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Junior doctor of Pakistani origin wins UK MasterChef 2017

Junior doctor of Pakistani origin wins UK MasterChef 2017

"I'm from a big Pakistani family and we use food as a way of bringing everyone together."
Updated 13 May, 2017

A British junior doctor of Pakistani origin won the UK's Master Chef 2017 title, BBC reported on Saturday.

Saliha Mahmood-Ahmed, 29, is a junior doctor and mother of one who beat fellow competitors Giovanna Ryan and Steve Kielty to win the title.

Saliha impressed judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace as a "class act".

The winner says she wanted to combine her love of cooking with her medical career, by helping people with special dietary conditions find their ideal foods.

.—Courtesy: BBC
.—Courtesy: BBC

"To be the Masterchef champion is fantastic and wonderful. Adjectives are not sufficient. This is definitely the coolest thing I have ever done in my life," she said.

"It involved a lot of hard work and early starts — late nights cooking after 13-hour long shifts, no holidays, no breaks, no sleep - but it was well worth it," Saliha told BBC.

She swapped her on-call duties with colleagues to ensure she could take part in the contest.

Saliha said her love of cooking was influenced by her family and she was also encouraged by a teacher.

"I'm from a big Pakistani family and we use food as a way of bringing everyone together," the report quoted her as saying.

"I had very passionate grandmothers who cooked traditional Pakistani food and my mum is also an excellent cook. We love to feed people — it runs in our genes."

Saliha's meal was praised by judge Gregg Wallace as "East meets West" and "simply stunning — beautiful art on a plate".

Fellow judge John Torode said: "She's walked in here and taken her food culture apart and put it back together in a modern and very exciting way".

The judges have loved her Kashmiri and fusion-inspired dishes and vegetarian cuisine, added the Sun.

The judges weren’t too certain on her cheese and pineapple creation though – but this seems to be her only minor blip in the entire series, said the report.

Comments

Concerned citizen May 13, 2017 07:02pm
Congrats & very well done - awesome news ..
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N H RANA May 13, 2017 07:19pm
Congratulations Baita Jee.
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Dr. salaria, aamir ahmad May 13, 2017 07:24pm
Well done. Keep it up and hang on tough. May God Almighty bless you and your loved ones. Aameen, Tsum Aameen.
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Feroz May 13, 2017 07:25pm
Congrats to Saliha a very gutsy woman. May she go on ton win many more accolades in every venture.
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Malik Saab May 13, 2017 07:33pm
If any lower middle class Pakistani wants to progess then the best way is to leave Pakistan and settle in the West. They will let you progress without your origins. No one will discriminate based on religion at the workplace. Pakistan is a paradise for the Rich and Powerful. The lower middle class should do everything to reach Europe, America and West in general. This is the only way of survival and progress for us.
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Arshad May 13, 2017 07:40pm
Taste has no barrier . Love for taste wins the situation .
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Trotsky May 13, 2017 07:59pm
As good as this news is, it also sadly states a fact that men and women of Pakistani heritage only achieve success of international renown when they are outside and not inside this country.
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ahmedj May 13, 2017 08:12pm
A wonderful story. How times change, when British first took spices from the Sub-continent to introduce new taste to Europe. Now we have a Pakistani-Kashmiri doctor to win the best chef award with her Pakistani cooking delicacy in Britain.
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Lahori kid May 13, 2017 08:20pm
Yes!
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Dr. Ali May 13, 2017 08:24pm
Women Power!
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Hyder May 13, 2017 08:25pm
Sir A great ambassador for Pakistan , well done and all the best for the future
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Nahid May 13, 2017 08:51pm
Mashallah,well done.
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Naqad May 13, 2017 09:03pm
Bravo! Good well done.
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riaz ali May 13, 2017 09:04pm
congratulation
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riaz ali May 13, 2017 09:05pm
congratulation doctor saliha mehmood
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Muba May 13, 2017 09:33pm
great work..congrats and thanks for representing Pak
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Hafeez, Canada May 13, 2017 09:39pm
Congrat. Keep it up. Pakistan needs daughters like you.
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Pakistani Foodie May 13, 2017 09:48pm
You are another inspiration for many young girls in Pakistan. Many Congratulations Girly.
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Ratti May 13, 2017 10:12pm
Congrats Dr.Sahiba. Pakistani food is great, no doubt about it.
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Akbar May 13, 2017 10:33pm
Well done Doc. Made us very proud!
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Habib Khan May 13, 2017 10:36pm
well done. hk
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Tariq, Lahore May 13, 2017 10:39pm
Very well done! It's all about par excellence taste and presentation!
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Masood May 13, 2017 11:05pm
Congratulations ! we need you and your talent down here in Texas.
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Naseem May 13, 2017 11:35pm
Great Well done
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SYED ANJUM ali May 13, 2017 11:47pm
Well done Saliha! Some good news about Pakistan.
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Dr Fozia Malik May 14, 2017 12:16am
Well done !!!!! My second love is also cooking.
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Daughter May 14, 2017 12:48am
That's like Pakistanisome fantastic
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SHAIKH MOHOMMAD May 14, 2017 01:11am
@Malik Saab Another way and the best way is to change our society by raising our voices. Silence and running away is not appropriate. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing" Edmund Burke
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Nadia May 14, 2017 01:32am
Excellent sweety! Doctors can cook good food
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Nadia May 14, 2017 01:32am
Very well done keep it up
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Goya May 14, 2017 01:37am
How did she get a visa?
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LL May 14, 2017 06:08am
Congrats to our Doctor. We Pakistanis are very proud of you!!!
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Azam May 14, 2017 06:45am
Good job!
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Mirza Asim Baig May 14, 2017 07:14am
Keep it up.... :)
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Arif A Abdul Rahman May 14, 2017 07:34am
Congratulations. Just finished watching the video of the final. What a presentation. Excellently amazing.
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Azam Khan May 14, 2017 08:46am
Pakistanis & Italians love feeding people. They both have big families.
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Wakeup May 14, 2017 08:51am
A doctor and chef. Sounds like an officer and a gentleman. She is indeed a very accomplished lady. Congrats and best wishes to Doc Saliha.
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Naveed Aslam May 14, 2017 09:20am
Many Congrates
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Muqaddas May 14, 2017 09:23am
Proud Pakistani here.
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IRfan May 14, 2017 12:01pm
Congratulations Saleha. You can create more ripples being a MasterChef then a doctor. Keep it up.
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IRfan May 14, 2017 12:03pm
@Malik Saab Thats very discouraging
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Hiba May 14, 2017 02:13pm
Pakistan is a land of amazing, talented people.
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Amit May 14, 2017 06:59pm
Congrats
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Aamir May 15, 2017 05:37am
Great achievement as the competition is very tough. Truly amazing.
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Aamer May 15, 2017 12:24pm
Yes i saw the show it was great, i alway knew she will win.
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Tamilselvan May 16, 2017 05:55pm
Congratulations and wishing all the best both in medical and culinary career
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pakistani May 17, 2017 05:34pm
Proud of her. And also very hungry.
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Amer Rao May 17, 2017 06:21pm
Wow, Congratulations
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Zak May 17, 2017 09:41pm
But ofcourse, Pakistani's at the top as always in an international arena. What's more. Amazing, she would come to the set after a 12 hour stint at the hospital. Amazing.
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Musa May 18, 2017 04:29pm
thank you saleha Baji for making Kashmiris proud:)
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