Tarla Dalal is a name synonymous with Indian cooking, particularly vegetarian cuisine. Renowned for her exceptional ability to blend entrepreneurship with culinary arts, she has often been likened to Julia Child of Indian vegetarian cooking. Initially a housewife, Dalal's extraordinary cooking skills blossomed into a thriving business, earning her the prestigious Padma Shri award.

Her passion for cooking drove her to innovate and transform vegetarian cooking for Indians through her simple, easy-to-follow recipes.

Early Life

Born in 1936 in Pune, Maharashtra, Tarla Dalal grew up in a Vaishnav family as the eldest daughter. Her interest in cooking began early, assisting her mother in the kitchen. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1956. In 1960, she married Nalin Dalal and moved to Bombay, now Mumbai.

Career

In an interview, Dalal mentioned that her husband encouraged her to learn various dishes while he was studying at Michigan University, writing to her about the foods he enjoyed. This prompted her to explore cooking beyond traditional Indian dishes. After marriage, her friends in Mumbai suggested she share her recipes with other women in the neighborhood, leading to her first cooking classes with just six students. These classes quickly gained popularity, attracting more attendees.

Recognizing the success of her classes, her husband suggested she document her recipes. This led to her debut cookbook, "The Pleasure of Vegetarian Cooking," published by Vakil and Sons in 1974. The book featured a range of vegetarian recipes from Indian, Western, and Chinese cuisines and was translated into several languages, selling over 1.5 million copies.

Dalal's reputation grew, and she became a trusted name among chefs and homemakers for her ability to introduce non-Indian recipes and create vegetarian versions of non-vegetarian dishes. Over the years, she authored more books, such as "Acidity Cookbook," "100 Calorie Snacks," and "Popular Restaurant Gravies," which collectively sold millions of copies.

In 1987, she established Sanjay and Co. with her daughter and launched a website, Tarla Dalal, featuring over 17,000 recipes, making it the largest Indian food website. She also founded Tarla Dalal Foods, a line of ready-to-cook mixes that became highly popular.

Dalal embraced social media, sharing personal updates and cooking videos, particularly on YouTube. She also wrote cookbooks for children and pregnant women. In 2005, she received the Woman of the Year Award from the Indian Merchants' Chamber and conducted cooking demonstrations with Dr. Manoj Jain at the San Francisco USA JAINA Convention.

On January 26, 2007, Dalal was awarded the Padma Shri, becoming the first Indian woman to receive the honor for cooking. She launched the "Total Health Series" for healthier recipes and wrote a magazine called "Cooking and More." Her cooking show, "Cook it up With Tarla Dalal," aired weekly on Sony Entertainment for three years, reaching audiences in Southeast Asia, the UK, the US, and the Gulf.

Tarla Dalal passed away in 2013, leaving behind a legacy of over 100 books and more than ten million copies sold. Her son, Sanjay, continues her legacy through her website, which now has around 18,000 recipes and articles in Hindi and English. Her daughter manages her social media platforms and shares new recipes.

Personal Life

Tarla Dalal and her husband had two sons, Sanjay and Deepak Dalal, and a daughter, Renu Dalal. Her husband passed away in 2005.

Fun Facts About Tarla Dalal

• She raised funds for asthma and cancer patients through her cooking shows.
• Her zodiac sign was Gemini.
• She was approximately 157 cm tall and weighed around 65 kg.
• She had black hair and eyes.

FAQs

When did Tarla Dalal die?
She died at her Mumbai home on November 6, 2013, at 77 years old from a heart attack.

When did Tarla Dalal start her career?
She began teaching cooking in 1966, and her first book was published in 1974.

Who was Tarla Dalal married to?
She married Nalin Dalal in 1960 after getting engaged to him at 20.