Chef Gary Mehigan on Indian ingredients

He is known for putting people at ease immediately with his disarming smile and cheerful demeanour. And Gary Mehigan, TV host, restaurateur and chef, does just that at Mumbai’s Magazine Street Kitchen, at the MasterChef Australia-inspired Mystery Box Challenge curated by the NGO, Foundation for Mother and Child Health India (FMCH).

In India as ambassador for Australia Fest, he urges the contestants to “have fun and enjoy what they cook”. But he also has a second job. Armed with ingredients from Australia — like lemon myrtle, caper leaves and more — Gary was here to showcase the ‘Taste of Australia’. He gushes, “Australia boasts of so many unique ingredients which are intrinsic to the food, and we are attempting to display those through my cooking at the various Master classes, demonstrations and curated dinners.”

Indian cuisine, according to him, similarly boasts of a lot of ingredients in each dish. “It is the inherent love for flavours and textures that defines Indian food. Australians too are similar, as they also enjoy variety and crunch in their food,” analyses Gary.

Fan of Indian cuisine

Fascinated by India and Indian ingredients, Gary has been travelling to this country frequently since 2012. On each trip, he says, “I discover something new.” If it was winter foods like sarson ka saaghara chana and ponkh that kept him immersed on his last trip, currently, he is enamoured by the flavours of the tandoor. He is trying to put together one for himself back home in Australia, by watching YouTube videos, although he admits he is “not a DIY person”.

The kulcha, too, has caught his fancy. He relished a recent breakfast of kulchas with chana and agrees that this combination is pure ecstasy. “Anything that goes into the tandoor is so delicious, with distinct flavours,” notes Gary.

Ingredients apart, some of the skills that chefs in India possess intrigue him. “Making a laccha paratha, or even piping jalebi batter into hot oil, is an art. It all looks so simple, but it isn’t.” While the chef in him has learnt how to get the layers and folds of the complex laccha paratha right, the foodie in him loves to simply devour it with butter on top.

Matter of familiarity

He reminisces about his first-ever visit to Sassoon Docks in Mumbai years ago, when he was awe-struck by the variety of seafood. “The supply chain in Mumbai has grown by leaps and bounds and it is heartening to see,” states Gary.

Given his fetish for Indian ingredients, one wonders if he travels back with a full suitcase. “I tried taking ker sangri from Rajasthan once, but was not allowed, hence I’ve stopped. It is only a few spices, which I love, that I take back in small quantities. But yes, I take back lots of ideas,” he quips.

With multiple trips to India, especially Mumbai, he is getting increasingly comfortable with the city. “On my last trip I was living in Bandra like a local and was pleased when I could direct the driver which way to go,” he chuckles. Now, Gary is guiding his wife Mandy and 16-year-old daughter Jenna, who are here for the first time, on what to see and eat.

Pani purisamosa chaatras malai and boondi ladoo. The Delhi recommendations will follow, when we get there later this week,” Gary signs off with his famous grin.

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SHRUTI CHOUDHARI

Board Member
FMCH

Shruti Choudhari is Director, Projects & Strategy at B L Kashyap, one of India’s renowned listed civil construction companies. She has studied Architecture from the University of Minnesota and Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Gurgaon. Shruti founded Chrysalis Design Studio as the Principal Architect in 2007. She has a Master’s degree in Strategic Planning from MIT & Columbia University and a Master certification in Construction Engineering from University of Michigan. She has received the “Women in Excellence” award at the WEF in 2017 and in 2021, she was inducted as WICCI Construction Council – National Director.

Dorothy Wagle

Chairperson
Managing Commitee

Dorothy Wagle has had a long career in product development and manufacturing in both the USA and India. During early retirement, Dottie was able to fulfil her life-long ambition to work with an NGO. Starting with Salaam Baalak for street children in Mumbai, she then moved to FMCH and served as Chairperson of the Managing Committee for over 6 years. She’s currently the Executive Board Chairperson.

