The 7th edition of Shefs at The Leela celebrates women in culinary leadership

The Leela Palace Chennai presents the seventh edition of Shefs at The Leela in collaboration with ‘Dean With Us’ — the mother-daughter duo of Rupali and Akanksha Dean. The event honours the transformative role of Indian women chefs who are shaping the future of gastronomy. After past editions hosted across Bengaluru, Gurugram, Chennai, and Jaipur, the seventh edition in Chennai will bring together four women chefs — Sambhavi Joshi, Taiyaba Ali, Sehaj Ghuman and Bunuma Patgiri, who will bring their years of expertise into curating a menu that speaks both of their work and India’s diverse culinary heritage.  

“This platform was created to amplify the voices of women chefs, long underrepresented in professional kitchens and provide them a space to flourish, inspire, and connect,” says Akanksha, co-founder of Dean With Us.

The menu is a fusion of global culinary techniques, with richly rooted sensibilities of Indian cuisine. “We selected Indian women chefs thriving not only in India but internationally as well, each carving their own niche with passion and flair. Each dish narrates a journey of personal and cultural identity, harmonising traditional elements with contemporary creativity,” says Rupali, founder of Dean With Us.

Sambhavi Joshi
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Sambhavi Joshi will embody her commitment to rustic Italian cuisine, sustainability, and zero-waste practises, with signature dishes from her restaurant, Casa Pasta Bar, Delhi. “For me, I think it was it was about trying to put the best of Casa on the menu because that’s where I have learnt and kind of built on in the past few years. I am making a pumpkin soup. So, the pumpkin soup has a beautiful story from when I was training with Chef Alex Sanchez. One day he made me make the pumpkin soup almost 10 times — because it was just not right. So, I think for me it holds a place in my heart.” Here, the pumpkin is paired with smoked duck and a delicate parmesan foam.

Taiyaba Ali 
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Taiyaba Ali is a chef and writer from Lucknow who celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of women to Awadhi cuisine. Her menus spotlight the region’s multicultural influences and seasonal ingredients. “I am doing a stuffed and seared butternut squash in a nut gravy served with dill pulao. Pulaos are big in Lucknow. We don’t always eat biryani. I am using dill leaves to make this home-style pulao, with little bit of spices. There’s the technique of dum, which is called dhungar, and there is also slow cooking of the butter nut squash which is being roasted.”

Bunuma Patgiri
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Bunuma Patgiri is the Chef de Cuisine at The Leela Palace Chennai. Her expertise lies with Thai, Singaporean, Malay, and Northeast Indian cuisines. She is making larb gai, a dish inspired by Thai Krathong. I belong to the Boro tribe in Northeast India, which has festivals with rituals similar to Thai traditions, including offerings of flowers and food in a boat-shaped structur in water, mirroring Thai krathong.”

Sehaj Ghuman
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Sehaj Ghuman is head chef, Academy Of Pastry and Culinary Arts, Gurugram. For the dessert menu, she is doing her version of choco bar. “It’s going to be super chocolatey with caramelised peanut parfait, a soft vanilla caramel, and chocolate chunk dacquoise. It’s just a childhood memory basically,” she says.

Shefs at The Leela will take place at The Leela Palace Chennai on July 20, priced at ₹5,999 plus taxes. To reserve call +91 7824813894.