Raghavan Iyer

Raghavan Iyer was a chef, cookbook author and culinary educator estimated by The New York Times to have taught more Americans to cook Indian food than anyone else in history. Raghavan won a James Beard Award for his video series Indian Curries: The Basics and Beyond and was nominated twice more, for his EatingWell article “South Indian with Ease” and for his cookbook The Turmeric Trail. He co-founded the Asian Culinary Arts Institutes and became president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals after winning two IACP awards. He won an Emmy for his documentary Asian Flavors, and he was named one of the top 100 influencers for home cooks by Epicurious. 

Raghavan learned to cook at 21 out of necessity, after he moved from India to the United States to study hospitality. He met his longtime partner, Terry, on his very first day in his new dormitory, but vegetarian meals proved more elusive than gay love in small-town Minnesota. Raghavan rose to the challenge, honing his skills until he landed a book deal by serving lunch to a group of executives who had no plans to publish an Indian cookbook until they tasted Raghavan’s food. That book, Betty Crocker’s Indian Home Cooking, launched his successful career as an author, cooking teacher, spokesperson and consultant to restaurants and brands including General Mills and Target.

Raghavan was recovering from a cancer treatment when a dietitian inadvertently inspired his last project by giving him Eurocentric advice for recovery meals. With Stage 4 colorectal cancer, knowing he had little time, he launched a crowdfunding campaign to create a database of healing comfort meals from around the world, filterable by cuisine and health condition. Always meticulous about food, he planned a menu for his own funeral featuring Bombay street food from his childhood. Raghavan died in March 2023.