#ELLEGourmetCoverStar: Aruna Vijay & The Confidence You Can Taste

Chef Aruna Vijay’s story begins in a quiet Chennai kitchen, far from the glare of studio lights and timed cook-offs. For 15 years, she lived the rhythm of a devoted homemaker, a role she embraced even as she tucked away parts of herself she hadn’t yet met. Then, MasterChef India shifted the horizon.

“Food was never my first career choice,” she says, recalling how she once dreamt of preparing for the IAS before going on to study media and complete her Master’s in Broadcast Communication. But life unfolded differently. Marriage, responsibilities, and growing up in a family where women rarely worked outside the home meant her professional journey “paused before it could begin.” 

Cooking entered as a routine before becoming an expression. Preparing meals for 15–20 people daily sharpened her instincts long before she saw them as skills. “Over time, repetition taught me flavour, planning, scale, and consistency,” she explains.

The turning point arrived during the lockdown, when a quiet urge surfaced. Armed with a phone, a stand, and her kitchen, she began sharing simple recipes online. “Content creation gave me agency — it allowed me to reclaim my identity beyond roles and expectations,” she says.

On Identity, Culture, And Constraint

As her identity expanded from homemaker to cook, creator, or cultural voice, Vijay became increasingly intentional about the space she occupies. “I don’t follow trends blindly — only when they feel aligned,” she says. Her work champions regional and seasonal food, especially dishes safeguarded in home kitchens. “I want to bring out recipes that aren’t spoken about much and rarely make it to restaurants.” For her, this is where content meets culture.

Her ambition, however, evolved within the architecture of an Indian household, where gratitude is often valued over ambition. “There’s an expression, ‘you’re allowed to work’. But who is doing the permitting? Once I found my voice and understood my journey, that shifted,” she says.

Never Too Late To Begin

For young women or home cooks who see themselves in her, Vijay offers clarity: “I want to be the face of homemakers because I started at 36 after having two kids. If you don’t respect your work, the world won’t either.”

She has heard the dismissive lines her whole life. “I agree — I’m ‘only’ making food. But dignity begins at home. Make your food so special that you stand out. Respect your work first.”

Her journey, she adds, is sustained by faith and a supportive partner. “I’m lucky to have someone who encourages me completely.” When work becomes overwhelming, she returns to her centre: “One hug from him makes my day. It calms me down and brings me back to myself.”

She still laughs about her wildest MasterChef moment: “I burned my food just as the judge approached. I hid the tray in the oven, remade it quickly, and that dish won ‘dish of the day’.”

Aruna’s journey is still unfolding — shaped by resilience, intention, and a refusal to shrink herself. She now moves with purpose, determined to spotlight South Indian cuisine and remind women that ambition has no age limit.

Quick Fires:

Kitchen Nickname: Edible Love

Comfort Dish After A Long Day: Dosa

Favourite Ingredient Right Now: Coconut

Favourite Drink: Strawberry Matcha

Food Trend You Wish Would Disappear: Anything that kills the dosa

If Not A Chef, You Would Be: IAS Officer

Dream City To Open A Restaurant In: London

If You Were A Dish, You Would Be: Dosa

Favourite Song On Loop: Fa9la byFlipperachi

Favourite Movie: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Your 3 A.M. Speed Dial Person: My Husband

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Digital Editor: Isha Mayer; Photographer: Vijit Gupta; Creative Director & Creative Producer: Priyadarshini Patwa; Stylist: Jainee Bheda; Art Director: Jangu Sethna; Jr. Graphic Designer: Divya Pande (cover design); Hair and Make-up: Florian Hurel Hair Couture and Spa; Assisted by: Jainam Gogri (styling), Eshita Mohan (art), Vaishnavi Rana (editorial); Executive Producer: Aanchal Jain; Production: Nafromax Productions