SHRUTHI IYER

CEO
Project Poshan And Wadia Hospital

Shruthi, an engineer from VTU has been an independent consultant in the development space – focusing on strategy, fundraising and business development. Prior to FMCH, she was the Executive Director at Mentor Me India, a Mumbai-based NGO. She has 10 years of experience working with organizations such as Infosys, Hippocampus, Teach for Bangladesh, Masoom and Sukhibhava. She is a Teach for India and Acumen Fellow.

Poonam Kashyap

Director of Operations
FMCH India

Major Poonam, an alumnus of AFMC, Pune is a graduate in Nursing, a double post graduate in Applied Psychology, and MSW (Livelihoods and Social Entrepreneurship) from TISS, Mumbai. The founder of LetshareIndia Foundation, an AI-based Donation platform is a retired Indian Army officer, with more than 10 years of work experience. She has worked with many NGOs and research organizations as a Project Lead.

Jesmina M Sangma

Operations Lead
FMCH India

Jesmina, with her Masters in Social Work from Dibrugarh University, Assam is passionate about working in the social sector. She previously worked as Senior Associate-Recruitment & Operations in Mentor Me India, handling 360-degree recruitment and operations. She also worked as a Program Manager with Apne Aap Women’s Collective, on a project for adolescent girls.

Shubhangi Bhoite

Manager
Project Poshan And Wadia Hospital

Shubhangi, with a background in social work, brings 8 years of experience in addressing maternal and newborn health. At FMCH, she specifically focuses on the issue of malnutrition and working with SAM and MAM children.

Sharad Thakare

Manager
Community Nutrition Initiative

Sharad, with a Masters Degree in social work, brings over 13 years of experience in child rights, education, health and nutrition. At FMCH, he focuses on  supervising programme implementation, reporting, organising training and large scale community events.

Preethi Mutta

Manager
Community Nutrition Initiative II

Preethi, with a Masters in Social Work from Mangalore University, brings over 13 years of working experience in the development sector managing Adolescents Education, Sexual and Reproductive health, Maternal and Child health care programmes.

Bhagyada Jamsandekar

Senior Manager
Program and Impact

Bhagyada Jamsandekar is a nutritionist by profession. She has been working in the maternal and child health care management sector for the past 7 years in both rural and urban areas across India. She has progressive experience in developing protocols for sustainably managing the burden of malnutrition in communities. Her expertise is in nutrition in the First 1000 Days, Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and Social Behaviour Change Communication.

Amar Yadav

Manager
Finance

Amar is a B.Com graduate who has also completed Government Diploma in Cooperation and Accountancy (GDCA). Currently pursuing Inter CA & Final CS, he brings 6 years of experience working with CA firms in Accounting & Audits. He has also worked as a college teacher in accounts & taxation.

Sarah Khokhawala

Associate
Project Poshan and Partnerships and Training Vertical

Sarah, with her Masters in Food Science and Nutrition from SNDT Women’s University, Juhu, Mumbai is an intern turned employee. She is keen on exploring and learning about various roles in health and nutrition in the development sector.

Komal Kamble

Program Associate
Partnerships and Trainings

Komal, with her Masters in Social Work has also completed a short-term course from NN College in Laws and social work. She brings work experience in Children and Institutions and a nuanced understanding about rural and urban setup work.

Asma Khan

Associate
Project Poshan And Wadia Intervention

Asma is a high school graduate who is currently pursuing further studies. She discovered FMCH during an orientation session at Dhobi Ghat and wanted to join the team in 2017. She finally got an opportunity to work for Project Poshan at Kurla-Jarimari a year later.

Laxmi Nair

Consultant
Director of Technology and Impact

Laxmi, an engineer turned educator is a Tech Consultant at FMCH. She’s a Teach For India Fellow, with over a decade of experience in education. She was an Associate Director at 321 Education Foundation; handling the Program Design and Training Function to improve foundational literacy for children. 

