After he married his wife, Rashmi, and moved to Singapore in 1992, the couple took turns to cook and host dinner parties at home – and when he realised his two young daughters were becoming fussy eaters, he decided to make innovative lunchboxes for them.
In her last week of college his daughter Isha realised her father would no longer be making her lunches, so she took a video of him in the kitchen. Thinking that it would be a good way of showing off Closepet’s cooking, she started the Harry’s Lunchbox Instagram page in September 2022. The account has since grown to have 581,000 followers.
“I love to create a balanced diet and I make sure that the lunchbox has a healthy mix of carbs, protein and other nutritional requirements,” says Closepet. “I try and use local ingredients and tried to use Indian grains, spices and vegetables.”
Closepet’s experience living in Singapore, Australia and India has influenced how he makes his vegetarian meals.
“I’ve learned not to stick to precise measurements in cooking,” he says. “Ingredients are often flexible and forgiving. It’s more about enjoying the process and understanding how different elements come together harmoniously and make for a delicious recipe.”
He quickly became known as #TheLunchboxChef and impressed judges including chef Marco Pierre White with his inventive dishes, such as rainbow rice with pigeon pea paneer salad, and watermelon rice. He ended up placing fifth.
“The pressure of cooking in MasterChef was intense, as it was a competitive and high-stakes environment,” Closepet recalls. “With every cooking session, there was a different challenge attached and [the] pressure of cooking in the limited time frame.
“However, the intensity of each challenge and the knowledge from the judges totally refine you as a chef, and help you learn more about cooking and ingredients. Contrarily, cooking at home is my relaxation method. It helps me unwind and acts as a stress reliever.”
Closepet says that the exposure and lessons he gained from the show were invaluable. “It wasn’t solely about showcasing culinary skills, impressing the judges and securing a spot in the competition – the platform allowed me to enhance my skills and knowledge about the culinary world.”
Rashmi, Closepet’s wife, has been one of his biggest supporters. “My wife is an incredible cook too. We always cook together, especially when we have friends coming over to our house.
“She has been my rock, supporting me throughout my journey, especially during MasterChef, where she managed our business and home single-handedly. Her advice about including more veggies for better skin and hair reflects in my lunchboxes as well.”
In India, the stereotype is that men generally do not enter the kitchen. Closepet has helped subvert that for others. “In my family, both men and women cook. My dad, too, was into cooking and thus, I have grown up watching men cook and spend time in the kitchen,” he says.
“I strongly believe there shouldn’t be any distinction in who handles the kitchen. If I had the chance, I’d have happily embraced the role of a homemaker. I’m certain my kids would’ve cherished it too.”
