If you like food and cooking, chances are, you have heard about the legendary culinary icon Tarla Dalal at least once in your life. Not surprisingly, she was one of the most influential and popular chefs in India, and she was best known for completely changing the way vegetarian food is cooked, thus revolutionizing meals through her recipes, television shows, and cookbooks. Her magnetic presence and influence have been around for over four decades, and to this date, even after her passing, she is remembered fondly as one of the most popular chefs in India. This article will cover details about Tarla Dalal’s Biography, net worth, Career, husband, children, and much more.
Tarla Dalal ( Indian Food Journalist and Chef) Biography
Tarla was an Indian chef, food cookbook author, and cooking show host. She was known for her legendary cooking style and her cookbooks, which have, over the years, sold more than 10 million copies. Tarla also ran the largest Indian food-based website and published a bi-monthly magazine named ‘Cooking & More.’ She successfully influenced more than 120 million Indian homes to try out her recipes.
| Name | Tarla Dalal |
| Age (when she died) | 77 years old |
| Birthdate | 3rd June 1936 |
| Date of passing | 6th November 2013 |
| Place of birth | Pune, Maharashtra |
| Profession | Chef, Cookbook author, cooking show host |
| Spouse | Nalin Dalal |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Religion | Hindu Gujarati (Vaishnav) |
| Net Worth | INR 93 lakh to 1.3 crores (Approx.) |
Tarla Dalal Age, Height, Weight, and Other Physical Attributes
She was born on 3rd June 1936, and she was 77 years old when she died. However, if she were alive, she would have been 89 today. Her zodiac sign was Gemini. She was known to be of short height, with an average height. Tarla Dalal Height was 5 feet 2 inches, or in cm, it would be 157cm. She maintained an average weight of about 65 kg or 143 lbs. In terms of her eye color, she had black eyes and also black hair.
Tarla Dalal Early Life and Education
- Tarla was born in Pune, Maharashtra, and she was raised in a Gujarati Vaishnav family, meaning that the house dietary norms were strict, and she was exposed to pure vegetarian food from childhood.
- She was the eldest daughter amongst her siblings, and she watched her mother cook in the kitchen and even helped her out, which ultimately pushed her towards her passion for food and cooking.
- Despite the fact that there have been lots of biographical articles on her and her early life, with some reference being made to her family background, her parents’ names and occupations have not been disclosed.
- Given that her early interest in cooking developed from her own kitchen, it made sense that Tarla would not pursue a complex educational degree.
- She pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1956, which highlighted both her academic excellence and her practical expertise, which would later on serve as a very strong foundation for her career.
Tarla Dalal Career
Her professional journey began with small strides in 1966 when she opened up her knowledge vault with cookery classes at her home in Mumbai, but to her surprise, these classes became quite popular and she quickly made a name for offering reliable, creative, and accessible vegetarian recipes.
Most of her patrons included housewives and young girls, who took up her classes, and by 1974, she was a household name already.
Her first cookbook, ‘The Pleasure of Vegetarian Cooking,’ was published in 1974, and it went on to sell over 1.5 million copies, becoming a bestseller and a staple in every Indian kitchen and marking the dramatic beginning of her culinary empire.
In addition to this, during her prime years, she has been credited with introducing foreign cuisines to the Indian masses, and she went on to recreate vegetarian versions of several non-vegetarian recipes from foreign lands, and this was how she revolutionized the cooking industry altogether.
Over the years, she became so popular that her books got translated into several languages, including Dutch, Russian, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Marathi.
She had also published several cooking magazines, and in 2007, she took things to a national level and started her ‘Total Health Series’ cookbook series.
Tarla Dalal TV Shows
- Cook It Up With Tarla Dalal: This was known as her first and most famous show that aired weekly on Sony TV around the early 2000s. It aired for 3 years, and it featured Tarla cooking easy yet innovative vegetarian recipes, sometimes including her co-host Sudhanshu Pandey. The show was popular across South-East Asia, the Gulf, and the UK.
- The Tarla Dalal Show: This was her second television series, wherein she shared her signature vegetarian dishes.
Tarla Dalal Movie
- It’s no surprise that Tarla inspired several people, and in 2023, a movie that was named after her, simply titled ‘Tarla,’ was released.
- The movie explores the life and legacy of the veteran chef, her iconic cookbooks, and her television career.
- The movie’s portrayal is done by Huma Quereshi as the titular character, whereas Sharib Hashmi plays her husband, Nalin.
- The movie premiered on ZEE5 on 7th July 2023. The movie was praised for narrating and portraying Tarla’s life with authenticity and raw candidness that highlighted the broader themes of women’s empowerment in India during the 70s and 80s.
