Mrs. Balbir Singh Biography 
Mrs. Balbir Singh was an Indian chef who wrote several cookery books. She also conducted cookery classes for students. Mrs Balbir Singh’s Indian Cookery book was an award winner, first published in 1961. She began her formal cooking and homemaking classes in the year 1955 in the capital city, Delhi. The iconic book, Mrs Balbir Singh’s Indian Cookery is said to inspire many chefs of later generations. Mrs. Singh passed away in 1994. She was regarded as the Julia Child or Mrs. Beeton of India, in the 20th century. Chicken Tikka Masala – a North Indian cuisine was one of Mrs. Balbir Singh’s top dishes.
She hailed from Punjab, born into a family of landlords in 1912. Her birth name is Balwant Kaur. Her father’s name is S. Ram Singh. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Punjab University in 1936, one of the oldest public universities in India. She married Dr. Balbir Singh, who she had met at University. The couple had one child, Deepak Singh. She was initially a homemaker, who later pursued her passion.
The award winning and nation’s favourite chef of 20th century was born in Punjab. Singh is widely regarded as one of India's most important teachers and writers of the art of Indian cookery. In the mid-1900s, she established herself as a great cook as well as great teacher. She was also the first cookery expert to be commissioned by India’s national television network, Doordarshan to present a series of cooking segments.
She experimented with her years of cooking experiences and authored one book titled Continental Cookery for Indian Homes and published in 1994. It included more than 300 traditional dishes with some derivatives and experiments, and was written as a marriage gift to her only grandchild. It used ingredients available in local markets, but also added to her culinary legacy to make it an extraordinary cookery book.
Published: November 29, 2018
Updated: November 29, 2018
