Passion for cooking helps this Lucknow lad taste success

LUCKNOW: He was just 12 when his mother suffered a paralysis attack and he had to enter the kitchen out of compulsion. Soon, the routine cooking became a passion which helped him achieve fame at the national level.
Vineet Yadav (24), a Lucknow University student and son of an electric lineman, has made it to top 16 contestants in a popular competitive cooking TV show.
Vineet, who worked as ‘mehndi’ and makeup artist while studying at LU to support his family of nine, was appreciated for his creativity and flavour he added to the cuisine in the TV show.
To make Indian food popular in foreign countries, Vineet added international twist to Lakhnavi cuisine.
“My mother, Gyan Devi, suffered a paralysis attack when I was 12. We are seven siblings. My father, Mahendra Singh Yadav, worked as a lineman and could not cook meals for seven children. I always admired my mother’s hardwork and dedication and decided to cook for everyone,” said Vineet.
“Majboori mein khaana banana shuru kiya phir vo passion ban gaya (I started cooking due to adverse circumstances and later it became my passion). Meanwhile, my father retired from service and was unable to get pension for some time. I took up the job of a ‘mehndi’ and makeup artist. I was creative since childhood and had good drawing, art and craft skills hence I easily learnt the job but cooking remained my first love,” he added.
Vineet researched and studied about food and cooking while pursuing BA at LU. “I was often discouraged by people who said cooking and ‘mehndi’ are not meant for boys but I continued to work hard believing nothing is gender-specific. Learning any skill is not a waste. Learning ‘mehndi’ art helped me in beautiful plating,” he added.
“It was at LU where whenever I won a ‘mehndi’ competition, no one made fun of me but motivated me. My dish Beet Jack Booty was beetroot ghevar, jackfruit halwa and seed mouse made me enter top 16 of MasterChef India,” said Vineet, who is currently pursuing BEd from an LU-affiliated private college.