- This was accurate, as Tarla did encourage women across the country to pursue their ambitions and dreams via cooking and food.
Notable Achievements and Awards
- Tarla Dalal formulated over 17000 recipes across Indian as well as international cuisines.
- She received one of India’s prestigious awards, the Padma Shri, in 2007 for her outstanding contribution to Indian cuisine and became the first lady to receive this award in the field of cooking.
- She wrote over 100 cookbooks that were immensely popular, but they were so popular that they were launched in multiple languages like Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, and more.
- She went on to widen her popularity by having her own cooking shows, ‘The Tarla Dalal Show’ and ‘Cook It Up With Tarla Dalal,’ which were broadcast not just in India but also overseas.
- She also had her own Indian food website www.tarladalal.com and published a bimonthly magazine named ‘Cooking & More.
Tarla Dalal Net Worth
Although she was a highly popular chef, Tarla Dalal’s exact net worth has not been reported to date, as this has not been disclosed. However, since she had various sources of income, her net worth could be approximately $112,000 to $157,000, which translates to INR 93 lakhs to 1.3 crores as of 2025.
This estimate has been given based on YouTube advertisement revenues and other publicly available data, including her total wealth from book sales, television shows, and more.
Tarla Dalal Family and Personal Life
Tarla’s family and personal life were marked by mutual love and respect, not just from her parents but also from her husband, Nalin Dalal, and their three children.
Tarla Dalal Husband
- In 1960, Tarla married Nalin Dalal, a chemist who had moved to Bombay. Although his birth year details have not been disclosed, he was older than Tarla by a few years.
- During their marriage, their relationship was notable because of the mutual respect and encouragement. Nalin consistently pushed Tarla’s desire to achieve something big and supported her dreams and ambitions despite having contrasting personal tastes.
- For instance, Nalin preferred non-vegetarian food, whereas Tarla was a staunch vegetarian. During their life and marriage, the couple had three children named Sanjay Dalal, Deepak Dalal, and Renu Dalal.
- Their story is celebrated uniquely, even for the new-age Indian family dynamics. Nalin passed away in 2005 naturally.
Tarla Dalal Husband Death Reason
Nalin Dalal, unfortunately, passed away in 2005, with the exact date and month not available. He was at his apartment at Nepean Sea Road in South Mumbai when he passed away due to natural causes.
Tarla Dalal Children
Tarla Dalal and Nalin Dalal had three children together—Sanjay, Deepak, and Renu, with Sanjay being the eldest of the three.
Sanjay and Deepak have continued to carry forward their mother’s legacy whilst managing their lives as well. Renu, on the other hand, has actively taken over her mother’s digital presence and promotes her heritage.
Who is Tarla Dalal Daughter?
- Out of three children, Tarla had one daughter named Renu Dalal, who is also the youngest of the three.
- Renu is a cookbook author and a chef in her own right, as she is renowned for creating modern vegetarian recipes while focusing on fusion, health, and contemporary lifestyle requirements.
- As a child, she watched her mother become a culinary icon and thus learned a thing or two.
- After her mother’s passing, Renu took up the responsibility of continuing Tarla Dalal’s culinary legacy by managing the digital presence and actively promoting her mother’s recipes to newer generations.
- Renu, too, has authored several cookbooks and is quite active on social media with 26.1K followers on Instagram. Her handle on the social media platform is ‘renudalalcooking.
Tarla Dalal Death
On 6th November 2013, she passed away at her house after having suffered a major heart attack. She had survived her husband, Nalin, for 8 years before also passing away at her residence. It is not known if she was suffering from any illnesses at the time of her death.
After her death, her Website and YouTube channel are now managed by her Son, Sanjay Dalal. Her YouTube channel has more than 1.11 million subscribers, and 1.16 million followers are on her Instagram ID, @tarladalal.
Conclusion
Tarla Dalal had successfully paved the way for generations of women cooks to show that culinary excellence doesn’t come from perfection but from passion and innovation that can lead towards fulfillment and public acclaim—if one truly wants it. Her recipes and books have pioneered an active movement towards vegetarian cooking and its modern forms. Several years after her death, she is still remembered by many for her culinary legacy to be passed down to the younger generations.
FAQs
Ans. We do not have the information disclosed on what caused Nalin Dalal’s death.
Ans. Tarla had completed her Bachelor of Arts in Economics—this is her education.
Ans. Yes, she was a strict vegetarian and came from a Gujarati Vaishnav family.
Ans. Renu Dalal is Tarla Dalal’s daughter.
Ans. Cook it Up with Tarla’ was her first TV show.