Vishwa Patel

Senior Manager
Program and Impact

With a B. Tech in computer engineering, Vishwa worked for 4 years as a software engineer in IT, mainly at TCS and Accenture. To contribute to the social sector, she switched her career and joined Antarang Foundation after YIF. With a keen interest in history, mythology, art, and literature, she joined FMCH to use her skills for the society and her contentment.

Durgesh Sharma

Associate
Project Poshan

Durgesh has recently completed Gandhi Fellowship program in Piramal Foundation. For 2 years, he worked in the Education and Health system of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan around Leadership Development and policy advocacy. He is also a Taekwondo player passionate about travelling, and music.

Dr. Rajeev V. Punjabi

Board Member
FMCH India

Advanced Endoscopic Gynaecologist & Obstetrician – Consultant at Hinduja Healthcare Hospital Khar, Mumbai & Partner – Tulip Women’s Healthcare Centre, Khar (W), Mumbai. He is the Pioneer of Waterbirth in India and has expertise in the field of Minimally Invasive Surgery and Advanced Laparoscopy for Women. He has a special interest in Maternal and Child health Programmes and Pregnancy Nutrition.

MALA SRIVASTAVA

Board Member
FMCH

Mala Srivastava has a background in Engineering and Marketing. She was previously Director of Product Management at Numenta, an AI startup and has also worked at Cisco Systems. Mala has been actively involved in local communities. She served on the board of SPARK, a non-profit mentoring middle schoolers in the USA. Mala has an MBA from UCLA, MS from Purdue University, and a Bachelors from BITS Pilani. After living abroad for several years, she moved back to Mumbai.

CHANDRIKA RAO

Director
Program and Impact

Chandrika has been a development sector professional for the past 20 years. With a masters degree in Clinical Psychology and has grassroots-level experience in working with children and women, programme design, implementation and evaluation with a special focus on life skills, education and advocacy. In the past, Chandrika has worked with organisations such as Sahayog Foundation, Apnalaya and Magic Bus in various leadership roles. She also has experience in content creation and curriculum development for training, life skills and e-learning. A writer, passionate about collaboration and creating collective impact, Chandrika is an aspiring improv artist and has a channel on YouTube.

NARENDRA LOLGE

Manager

Narendra, has been working in the development health sector with an experience of over 22 years in various healthcare programs. He has proven expertise in operational management, strategic initiatives to startup any program, advocacy and networking. Narendra has worked with different organizations earlier such as Population Services International, DKT India, SNEHA & Americares India Foundation

Iram Ansari

Program Associate
Community Nutrition Initiative II

With a Bachelors in Commerce, Iram Ansari was a Field Officer with FMCH for seven years before joining us as Program Associate for Community Nutrition Initiative-II, Bhiwandi. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work from IGNOU and is working towards creating a positive impact on society.

Shahajahan Ansari

Program Associate
Community Nutrition Initiative I

With a Bachelors in Commerce, Shahajahan Ansari was a Field Officer with FMCH for 5 years before joining us as Program Associate for Community Nutrition Initiative-I, Bhiwandi. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Social Work from IGNOU and is working towards making India malnutrition free.

PURVA BAHADKAR

Program Associate
Community Nutrition Initiative II

With a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition and a masters degree in Public Health Nutrition, Purva Bahadkar is the founder of a successfully running small business called GrabHealthy, which provides a variety of healthy snacks that track the calories you consume. In the past, Purva has worked as a community nutritionist in Udaan Welfare Foundation, Thane  – she planned and handled their ‘Project Annapurna’, which provided support to the community to fight against malnutrition. Purva calls herself a captivating communicator and her goal is to inspire each and every individual of India to eat and live well.

ANIMISH JOSHI

Program Associate
Community Nutrition Initiative I

Animish is a graduate in Food Processing Technology from Pune University and post-graduate from Symbiosis International University in Nutrition and Dietetics with a specialization in Public Health Nutrition. Born and brought up in Pune, he is a devoted public health nutritionist with a mission to contribute in tackling nutrition-related issues in society and bring a positive change in people’s lives.

