Mavilla from Kansas won the Ben’s Beginners Cooking Contest.
AB Wire
A 9-year Indian American girl from Lawrence, Kansas has won, along with her mother, the Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest with their shrimp masala rice recipe. The contest came with a hefty prize money of $45,000, out of which the duo get to keep $15,000, and the rest goes to Mavilla’s school.
Mavilla and her mother Sowjanya Seetala were one of five grand prize winners of the Ben’s Beginners™ Cooking Contest, according to a press release.
For the fourth consecutive year, the nationwide contest encouraged children to make healthier, lifelong meal choices by inspiring parents and kids to cook together at an early age. The Ben’s Beginners™ movement is designed to empower parents to connect with their children one meal at a time and bring families closer together in the kitchen and around the dinner table.
“Learning to cook at a young age is as essential as learning to read and write,” said Lara McCauley, vice president of Corporate Affairs, Mars Food North America, the parent company of the UNCLE BEN’S® Brand, in a statement. “Our Ben’s Beginners™ movement continues to bring families together and this year’s winners demonstrate the positive power of the kitchen and dinner table for both the family and the community.”
Mavilla was one of 25 finalists selected from hundreds of entrants from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Entrants from across the U.S. submitted videos of themselves and their families preparing a rice-based dish and highlighting the fun and creative way they cook together.
Mavilla was awarded with a $30,000 school cafeteria makeover, a $15,000 cash prize for the family and a hometown celebration at Raintree Montessori School with UNCLE BEN’S® Brand representatives, public officials and their community.
“Jasmy has had a passion for cooking ever since she was little and the recipe she created was inspired by the spices and flavors of India, where both her father and I grew up,” said Sowjanya Seetala. “All of the vegetables in her recipe come from our garden as Jasmy aims to encourage not only our family but others to make healthy, fresh meals at home.”
The Lawrence Journal World reported that Mavilla is a 4th grader at Raintree Montessori School, located at 4601 Clinton Parkway.
“I think it’s amazing because they could really use it,” she was quoted as saying. “It’s a tiny kitchen.”
Lleanna McReynolds, head of school at Raintree, said that after classrooms were added to the school, the kitchen has been in need of an update.
“The kitchen was built when we had 10 classrooms, and now we have 21 classrooms, so you can imagine how much we needed this makeover,” McReynolds said. The money will likely be used to expand the school’s main kitchen to allow for a walk-in refrigerator and more prep space, she said.
“For us it was a great gift because we are going to be able to do some upgrades to our kitchen that we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise,” she said.
Mavilla’s receipe is called “Shrimply Delicious Masala Rice.” She said that what she likes about cooking is the variety.
“I think it’s fun because for each dish it’s different to make,” she said.
Mavilla, who started cooking when she was 4, has practiced her skills both in her classroom as well as at home. She said she got interested in cooking by watching her older sister and her mom at home, and the first thing she made herself was scrambled eggs. She’s added a lot to her repertoire since then, and said that currently some of her favorite things to make are macaroons, crepes and lemon meringue pie.
As far as the $15,000 the recipe won her, Jasmy said she plans to donate part of it to UNICEF and save another part for college, the World report said. After a pause she added and “some for a few toys.” Those plans align well with her goals, as she says she wants to be a chef and also a philanthropist when she grows up.
The contest wasn’t Mavilla’s first time being recognized for her cooking. Last year, she visited the White House after her recipe for “Tangy Veggy Springetty” won a contest. She was one of more than 1,500 children from across the country who submitted an original recipe to the “Healthy Lunchtime Challenge,” a contest that’s part of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative, which promotes healthy eating for kids.
Jasmy Mavilla’s shrimp masala rice recipe – Shrimply Delicious Masala Rice:
Ingredients:
About a dozen shrimp
1 cup of vegetables of your choice (Jasmy used bell peppers, onions, beans, carrots, peas)
1 cup okra, optional
10 grape or cherry tomatoes, optional
1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1 teaspoon yogurt
2 teaspoons oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt, as needed
mint/cilantro, optional for garnish
1 packet Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Brown Basmati
Preparation:
Marinate the shrimp and mixed vegetables with ginger garlic paste, curry powder, salt and yogurt for 5-10 minutes. Pour 1 teaspoon oil and sauté the long sliced okra for 5-10 minutes or until crisp. After they are done save them on a plate (if you want them crispy) or leave it in the pan and proceed to next step. Pour 1 teaspoon of oil and cook the shrimp and veggies together about 5-10 minutes. Shrimp cooks quickly so do not overcook. Cook Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice Brown Basmati as directed on package. Pour the rice over the shrimp and veggies mixture; add the cooked okra and tomatoes. Mix them all together. Cover it and cook for 2-3 minutes. Garnish with mint or cilantro.