New Delhi: In July 2017, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel, Indian-origin celebrity chef Reena Pushkarna had hosted a meal for him at the home of Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife. Pushkarna, who owns a prominent restaurant in Israel where informal peace talks between Israel and Palestine took place, is one of 27 recipients of this year’s Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award.
“The whole of Israel is as honoured as I am. They are sharing in my happiness with me. It’s a great feeling that your motherland didn’t forget you,” Pushkarna, who runs the restaurant called Tandoori, told ThePrint.
Set up in Tel Aviv in 1963, the restaurant has been frequented by high-ranking individuals including Israel PM Netanyahu, who had his first date with his wife Sara at the establishment. The restaurant specialises in Indian cuisine such as thalis, street food, grills, kebabs and more.
Fondly called the ‘Curry Queen’, Pushkarna added, “I am proud to be an Indian and of my heritage. I’m not an academic or scholar, but this award goes to show that you cannot underestimate the power of food and culture in bringing people together.”
The PBS award the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians for achieving excellence in various fields.
The celebrity chef was conferred the prestigious award by President of India Droupadi Murmu at the 17th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention held from 8-10 January in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, vice-chair of the event’s jury-cum-awards committee, was also present on stage.
This is the first time Pushkarna has received the award.
Israeli Consul General to India, Kobbi Shoshani congratulated her in a tweet earlier this month, saying her food in Israel is his favourite.
Pushkarna was born in New Delhi in 1958 to a Sikh father and a Jewish mother. She married Vinod Pushkarna, who was formerly part of the merchant navy. The couple co-founded ‘Tandoori’, and other food establishments like Kohinoor restaurant in Jerusalem.
In an interview with ThePrint last November, the celebrity chef explained the historical significance of her restaurant during the informal Oslo peace talks between Israel and Palestine in 1990s.
“The first time that Israel minister Yossi Belen, Norwegian minister Terje Rød-Larsen and the Palestinians all had a meeting was here. They had lunch here. They selected this restaurant because they thought people wouldn’t be inquisitive enough to figure out what was going on.”
“Later the European newspapers covered it saying something like “peace talks over hot curry” and that Indians had a role to play in this,” she added.