Tamil Nadu's favourite Chef Damu passes away at 72; here's all you need to know about ‘Cooku with Comali’ judge

PADMA Shri awardee Chef Damodharan, popularly known as Chef Damu, passed away on Sunday at 72 after a period of ill health. He was widely recognised for his culinary work and his role as a judge on the Tamil television show Cooku with Comali.

He became a household name after appearing on Jaya TV and Star Vijay, and his friendly presence on the programme earned him the affectionate nickname ‘Damu Appa’ among viewers, according to reports. His Padma Shri citation credits him with hosting cooking programmes on Raj TV, Pothigai, Jaya TV and Vijay TV over 22 years.

His death was confirmed by Media Masons in a social media post. The account wrote, "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."

Who was Chef Damu?

Born on 3 September 1954 in a small town in Tamil Nadu, Damodharan began working as a management trainee with the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation after completing his diploma in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from the Institute of Hotel Management, Taramani, Chennai.

He later earned a B.Com from Madurai Kamaraj University and an MBA from Madras University. He also obtained CHE and CHA qualifications from the American Hotel and Motel Association’s Educational Institute. He studied Conference Centre Management at Cornell University in the US.

Chef Damu entered teaching in 1986 and went on to head 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.

He was also the first Indian chef to receive a PhD in Hotel Management and Catering Technology.

According to The Better India, Chef Damu started out washing dishes in hotel kitchens before rising to become one of India’s best-known chefs.

A passion for Tamil Nadu’s cuisine

Damodharan had a deep interest in Tamil Nadu’s cuisine, particularly Chettinad food. He prepared his own spice blends and encouraged his followers to do the same. He also visited the Karaikudi region almost every weekend to gather recipes.

He authored 17 cookbooks for home cooks, featuring 2,700 recipes, along with four books for catering students. He was known for his book Damu’s Home Free Style Cook.

In 2019, he tasted 12,000 dishes across Tamil Nadu in 13 days. He was also the knowledge partner for The Hindu newspaper's traditional food competition, Our State Our Taste, covering 25 districts of Tamil Nadu.

Guinness records and culinary honours

On 22 December 2010, Chef Damu set a Guinness World Record for the longest individual cooking marathon. He prepared 617 dishes weighing 190 kg in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds.

His other Guinness records included the world’s longest dosa, made in Madurai in 2012, and the world’s largest curry, prepared in Little India, Singapore, in 2014.

He received the "Culinary Legend Award" from the World Tamil Organization, London, in 2021. In the same year, he received the "Lifetime Achievement Award" presented by SRM University and Nestle in India.

Contributions to school meals and community welfare

In 2008 and 2011, he worked with the Tamil Nadu government on its midday-meal scheme, helping improve meals for 1.68 crore schoolchildren with eight rice preparations and six egg dishes. He trained 1.4 lakh midday-meal workers across 32 districts and cooks at girls’ hostels run by the state’s School Education Department under the RMSA scheme in 13 districts.

Tamil Nadu’s Social Welfare Department circulated videos of his cooking demonstrations to villages across the state to train cooks. He also demonstrated how to prepare 14 breakfast dishes for schoolchildren to 56 pilot trainers from different districts as part of a state government initiative.

According to his Padma Shri citation, he was the president of the Rotary Club, Tambaram, in 2007 and 2008. During his tenure, one lakh children were administered polio drops, 260 senior citizens underwent cataract operations, and a general medical camp was conducted for the public every Sunday.

Separately, in coordination with the Department of Training and Development, 750 female members of self-help groups were trained. These members subsequently set up 150 canteens.

He was also appointed State Honorary President of the National Youth Association. Chef Damu helped more than 6,000 catering students secure jobs at reputed hotels. In 2019, he trained and sent a team of 10 Indian chefs to the Food Olympia, where they won four gold medals