The carving chef: Raju Garu’s rise from kitchens to Telugu TV

Chef Raju Garu, the beloved Telugu TV chef is known for his culinary expertise and fruit/vegetable carving skills.

The name Ramakrishna Raju may compel you to draw a blank. But mention his moniker ‘Chef Raju Garu’ and Telugu television viewers — especially homemakers — will instantly recognise the name. With his ever-smiling demeanour and warm personality, the TV chef has been a familiar guide in countless kitchens, whipping up everything from yam cutlets and aromatic vankaya (brinjal) biryani to garlic payasam. He even demonstrates how to carve delicate roses and cranes out of beetroot and radish.

Though he wears many hats — culinary judge, hotel management instructor, and trainer at fruit, vegetable, and ice carving workshops — it is his long-standing association with ETV Telugu and now ETV Abhiruchi that has earned him widespread acclaim and affection.

Chef Raju believes in crafting restaurant-style dishes at home using easily available ingredients. Yet for him, no meal is truly complete without an artful presentation — often featuring elaborate table arrangements with intricately carved fruits, vegetables, or even ice. In fact, his passion for fruit and vegetable carving has helped him stand out in the crowded landscape of television food programmes.

Reflecting on his journey, he often quotes, “Small things done over time lead to big results.” It all began with a role in a wedding catering team. He credits his mentor Sudha Kumar and hospitality professionals Mahidhar Reddy and Sudhakar Rao as the key pillars who shaped his culinary path.

In addition to working as a chef at several leading hotels in Hyderabad, Raju’s role at the now-shuttered Hotel Manohar (1997) was focused on creating edible art using fruits and vegetables. Though he eventually left the hotel industry in 2005 to teach at hotel management institutes, he continued freelancing as a vegetable, fruit, and ice carver for events and parties hosted at major hotels.

Chef Raju’s television career began in 2009 with Abhiruchi, a cookery show on ETV Telugu. “Cookery shows in Telugu television were a novel concept back then,” says Raju, who has created over 9,000 recipes during his 16-year stint on screen.

He still remembers the first day of shooting, when he was not even visible in the frame. Shy and unsure of how to face the camera, he had no idea what being ‘out of frame’ meant. “Seeing me standing away, the anchor pulled me in and joked, ‘Sir, ee abbayi paari potunnadu’ (Sir, this boy is running away),” he recalls.