World‑renowned Malaysian Tamil chef Shankar R. Santhiram is coming to Chatsworth, where he will cook his infamous ‘sappadu’ (Tamil for meal) for 450 residents and guests of the Aryan Benevolent Home (ABH) tomorrow, Friday 15 May.
“It fills me with immense joy to cook for 450 residents and stakeholders at this remarkable 107‑year‑old institution devoted to caring for the aged in Durban, South Africa. I’m offering my time and craft for this exclusive sappadu," Santhiram said.
"Durban has given me so much through its unwavering support, and this is my way of giving back to a community that continues to embrace me. Being part of this project will hopefully spur a lot of other people to dig deep into their pockets to help ABH,” Santhiram added.
Santhiram, known for his Malaysian Tamil restaurant Fire by Shankar, has joined forces with local business KNFT Shipping, which is funding the event as part of its ongoing Corporate Social Investment (CSI).
“We are privileged and grateful to have been given the opportunity to be of service to the community of the Aryan Benevolent Homes. Partnering with Chef Shankar Santhiram for this personalised and interactive initiative adds a special significance – bringing warmth, nourishment, and joy through food prepared with heart and purpose,” said KNFT Shipping CEO Kooven Naidu.
Previously in South Africa to assist with fundraising for the Melrose Temple in Johannesburg, Santhiram is also known for his philanthropy worldwide. During the Covid pandemic, he prepared 54,000 meals and raised funds for the most displaced people in his community in Malaysia.
Santhiram’s affection for South Africans of Indian descent can be traced to comments on his social media, where people called him a “Durban Mama” (uncle) because of his physical appearance and mannerisms.
“Because of the way I speak or present myself, or even my accent which is possibly a little less Malaysian, we call it Manglish in Malaysia, possible because I’ve travelled quite a bit and lived abroad, my accent has changed and I have generally been accused of sounding like a Durban Mama," he explained.
"Many people reached out to me, especially Durbanites, who think that I am originally South African. I’m not. I’m fourth or fifth generation Malaysian. But I find this warm relationship exists because if we trace back our ancestry, the Indian diaspora, especially the Tamil diaspora in South Africa and the Tamil diaspora in Malaysia, we come from the same stock."
"By the twist of fate and by the will of the colonisers of our past, we were taken to different parts of the world to act as indentured labourers. That’s how most of the Indians came to South Africa, and that’s exactly how most of the Indians came to Malaysia as well. So this warm feeling possibly is because, generations ago, we came from the same village, we were related, or we would be a family or something like that.”
“And we have similar attitudes. For example, no three‑star Michelin chef could ever cook better than our mothers,” he laughed.
Self‑taught, Santhiram credits his mother, Vasantha Santhiram, who died at the age of 81 in March last year, with inspiring him to cook.
“Early on, my mother realised that I had a passion for the kitchen, and she never stopped me from helping her. Hanging around her, I found my connection with my mother in the kitchen. It was a lifelong learning journey with my mother and my grandmothers. I learnt a lot of things from them, learning techniques, learning flavour profiling, usage of spice, etc.”
ABH CEO Ray Naguran looked forward to Santhiram’s sappadu.
“We believe that ‘Care that feels like home’ means more than just a roof and a bed – it means the warmth of a shared meal and the joy of being remembered. Food is the ultimate language of love, and Chef Shankar Santhiram speaks it fluently," Naguran said.
"His decision to cook for our residents with such a generous spirit brings a beautiful, soulful energy to the ABH. It’s the taste of heritage and the warmth of a family gathering, served with the kind of love that knows no borders. We are honoured to have a kindred spirit like Chef Shankar help us make our residents feel like the most important people in the world.”
The invitation‑only event on Friday promises to transport residents of ABH to a time of traditional meals.