More Of Vimala’s Story

Vimala Rajendran: “Accidentally” an Award-Winning Chef

Vimala Rajendran calls herself an accidental chef, not because she believes in accidents, but because she never intended to pursue cooking as a career. She never went to culinary school or made any of the conscious preparations that an aspiring chef would make. Surely, in her mind, a successful career was in more academic pursuits like education or political science, in both of which she excelled and received degrees.

Still, from a very young age, her love of food and flavors was unmistakable. Her culinary education began in her mother’s kitchen before she was tall enough to reach the counter without a stool. It continued in the local markets where she would find vegetables her family had never heard of and bring them home to experiment. A recipe sponge with an insatiable appetite for the new and different, she never forgot a tip or trick gleaned from aunties, grandmothers, neighbors and friends. Without intending to, by simply following her interest, she gained an encyclopedic knowledge of South Asian cuisine and mastered the spices and subtleties of the most complex cuisine on the planet. But a career in cooking never occurred to her.

Years later, she found herself 8000 miles from home, an undocumented immigrant in the United States, a single mother with 3 children and a survivor of horrible domestic violence. Her education and degrees were useless without the proper documentation. She had no money, no family, no access to public assistance, only the confidence that God was with her.

Neighbors and friends recognized her culinary ability as an avenue for income and encouraged her to start cooking regular meals for them and their friends. The new career had begun: News of the delicious meals spread by word of mouth, then by a phone tree and finally by an email list that grew to over a thousand names. In a few years’ time, her weekly meals were attracting between 80 and 100 people who brought containers to take food out or grabbed a plate and enjoyed a meal in the living room, basement or yard. There was no price, no cash register, only a suggested donation and a colorful vase to receive the offerings. But the donations were always enough.

One of her volunteer helpers was a fellow single parent with children the same age as her own. He was a carpenter with a knack for outdoor cooking. He offered his propane-fired stoves and gas grill and over night he set up a makeshift commercial kitchen on Vimala’s front porch. This took the underground food business to another level and Vimala was able to cater large events like festivals and weddings. Her food was featured on the lawn at Weaver Street Market to raise funds for non-profits, on the UNC campus and at outdoor events like the Bolin Creek Festival.

As the underground business grew, so did Vimala’s relationships with local producers and farmers. A trip to the Carrboro Farmer’s Market preceded each week’s meal. When asked about the higher cost of local ingredients, her answer was,

“I only serve to my guests, the same healthy food that I feed my children.” That commitment holds true to this day.

Vimala’s family in India were people of faith who watched from afar with amazement and thanksgiving at the way their sister was prospering. Their constant prayer was that this little underground business would blossom into a fully legitimate concern. We don’t know if they had ever heard it said “Be careful what you pray for!”

A local coffee shop began a series of weekend music concerts on their back porch. They provided the drinks, but needed others to bring food. Vimala was one of the venders they invited and her food was served every other Friday to an appreciative crowd. The menu for each Friday event went out to her email list and brought a growing clientele for her and the coffee shop.

Then one day, someone forwarded her email to the local health department. It was Friday afternoon and the food was on the way to the coffee shop. By the way, that carpenter with the outdoor cooking equipment was now Vimala’s husband and the food business was his night and weekend second job. His truck was loaded with food and equipment for the event. Vimala was still at home when the phone rang.

“This is the health department” the voice said “Are you planning to sell food at Johnny’s tonight?” “Yes,” Vimala replied. “Do you have a permit to do so?” “Do I need one” “Oh yes you do.” “Can I get it over the phone” “ You will have to come in on Monday and we will talk.”

Vimala made a hasty phone call to her husband and the truck turned around. She sent her son to Johnny’s to give the news to the expectant crowd that if they wanted Vimala’s food, they would have to pick it up at her house. Even though the coffee house event turned out to be technical legal since the food was offered for a donation and not a set price, the cat was out of the bag. It was only a matter of time before the health department would come knocking on the door. The underground business was closed.

That was Friday. The next day at the Carrboro Farmers Market, Vimala went from farmer to farmer telling the story of the health department bust. The owner of a restaurant called “Sandwhich”, who was also a big fan of Vimala’s food, overheard the conversation. “So, are you looking for a place?” he asked. He had already decided to move his business down the street and was looking for someone to take over his space.…Maybe you should not be careful what you pray for after all!

In the Spring of 2010, Vimala’s Curryblossom Café opened in the old Sandwhich location, funded by gifts and loans from Vimala’s community. The “Grand Blossoming” of the Café in July was attended by nearly a thousand people on a rainy day. Helping to feed the crowd were Vimala’s children, her husband’s children and nephew and none other than the new health inspector, a man of Indian descent, who was there unofficially to launch a business that had grown close to his heart as he watched it take shape.

Chef Vimala has maintained her commitment to serve only the highest quality healthy food and was recognized by the Gillings School of Public Health as a Public Health Hero. Healthy food is medicine.

Her gratitude to the community that sustained and launched her translates into fundraisers and contributions to many non-profit community partners. She is an outspoken advocate for victims of domestic violence and supports all the organizations that help them. Remembering her struggles to put food on the table for her family, she has declared that healthy food is a human right and will not turn any one away for lack of funds. During the pandemic she also provided meals to refugee families, elderly shut-ins and front line hospital workers. These efforts earned her the Orange County Pauli Murray Award for a business that served the community with distinction in the pursuit of equity, justice and human rights for all residents.

She calls herself an accidental chef, but that is only to underscore that an unseen benevolent hand beyond her control closed all the doors she thought she wanted to walk through, only to return her to that which truly was her first love. And that love is evident in every bite of food she serves. This, perhaps more than anything else explains why she has been voted the best chef in the area 5 years in a row.