the fact that I lived in India would help bridge the connection and I could be useful on the ground level in the country where the mission is being carried out.

So what’s next for you?

I know that food is my innate calling, it speaks to me. Someday I’d like to open a restaurant that I’m so passionate about that I want to work there till the end of my life. I’m only 24 right now so I’d like to get more experience in the restaurant industry before starting on my own. But when I do decide to open something, it will a restaurant full of love that embraces the best of all cuisines – part Irish, Italian, Indian, Turkish, etc. That would be my dream come true.