All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) Announces Master Chef Competition to Promote AYUSH Ethos for Food

In line with the Central Government’s initiative to support AYUSH mission, the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in association with the National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN), Pune and the Central Council for Research in Naturopathy, has launched ‘Master Chef Competition’ in the run up to the Global AYUSH Investment Summit, which will be held from 20-22 April, 2022, at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

The objective of this competition is to reinvent and promote AYUSH ethos for food. It aims to provide an international platform to showcase the diverse and inclusive culture and heritage of Indian foods.

Under the theme ‘Ahara for Poshan’, the Master Chef Competition has six entry categories for participation- Cereal-based preparations, Millets-based preparations, Nuts/Pulses-based preparations, Fruits/Vegetable-based preparations, Dairy product-based preparations and Fusion. The competition is open for all above the age of 18 years and registration can be done for free by filling a Google form and uploading one recipe video of 5-7 minutes duration. The video should mention the recipe’s method of preparation and its health benefits and can be recorded in either English or Hindi. Only one entry per candidate is allowed and in case of any conflict of interest, the candidate will not be allowed to participate in the competition.

The competition requires recipes to be aligned with the dietary principles of AYUSH streams and should be prepared from natural ingredients sans any artificial colours, flavours or preservatives

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Tanuja Manoj Nesari, Director, AIIA, said, “Master Chef competition is our initiative to highlight the importance of incorporating AYUSH into our modern diets, and bring to the fore the nutritional value of our native grains, cereals, millets and other natural ingredients to promote a healthy way of living. The competition will also introduce Ayurveda and its genesis with healthy eating to an international audience which is very receptive and keen to learn this Indian Ayurveda science.”

After the screening round, five candidates will be shortlisted in each category, and all shortlisted participants must give consent to be present physically in the final round. The shortlisted candidates will participate physically in the final round that will be held on the day of the Global Summit at Gandhinagar. There will be three winners in each of the six categories with a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh for the winner and Rs. 75,000 for the first runner-up and Rs 50,000 for the second runner-up. Overall, there would be 18 winners.

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