RIP Chef Damu: From dishwasher to respected name in the culinary world - Top Cook facts with Comali judge Damordaran

Renowned chef Damodharan, also known as Chef Damu, died on Sunday at the age of 72 after a long period of ill health. A Padma Shri recipient, Damu was known for his culinary work. He rose to prominence as a judge on the Tamil television show ‘Cooku with Comali’.

Read also | Tamil Nadu’s popular chef Damu dies aged 72; here’s everything you need to know

His death was confirmed by MediaMasons in a post on social media, which read: “It is with deep sadness that we pay our respects to Dr. Chef Dham, a renowned culinary artist who made an extraordinary contribution to the world of cooking and inspired countless people with his passion, knowledge and dedication. His remarkable legacy and contribution to Indian cuisine will always be remembered. Our sincere condolences, friends and admirers.”

Here are the top facts about Chef Damu from Tamil Nadu

Damodharan was born in a small town in Tamil Nadu on September 3, 1954 and rose to fame after his appearances in Jaya TV and Star Vijay. His friendly presence on ‘Cook with Comali’ earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Damu Appa’ among the audience. According to his Padma Shri citation, he has hosted cooking programs on Raj TV, Pothigai, Jaya TV and Vijay TV for over two decades.

2. Damu’s education included Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from Institute of Hotel Management, Taramani, Chennai, Bachelor of Commerce from Madurai Kamaraj University and MBA from Madras University. He later obtained CHE and CHA qualifications at the American Hotel and Motel Association’s Educational Institute and went on to study Conference Center Management at Cornell University in the USA.

3. Chef Damu began his career as a management trainee with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation in 1977. He joined the teaching profession in 1986 and went on to manage three institutions in Chennai: Asan Institute of Hotel Management, MGR Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology and Empee Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology.

4. His journey to cooking began with hard work in hotel kitchens. According to The Better India, he performed various tasks including washing dishes and chopping vegetables. During this time, he patiently observed the cooking process before becoming one of India’s most famous chefs.

5. He was also the first Indian chef to earn a doctorate in hotel management and food service technology. He is the author of several cookbooks for home cooks, containing more than 2,700 recipes, as well as four books for catering students. He was widely known for his book Damu’s Home Free Style Cook.

6. In December 2010, he set a Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon, during which he prepared 617 dishes in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds. The dishes weighed around 190 kilos.

7. His other two Guinness World Records were for the world’s longest dosa, made in Madurai in 2012, and the world’s largest curry, prepared in Little India, Singapore in 2014.

8. In 2019, he tasted 12,000 dishes during a 13-day trip across Tamil Nadu. He also served as the knowledge partner for The Hindu’s Our State Our Taste competition, which celebrated traditional food in 25 districts of the state.

9. In addition to his culinary prowess, he contributed to the Tamil Nadu mid-day meal program between 2008 and 2011 by helping to introduce eight rice meals and six egg preparations to 1.68 million school children. He also trained 1.4 lakh mid-day meal workers in 32 districts along with cooks in girls’ hostels run under the RMSA scheme of the Education Department in 13 districts.

10. He was also the president of Tambaram Rotary Club in 2007 and 2008. During his tenure, at least one million children received polio drops, 260 senior citizens underwent cataract surgery and a general medical camp was organized for the public every Sunday.