Cooking Up a Digital Storm: 6 Young Indian Women Chefs Popular on Instagram

By: WE Staff

When Michel Krieger and Kevin Systrom founded image sharing platform Instagram in 2010, little did they know that they had given birth to a cultural zeitgeist. In 2021, Instagram clocked 1.21 billion monthly users. From being a simple photo-sharing application, Instagram has transitioned into a viable marketplace, providing opportunities for businesses and individuals to get engaged in e-commerce activities.

Instagram’s growth has been fueled by its visually appealing aesthetics, focused on audience reach, influencer marketing, seamless e-commerce integration, robust advertising options, data analytics, and direct communication abilities. Due to these elements, Instagram has become a popular platform for brands to effectively market and sell their goods to end consumers. The platform has also legitimized the power held by ‘influencers’, who are popular social media personalities.

With Instagram’s success, women from all walks of life have been allowed to become influencers in their arena of interest and build a sizable following. For instance, creating food channels or reels on social media has become a popular way for women to showcase their culinary skills and share their passion for cooking with a wide audience. These platforms, allow female business owners to publish and share content about food, recipes, cooking methods, and food culture.

Here are the top 6 young Indian women chefs who have built a large following on Instagram.

Pooja Dhingra (@poojadhingra)

Popular Indian pastry chef and entrepreneur, Pooja Dhingra is well known for establishing the chain of pastry shops known as Le15 Patisserie in Mumbai, India. Due to her skill in making macarons, Pooja Dhingra is frequently referred to as the "Macaron Queen of India".

Pooja has completed Finance and Entrepreneurship from the Business School in London. She started Le15 Patisserie in 2010, which was initially started from her home kitchen. The Patisserie became well-known for its pastries with a French twist and particularly for its macarons. Because of her Indian culinary skills, she became a prominent figure. She has also written a book called "The Big Book of Treats" in which a selection of her well-known recipes is mentioned. Pooja shares her behind-the-scenes glimpses of her patisserie on her Instagram handle @poojadhingra. Her online presence has garnered a significant following, and she continues to inspire aspiring bakers with her expertise and love for pastries.

Deeba Rajpal (@passionateaboutbaking)

Deeba Rajpal popularly known as @passionateaboutbaking, is an Indian food blogger, recipe developer, and food stylist. She is renowned for her love of baking and her exquisitely presented culinary skills.

To share her passion for all things savory and sweet, Deeba Rajpal started her blog, "Passionate About Baking" in 2008. Due to her exquisite food photography, detailed recipes, and innovative way of flavor combinations, her blog quickly gained a great audience.

Deeba Rajpal actively interacts with her audience on social media in addition to her blog page. Her Instagram account @passionateaboutbaking inspires her followers to explore their culinary creativity by sharing snippets of her baking process and food photography.

Nandita Iyer (@saffrontrail)

Nandita Iyer also known as @saffrontrail, is a well-known Indian cookbook author, nutritionist, and food blogger. She is renowned for her skill in developing wholesome, healthy recipes and encouraging mindful eating habits. To showcase her love for cooking healthy meals and to share her culinary experiences, Nandita started her food blog, "Saffron Trail," in 2006 and gradually her Instagram account by @saffrontrail. She has established herself as a trusted voice in the Indian food blogging community because of her knowledge of nutrition and skill in cooking delicious dishes. She is always dedicated to sharing nutritious and healthy recipes with her followers.

Shipra Khanna (@masterchefshiprakhanna)

Shipra Khanna, also known as @masterchefshiprakhanna, is a well-known cookbook author from India and the Season 2 winner of the popular cooking reality show "MasterChef India". She became a popular face for her cooking skills and has emerged to be a leading figure in the Indian culinary world.

Shipra officially began her journey in the culinary world when she participated in "MasterChef India" in 2011. She showcased her creative cooking skills and recipes during the competition where she was crowned the title. After this win, she also gained a huge number of followers on her Instagram account where she regularly shares her food photography, recipes, and updates about her culinary ventures.

Neha Mathur (@whiskaffair)

Neha Mathur, also known as @whiskaffair, is a well-known Indian food blogger who is recognized for her culinary expertise, extensive collection of recipes, and captivating food photography. She started her blog "Whisk Affair" in 2018 to share her passion for cooking and to keep a document of her cooking experiences. Her blog offers a wide variety of recipes, with a focus on making delectable and approachable meals, including Indian, International, and fusion cuisine.

In her Instagram account, Neha has gained amassed a large following and has garnered appreciation for her reliable recipes, detailed instructions, and creative food photography.

Amrita Kaur (@amritaoflife)

An Indian food blogger Amrita Kaur so known as @amritaoflife is popular for her food post's on her Instagram account like a cornucopia of colors that frequently features various foods, eateries, and friends she makes along the way of exploring with the occasional casual selfie thrown in. This Indore-based food blogger teaches the art of cooking and also believes in Buddhism philosophy.

Before becoming a food blogger, Amrita was a journalist and also an RJ for five years. Now she mostly shares her culinary skills, new recipes, and home cheffing inti her blogs and social media platforms. She also gained fame for her creation of "OMG Bacon Jam" which gained huge popularity and also became trending on Twitter before she became a vegetarian.