‘Experiment with recipes you thought were difficult’

As a home chef, we usually make dishes that are born out of home kitchens. However, at this time, people are bored with cooking the same dishes over and over. So my partner Sundar and I, who run Chefaton, decided to come up with recipes for people during the lockdown with recipes that they can make.

Brainstorming for the recipes is difficult. My partner and I usually meet very regularly to discuss business, but now, we can’t do that. For our regular recipes, we work together to develop, prepare, plate and document the dish. But now, I do some of the work, and he does the rest, all through a Zoom call. I spend three hours a day every day with him on Zoom. The challenge for chefs during the lockdown is not having anyone to cook for. That’s why these kits have helped our creative juices flowing.

Although the grocery stores in my area are well-stocked, we are trying to come up with recipes using ingredients that everyone will have at home. Of course, we still have our responsibilities at home. After 15 days of lockdown, we are pretty used to how things work.

My husband and I divide the chores, and we rope in the helper liberally – the helper being my seven-year-old son. That way, we are taking care of the home while working from home too. It’s hectic, but we are managing. For home chefs at home, I would suggest experimenting with recipes that you thought were too difficult or time-consuming. Everyone at home has more time on their hands, and cooking is a great way to relax. Also, washing the dishes as you cook decreases the final dish load.