Chef K. Damodharan, popularly known as Chef Damu, died in Chennai on October 25 at the age of 72. Best known to Tamil television audiences for shows such as Cooku with Comali, he also held a Guinness World Record for a feat that kept him cooking for more than an entire day. In December 2010, he prepared 617 dishes in 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds, using 190 kg of food.
How Chef Damu Set The Guinness World Record
The challenge began at around 8 am on December 21, 2010. Chef Damu took his place in front of six cooking ranges, with a target of preparing around 480 dishes. By the end, he had cooked 617.
The pace was quick from the beginning. He made 10 dishes in the first 43 minutes. Seventeen minutes later, the count had reached 20.
The menu included idlis, dhokla, rasams, payasams, pakodas and chips. He also prepared Chicken Xacutti, Oats Jinga 65, crab pepper soup and kozhukattai, among other dishes.
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Guinness World Records judge Lucia Sinigagliesi monitored the attempt as cameras recorded the proceedings. She was there to ensure that Damu followed the rules, which were demanding.
He could take only one five-minute break every hour. Ingredients could be chopped or marinated beforehand, but at least two dishes had to be cooking at any given time. Chef Damu kept six cooking ranges going.
He was allowed four helpers, but they could not do any of the cooking. Everything had to be prepared manually, without an oven or microwave.
He Nearly Gave Up After 12 Hours
The first few hours went by steadily. Then the exhaustion began to set in. Chef Damu started feeling restless after about 12 hours. His limbs felt heavy and sore, and he struggled to keep going. That was when around 60 staff members from Savera Hotel arrived to cheer him on. They danced, sang and laughed, helping him push through the difficult stretch.
Even at his most exhausted, he managed to prepare a new dish every two-and-a-half minutes, according to the account of the record attempt. His four helpers stayed by his side throughout the challenge. None of them left when their shifts ended, and none slept.
There was another important condition. The food had to be edible, which meant Damu could not simply rush through a list of recipes to increase his tally. The finished dishes were handed out to the people watching. Sinigagliesi also tried the food herself, praising its taste and singling out a vadai.
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Chef Damu was particularly pleased that all 617 dishes were eaten. The food disappeared among the crowds almost as quickly as he prepared it. He later said he had not practised for the attempt, not even with a trial run. Yet he finished with 137 more dishes than his original target.
A Record That Took More Than Stamina
At the end of 24 hours, 30 minutes and 12 seconds, Chef Damu had prepared 617 dishes using 190 kg of food. His achievement earned him the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
The record was one of several milestones in his career. In 2004, he received a PhD in Hotel Management and Catering Technology from the University of Madras, becoming the first Indian chef to earn a doctorate in the discipline. In 2025, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to the culinary arts.
