Balbir Singh

Mrs. Balbir Singh, originally Balwant Kaur, was born in 1912 when Punjab was still undivided. She is a legendary woman in the culinary world making a remarkable impact on Indian and worldwide. Celebrity Chef Simon Majumdar gave her the title of “India’s Julia Child.” She was interested in cooking at a young age and her mother’s culinary solid skills inspired her. She had many cultural constraints and had to pursue her interests while also excelling in her academics. She graduated from Punjab University in 1936. Her turning point was when she moved to London with her husband Dr. Balbir Singh for his PhD.

She enrolled in a domestic Science course at Regent Street in Regent Polytechnic, where she received a first class in the City and Guilds Diploma. She polished her skills there and also shared Indian recipes with all her classmates. It was then that her culinary endeavour started. She returned to India in 1955 with her culinary knowledge gained in London Then they settled in Delhi and she started giving cooking classes to students in Lady Irwin College and in Vasant Vihar. She gained respect from enthusiasm and dedication which attracted many students. She continued cooking for over 4 years and gained expertise in the history, culture and science of Indian regional and local cooking. Her book ‘Indian Cookery’ is considered a culinary masterpiece. The book was initially sent to Mills & Boon and caused a sensation after its release in 1961.

It consists of several recipes, including Pickles, Chutneys, Kababs, Rice, Breads, sweets, sherbets, squashes and curries. The book sold almost 40,000 copies by 1994 and went through many revisions, and reprints over time. She also published ‘Continental Cookery for Indian Homes’ in 1994 which included 300 recipes and her inspiration to finish it came from her grandchild Pallavi, as she wanted to gift it to her on her wedding. In 1967, she hosted India’s first national television culinary show on Doordarshan and made history. She recieved the Indian Council of Agricultural Research Award for her work in food preservation. She passed away in 1995, but her legacy in Indian culinary will continue forever. Her descendants maintain her London establishment and her dishes like Chicken tikka masala continue influencing people and delighting them worldwide. Her granddaughter Pallavi Sitlani launched a spice company under Mrs. Balbir Singh’s name.