TV personality turned celebrity chef, Prim Reddy, is all about embracing food from diverse cultures
Born into a business family, Prim Reddy grew up with a passion for food and has always been fascinated by the idea of entrepreneurship.
Her parents owned a spice shop and, like in most Indian families, she worked with them.
“Spices were our trade and I was surrounded by the beautiful fragrances of spices which felt like working in a perfumery.
“I promised myself at a young age that my trajectory would be different from that of my parents and by pure passion, determination, and being at the right place at the right time, I was blessed to have my first break that kicked off my career on the television screen,” said Reddy.
In the television and radio space, she started her career on “Impressions" in 1992.
In 1995, she arrived in Johannesburg where she first started live television.
During her 16 year TV career, Reddy hopped across SABC 1, SABC 2 and S3. After television, she started live radio where she joined Radio 702 and CapeTalk, and had a cooking show that she said became a true expression of who she was.
Reddy said her interest in food was sparked when people felt the love in her heart as she cooked.
“I’m not a trained chef - the title of ‘celebrity chef' was bestowed upon me. It was something a famous restaurateur and chef said to me one evening that made me celebrate the accolade.
“He said, ‘Home chefs have fed the world's leaders and future leaders. If you can create beautiful food, be proud that you are called a celebrity chef’.”
Asked about her earliest food-related memory, she said: “This is a memory that I often close my eyes to re-live. It’s filled with love, laughter, a dance on the palate, and then a good sleep which is the comfort that soul food brings.
“These memories go straight back to my family where beautiful food brought us all together in one space. It was always a time with much laughter and where you could eat as much as you wanted, yet the bowl was never empty. It still warms my heart.”
With a drive for entrepreneurship and a desire to serve people, in 2020, Reddy opened The Indian Chapter Restaurant.
She said entering the restaurant industry was by default.
“I heard an Indian restaurant was for sale. It was about to close down and I took it over. The rest is history; the Indian Chapter was born.
“We closed down during Covid but an angel made it possible to keep the brand alive. It’s a much smaller space but the food is legendary.
“Dynamics in the restaurant industry have changed, we do more takeaways than tables now, so a different balance. I think the name will remain and our food will grace the tables for a long time to come,” said Reddy.
“It’s said sometimes you don’t understand a dream is fulfilled until it happens. That was my entrance into this industry. It’s an industry where you can never be an expert. You always need to be humble enough to embrace the constant changes.
“I’m still learning. Making dishes close to your heart and waiting in anticipation to see the delight on someone’s face once it touches the taste buds is amazing.
“Confidence comes from there, to push the boundaries and create more complex dishes. Covid was the real test where I had access to very few ingredients. I developed such respect for simple ingredients like salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
“I created simple beautiful dishes, sat around a table sometimes with strangers, and shared the love. Love in your heart when cooking is the most important ingredient,” she added.
Reddy said her style of cooking surpasses any boundary.
“I love food and I don’t eat curry every day. I have great inspiration for what I taste and see and this interaction has me delving into all different cultures.
“I love Italian, Greek, and Spanish influences and with so many exciting ingredients available, it isn’t difficult to create beautiful dishes in a cosmopolitan country like South Africa that embraces people from the global village,” she added.
In her years in the food industry, the veteran chef has won Best Indian Eatery in the Eat Out Awards five years in a row.
In 2021, her cookbook with Niranj Pather, “Temptation”, scooped an international culinary award as it was named best cookbook in the national leg of the International Gourmand Awards.
With The Indian Chapter Restaurant having survived many challenges, Reddy said the quality of their offering remains true as does the passion and commitment to what they do.