Pradnya Mandavkar

Program Associate
Project Poshan

Pradnya comes with a background in Master’s in Food Science and Nutrition from SNDT Women’s University, Mumbai. She had previously worked as a Nutritionist with FMCH in 2017 and has rejoined us after her Masters. She also worked in a Health company as a nutritionist. Her interest lies in Community Nutrition and she is devoted to work towards making India malnutrition free.

Sunita Agarwal

Board Member
FMCH India

Sunita Agarwal lived in Bangkok for 28 years and moved to India in 2016. With a Bachelor’s degree in clinical nutrition, she persevered her passion for nurturing young talent by teaching in different international schools in Bangkok and Mumbai. Her over 20 years of experience has firmly reinforced her belief that education is about developing responsible citizens who will be successful by being effective, passionate, creative and critical learners.

Geetanjali Jha Chakraborty

Board Member
FMCH India

Geetanjali has been associated with the non-profit sector through her various roles at Concern India, Childline and Armman. At present, she is the Co-Founder and Senior Director of Centre for Social & Behaviour Change Communication. She joined the FMCH Board to guide the team with her expertise in maternal and child health and behaviour change.

Sheila Malaney

Board Member
FMCH India

Sheila Malaney has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Delhi. She is the retired Chairperson of Vulcan Engineering. Sheila serves on various Boards in both the Profit and Non-Profit sectors. Sheila is the longest serving Board Member of FMCH.

Ratan Kapadia

Board Member
FMCH India

With over 35 years experience as a Practising Company Secretary, Ratan handled Company Law and Secretarial matters of public listed Companies, Pvt Companies Section 8 Companies, Public and Private Trusts. He represented Companies for Company Law, FEMA, SEBI, Stock Exchanges collaborations, liquidation and closure of Companies, Amalgamations etc. Also provided advisory services to the Board of a public Limited Company in Strategy, Public Relations. HRD etc.

Prasad Baji

Board Member
FMCH India

An alumnus of IIT (Mumbai) and IIM (Calcutta). With over 22 years of work experience at corporates such as JSW, Edelweiss & ICICI –  he’s equipped with corporate & investment banking, business planning & evaluation, financial analysis/budgeting and project finance skills. In July 2018, he transitioned to the social sector as an Advisor and Philanthropist to Non Profits. He’s a founding member of IITians for Influencing India’s Transformation.

Mohit Shukla

Board Member
FMCH India

With over 20 years of work experience, Mohit is a Managing Director, and Head of Legal & Compliance for India at Barclays. He’s responsible for the general oversight of legal and compliance services to all the Indian businesses and Barclays entities, and for general legal and compliance risk management in India. Previously, he was with Citibank for 9 years as Citi’s Country General Counsel for South Asia, covering India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal for all of Citi’s commercial businesses.

Lakhan Jain

Board Member
FMCH India

Lakhan Jain has a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, FCA and he is a practicing Chartered Accountant. He has been associated with FMCH since 2008. In 2013, he joined the Board of Trustees.  Being a Treasurer and Trustee, he looks after the financials and taxation part of the organisation.

Khushnuma Ferzandi

Board Member
FMCH India

Khushnuma Ferzandi has been an active member of the American School of Bombay (ASB) for the past 23 years. Her current role at ASB is Head of Internal Partnerships and Events. Her primary role as part of the school’s Advancement Team is to expand and align ASB’s social and community initiatives with the intent to boost morale and build a stronger and deeper sense of community with all of ASB’s stakeholders.

SHRUTHI IYER

CEO
FMCH India

Shruthi, an engineer from VTU has been an independent consultant in the development space – focusing on strategy, fundraising and business development. Prior to FMCH, she was the Executive Director at Mentor Me India, a Mumbai-based NGO. She has 10 years of experience working with organizations such as Infosys, Hippocampus, Teach for Bangladesh, Masoom and Sukhibhava. She is a Teach for India and Acumen Fellow.