The carving chef: Raju Garu’s rise from kitchens to Telugu TV

The name Ramakrishna Raju may compel you to draw a blank. But mention his moniker ‘Chef Raju Garu’ and Telugu television viewers — especially homemakers — will instantly recognise the name. With his ever-smiling demeanour and warm personality, the TV chef has been a familiar guide in countless kitchens, whipping up everything from yam cutlets and aromatic vankaya (brinjal) biryani to garlic payasam. He even demonstrates how to carve delicate roses and cranes out of beetroot and radish.

Though he wears many hats — culinary judge, hotel management instructor, and trainer at fruit, vegetable, and ice carving workshops — it is his long-standing association with ETV Telugu and now ETV Abhiruchi that has earned him widespread acclaim and affection.

Carving a niche

Carving a Ganesha
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Chef Raju believes in crafting restaurant-style dishes at home using easily available ingredients. Yet for him, no meal is truly complete without an artful presentation — often featuring elaborate table arrangements with intricately carved fruits, vegetables, or even ice. In fact, his passion for fruit and vegetable carving has helped him stand out in the crowded landscape of television food programmes.

Reflecting on his journey, he often quotes, “Small things done over time lead to big results.” It all began with a role in a wedding catering team. He credits his mentor Sudha Kumar and hospitality professionals Mahidhar Reddy and Sudhakar Rao as the key pillars who shaped his culinary path.

In addition to working as a chef at several leading hotels in Hyderabad, Raju’s role at the now-shuttered Hotel Manohar (1997) was focused on creating edible art using fruits and vegetables. Though he eventually left the hotel industry in 2005 to teach at hotel management institutes, he continued freelancing as a vegetable, fruit, and ice carver for events and parties hosted at major hotels.

Television career

With actor Nagarjuna during a television show
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Chef Raju’s television career began in 2009 with Abhiruchi, a cookery show on ETV Telugu. “Cookery shows in Telugu television were a novel concept back then,” says Raju, who has created over 9,000 recipes during his 16-year stint on screen.

He still remembers the first day of shooting, when he was not even visible in the frame. Shy and unsure of how to face the camera, he had no idea what being ‘out of frame’ meant. “Seeing me standing away, the anchor pulled me in and joked, ‘Sir, ee abbayi paari potunnadu’ (Sir, this boy is running away),” he recalls.

Carving wonders by Chef Raju
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From barely managing to cook multi-coloured puris and dry fruit rolls in a two-and-a-half-hour shoot during his first episode, to now whipping up dishes quickly and confidently within an hour, Chef Raju has come a long way. His easy-to-follow recipes and food carving demonstrations — developed closely with show director Ganapati Raman — have become a signature. “One of the show’s highlights was introducing a vegetable and fruit carving segment, where homemakers could learn to create beautiful designs in just a few simple steps,” he adds.

Balancing tradition and innovation

Chef Ramakrishna Raju popular as chef Raju garu
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When he is not shooting three days a week or attending events, Chef Raju can be found at the library of the Institute of Hotel Management in Vidyanagar, or exchanging notes with culinary experts to tweak classic recipes for modern tastes. Take his version of gongura pachadi, for instance — reimagined as a dry spice mix — or shrikhand, the traditional sweet, given a refreshing lift with fresh fruit.

Chef Raju steers clear of food colouring, hydrogenated vegetable fats, and ajinomoto in his cooking. “Barring one episode where I used food colouring for Chicken 65, I’ve always preferred natural alternatives — beetroot, carrot or spinach juice to enhance colour. I often see ajinomoto, labelled ‘tasting salt’, being added even to sambar. I just hope people become more aware of what they’re using and the risks involved.”

Chef is popular for creating simple dishes with ingredients available at home
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Balancing authenticity with the evolving palate of today’s generation is a challenge, he admits. “People now expect novelty in every dish. But while innovating, we must ensure we don’t strip away the dish’s identity or cultural roots.”

Raju also serves as a judge for The Hindu’s ‘Our State, Our Taste’, a culinary contest held across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. “Some participants compliment my dishes, others proudly present recipes I cooked on TV just a few days ago.”

Now a regular face on Kitchen Mantra on ETV Abhiruchi, Chef Raju reflects on his journey with quiet gratitude. “I feel lucky and blessed. I always tell aspiring chefs—work hard. That’s the only recipe for success.”