What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
As she is conferred with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, highest honour conferred on overseas Indians, she is transported to the night of the private dinner hosted by Netanyahu for PM Modi when she wrote a new chapter in the history of food diplomacy
Israel proved to be the promised land for Reena Pushkarna who left the shores of India at an early age of 16 and a half, holding the hands of her husband, a merchant navy officer. Traveling with male sailors and officers in ships, this homesick teenager yearning for company and connection had no clue that one day she will play a crucial role in forging a strong friendship between prime ministers of her chosen home and that of her motherland; ‘tempering’ hard diplomacy with her luxurious spread oozing with Indian masalas at the high table of world politics.
As she is conferred with Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, highest honour conferred on overseas Indians, she is transported to the night in 2017 when she wrote a new chapter in the history of food diplomacy. In 2017, Pushkarna was invited to add her unique tadka to a private dinner hosted by Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The dinner famously went on until past midnight and since then friendship between the two nations has only gone from strength to strength.
Recalling a very private story about what transpired that night she says, “At that very dinner in their house, PM Netanyahu said that he would let PM Modi onto a secret that 25 years ago, his first date with his wife Sara was in my restaurant in Tandoori Tel Aviv. The date was so successful that the couple decided to get married and now they have two beautiful children. So, Netanyahu thought why not invite Reena to create the same magic with India and PM Modi. Their discussions built up such a great friendship. More than politics it was from heart to the stomach.”
The best thing about serving food to PM Modi, she says, was seeing him sticking to Indian comfort foods.”PM opted for Khichdi. Everyone was curious how our PM would stick to Indian food during his foreign visits. But that’s the beauty of India and being Indian and that’s what we love about Modi,” she said.
Pushkarna discovered her love for cooking in the ships she was traveling in with her husband Vinod Pushkarna, a merchant navy Captain. “No one would talk to me on these ships. Only the chefs would talk to me. It was in these ships that I found my love for Indian cuisine,” an elated Pushkarna tells us on the sidelines of the 17th Edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas where she was one of the 27 recipients.
In 1983, when she had her children, the family decided to settle in Israel. Reena started her restaurant chain, Tandoori that took the country by storm. “A whole generation of Israelis have grown up on my Tandoori Tikka. But now they like masala tikka more. They like everything in sauce now.”
Today Pushkarna wears many hats – celebrity chef, restaurateur, business entrepreneur. She is also a key figure in the Israel-India cultural arena.
Calling herself a self-taught businesswomen and talking about her initial struggles she says, ” Israelis had never tasted Indian food. They were surprised that I could speak English so well. They wondered if I had fallen from the sky with all the spices. I studied at the University of Life. But my determination and family’s support kept me going. I left the country as a teenager but today I can sell you a White horse,” says this seasoned businesswoman exuding confidence both in her cooking chops and business skills.
The Pravasi Samman, Pushkarna says is made more special because she received it from a woman President. “I am honoured that India doesn’t forget its children who are settled all over the world. India always remains our motherland. Wherever else we go, India is always in our hearts. I am extremely honoured to receive it from a lady president because I believe in woman power. Nothing is impossible. We can move worlds to get things done. whether it is children, family occupation.”
