Renowned chef Damodharan, also known as Chef Damu, died on Sunday at the age of 72 following a prolonged period of ill health. Damu, a Padma Shri recipient, was known for his culinary work. He rose to prominence as a judge on the Tamil television show “Cooku with Comali.”
His death was confirmed by MediaMasons in a social media post, which read, “With profound sadness, we pay our respects to Dr. Chef Dhamu, a celebrated culinary artist who made an extraordinary contribution to the world of cooking and inspired countless people through his passion, knowledge, and dedication. His remarkable legacy and contribution to Indian cuisine will always be remembered. Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and admirers during this difficult time.”
2. Damu’s educational background included a diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from the Institute of Hotel Management, Taramani, Chennai, a bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Madurai Kamaraj University, and an MBA from Madras University. He later obtained CHE and CHA qualifications from the American Hotel and Motel Association’s Educational Institute and went on to study Conference Centre Management at Cornell University in the US.
3. Chef Damu began his career as a management trainee with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation in 1977. He entered the teaching profession in 1986 and went on to lead three Chennai institutions: 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 into cooking began with demanding 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 going on to become one of India’s most renowned chefs.
5. He was also the first Indian chef to receive a PhD in Hotel Management and Catering Technology. He authored several cookbooks for home cooks, featuring over 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 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 sampled 12,000 dishes during a 13-day journey across Tamil Nadu. He also served as knowledge partner for The Hindu’s Our State Our Taste competition, which celebrated traditional food across 25 districts in the state.
9. Apart from his culinary mastery, he contributed to Tamil Nadu’s midday-meal scheme in 2008 and 2011, helping introduce eight rice dishes and six egg preparations for 1.68 crore schoolchildren. He also trained 1.4 lakh midday-meal workers across 32 districts, along with cooks at girls’ hostels operated under the School Education Department’s RMSA scheme in 13 districts.
10. He was also the President of the Rotary Club, Tambaram, in 2007 and 2008. During his tenure, at least one lakh children were given polio drops, 260 senior citizens underwent cataract operations, and a general medical camp was organised for the public every Sunday.
