His love of food came at an early age. Raj was an only child, raised by a single mother, and he fondly remembers their time in the kitchen.
“She’d come home and be in the kitchen between four and six, and if I wanted her attention, that’s where I had to go,” he said.
“While she was cooking, I’d do these assessment sheets she’d put in front of me. All I had to do was finish the sheet, and then I could go and play football.”
He doesn’t remember studying much at school, but credits his mother’s emphasis on homework with giving him what he needed to become the school dux. From there, he went on to the prestigious Raffles Institution, one of the country’s oldest schools.
Raj told Cowan his upbringing and Indian heritage have given him a unique perspective on cooking.
“I have this global view of food, and I come from a part of the world where the street vendor is God. Street food is more delicious than anything else … the street vendor or grandma had a greater standing than any white-suited, white-hatted person,” he said.
Raj began working in television at 19, when Asia was experiencing a “golden period”.
Ganesh Raj spoke to Real Life with John Cowan on Newstalk ZB on Sunday night about the new season of Eat Well for Less.
However, after meeting his wife and deciding they wanted children, Singapore no longer felt right for them. He said a large proportion of families relied on maids, and that was not what he wanted.
“A lot of people have to work two jobs, both parents working to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ and pay for the cost of living, so maids raise children. I saw the effects … and it frightened me.”
His wife, who also works in television, was working on a Discovery Channel documentary called Kiwi Spirit when she floated the idea of moving to New Zealand.
Raj “loved rugby to death”, so they decided to go for it.
After making the move, they both worked in production before opening The Tasting Shed in Kumeū, which became a popular dining destination.
“The reason I think the restaurant did so well was … I understood how to put ingredients together on a plate to make them delicious, regardless of where they came from. No country of origin required.”
It wasn’t long before his friends working in television saw the potential in bringing together his cooking success and entertainment experience.
The producers of Eat Well for Less invited him to come into the studio for a day, and the rest is history.
Raj finds purpose in his television work, and believes the country needs the show.
“That’s why we’re on air, and it’s not for the right reasons. It’s because things are expensive. The cost of living is just out of control, and people need help.”
Raj says there are key issues making the situation worse, the first being the widespread effect of social media promoting ultra-processed products that claim to be healthy.
He gave examples such as the current “obsession with protein”.
“Nothing wrong with wanting to put as much protein in your body as possible, but marketers have found they can insert their products into this space, which will cause you to buy a one-kilo packet of something that’s $65 that apparently has nine things you have to have in it,” he explained to Cowan.
Raj also believes there is a lack of food education in New Zealand.
“We’re starting to see the effects now, where people are only used to two or three types of protein. That’s all they know what to do with, and there are one or two recipes in their toolkit.”
“Remember when mince went up, and everyone lost their mind? There are another 47 meat products in the supermarket that are much cheaper, but people aren’t so good at turning those into cheap dishes they can actually work on.”
Raj said his mission is to teach people how to cook for four people, using one pan, for under $20.
“I’m trying to show people it’s not the equipment. It’s knowledge. Knowing what to do will get you ahead, not how much gear you have.”
A new season of Eat Well for Less is out now, with episodes releasing weekly on TVNZ.
Real Life is a weekly interview show where John Cowan speaks with prominent guests about their life, upbringing, and the way they see the world. Tune in on Sundays from 7.30pm on Newstalk ZB or listen to the latest full interview here.