Daijiworld Media Network

Mumbai, Nov 6: A household name Tarla Dalal - the epitome of easy Indian cooking as well as the front runner of Indian TV chefs passed away today at the age of 77. Her websites, books, and TV shows portrayed her as the lovable godmother to everyone, who wanted to cook but was scared that it was too difficult to dish up anything.
 
She not only simplified dishes but also worked to make almost every dish available to vegetarians in terms of taste by giving them clever substitutes.

Eggless vanilla cakes and veg kebabs existed but it was Tarla Dalal who made the recipe available to every Indian household, thus making life easier for mums across the nation. People took to her cooking like fish take to water because she always ensured that her recipes did not require heavy or out-of-the world equipment and using ingredients readily available to the Indian grocery shopper.

Her smiling face, easy explanation, fast cooking time and playful banter beside Sidhanshu Pandey on 'Cook It Up With Tarla Dalal' is an irreplaceable image in the minds of many an Indian culinary enthusiast. With the introduction of cookery books she was able to help her plethora of culinary ideas percolate further into the Indian society and reach out to those women who due to their work commitments were unable to watch her show. It also was useful many to just prop up her book beside the stove and follow her easily recipes.

A lady who made Indian cooking decipherable, palatable as well as a healthier  to one and all, Tarla Dalal is the only culinary author to have been honoured with the Padmashree.