Pooja Jhunjhunwala - I Was the First Indian to Win in the US Juinor Pastry Chef Competition Where I Won the Silver (Chef From India)

My two biggest challenges were putting myself out there and dealing with negative comments and trolls. Over time I realized as long as I know I'm putting my best its okay, there will always be people to bring you up but there will always be people who will support you. The second thing was dealing with people copying content without credit. I still haven't overcome that because it still is a sore topic.

1. Tell us more about your background and journey.

I am an awarded pastry chef living in the USA. I was born and brought up in Kolkata, India where I lived for over 25 years. Food and cooking has always been a part of my life. I have been baking with my mother since I was 5 years old and slowly started baking on my own as I grew older. Even In school I was always the one baking & cooking for school events. After school and college I went to NYC to the Institute of culinary education which helped me take my massive leap in the culinary world. 

I was the first Indian to win in the US Juinor pastry chef competition where I won the silver. I also won the Top Toque award for the pastry and baking program & cake decorating program. My travels also played a major part in experiencing foods and cultures of different places. I started my home bakery Cake by Pooja in Kolkata in 2016 which I ran for 3 years before moving to the states.



2. What led you to start your blog? Is there any interesting story behind it that you would like to share with us?

I moved to the states permanently in 2019 and while I waited for my work permit I experimented a lot with food & cooking. My plan was always to work in a restaurant or bakery when I got my permit which as luck would have it was in 2020. So as covid killed the food industry that time I kept experimenting at home and then eventually started my page in May 2020.



3. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced in your journey and how did you overcome that?

Two biggest challenges were- putting myself out there and dealing with negative comments and trolls. Over time I realized as long as I know I'm putting my best its okay, there will always be people to bring you up but there will always be people who will support you.
Second thing was dealing with people copying content without credit. I still haven't overcome that because it still is a sore topic.




4. What do you think makes Indian cuisine different from other cuisines in the world?

So there are many similarities like spices, slow cooking and more to other cuisines for sure which I find so fascinating. What makes it the most different is how easily vegetarian and vegan dishes are naturally available.




5. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?

There are a few dishes that I'm very proud of like my Gulab jamun tiramisu, masala chai tres leches and so many of my slider recipes. The one I associate the most is chaat dips which was such a fabulous brian child of mine and it changed the way we can serve chat. In fact it started trending during 2022 Diwali with many remakes



6. How would you describe your cooking style? How has it evolved over time?

I think it's a mix of easy and quick and experimental and out of the box. Over time I feel my fusion recipes have gotten better.



7. What professional chefs have influenced your work, and how do you incorporate their techniques into your cooking?

Having worked with many of the top chefs like Michael Laiskonis, gain keysan, jean marc viallet and so many more I have learnt so much from each of them.




8. Can cooking be learned at culinary schools or a natural talent is required?

So it's a mix of both I feel. You can learn everything at a culinary school but you may not get too far without natural talent. In the same way I feel going to culinary school really helps learn and form foundations that one can work on.



9. Which is your favourite book/show and why?

I love Hell’s Kitchen for the drama and Gordon Ramsey make it too entertaining.
I love the British bake off because of how good the show is.




10. Give some cooking tips.

1. Use fresh herbs- it can transform the dish. Best quality ingredients is a must for sure, it may not be easily available but herbs you can get easily.
2. Don’t be afraid to slow cook and let the flavors marinate well
3. Using the right pan helps. For eg using a cast iron or non stick or stainless steel pan, they all give a different finished result.






Bio - 

Pooja Jhunjhunwala is a food aficionado, a fantastic chef, and a blogger from Kolkata, India, who currently resides in Jersey City, USA. She is passionate about world cuisine, and her Indian roots influence her cooking. Pooja develops a range of vegetarian and vegan recipes inspired by foreign cuisines – some of these are authentic, and some are fusions of diverse cuisines coupled together, creating an explosion of flavors. She is also a trained pastry chef from the Institute of Culinary Education, NYC, with a list of achievements: She won the Top toque for her studies in Pastry & Baking Arts and Cake Decorating. She was the first Indian to win the silver at the Junior US Pastry Competition in 2016.

Pooja’s culinary adventures have brought her all over the world, which is why she’s also known as The Global Vegetarian, a blog she began during the pandemic in 2020 to share her culinary experiences with food connoisseurs all over the world. Pooja has built a name for herself in the culinary content creation field, with hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube, with features on The FeedFeed, Bon Appetit, and more. Though Pooja is now a globe-trotting, recipe-creating food personality, her path began at home with her mother, where they baked cakes and pastries together.

Being a world traveler, Pooja enjoys trying various local cuisines and feels that doing so enhances her cooking abilities. Her recipes demonstrate her sincere belief that vegetarian eating is anything but boring. She also shares her travel adventures with her audience in order to inspire them to visit different places and enjoy the charm and great food they offer.

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Interviewed By - Nimisha Dutta