9-Year-Old Shreya’s Burger with ‘Garam Masala’ Shines at the White House

Shreya’s burger not just had garam masala and raita but also a hint of cumin, ginger and serrano chillies. Now this is what we call a burger with a twist. Shreya’s dish was chosen as the winning entry from Illinois and she was also invited for dinner at the White House.

How often do your cooking skills give you a chance to have dinner at the White House? Meet the nine-year-old Shreya Patel who served a ‘garam masala’ Quinoa Burger with ‘raita’ to none other than the US President Obama and his wife.

Shreya was among the 55 young cooks who walked the red carpet at the White House during the fourth annual “Kids’ State Dinner”.

Photo: letsmove.gov

This Indian American girl from Schaumburg, Illinois gave an Indian twist to a burger and the President could not help getting awestruck by the unique dish. Her garam masala Quinoa burger with raita was chosen as the winning recipe from Illinois.

Following the victory she was invited for the lunch with none other than the First Lady Michelle Obama on July 10. Shreya came up with the winning recipe with the help of her grandmother.

Apart from the garam masala and raita, Shreya’s burger also had a hint of cumin, ginger and grated serrano chillies.

Photo: letsmove.gov

The young chef grew watching her grandmother and mother cooking dishes with an Indian twist which developed her interest in cooking. She would often help the two elder ladies of the house in cooking even when she was just three. And surprisingly, she loves every bit of the process – measuring, cooking, chopping and even cleaning up afterwards.

The Kids’ State Dinner contest received about 1,000 recipes from children aged 8 to 12.

You can get the garam masala burger recipe here.

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