COOKING WITH MOM 2020
By Anil Mulchandani May 8, 2020

 

For many chefs, watching their mothers cook in the kitchen, cooking alongside them or learning recipes from grandmothers, mothers or aunts formed the foundations of their passion for the culinary arts. For the Mother’s Day issue, FEA Team asked some chefs to share the favorite lessons they learned from their mother.

Chef Ankita Pradeep Chavan
Chef (Trainee) – The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai

I cook with my mother and it has always given so much happiness. She taught me a lot of recipes while growing up because I spent much time in the kitchen – toor dana chi kachori  and muttonache gole (a Maharashtrian meat balls curry) remain my favourite dishes that I learned from my mother.

The most important thing I learnt from my mother is to cook with positive attitude and love, to respect ingredients and follow right methodology. She told me to use milk or malai while kneading any dough to make the bread softer – I still use that tip when making thepla, chapati  and other Indian flatbreads. From her I learnt how the use of asafoetida (hing) and dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) enhances the flavour of dal or any Indian curry. Another tip that she gave me that I use in the kitchen is to add only hot water (not cold or room temperature water) to curries or gravies so that they don’t lose the flavour.

 

At home,  I look forward to a Maharashtrian meal – my favourites are bharleli vangi (potato and brinjal stuffed with spices) and Maharashtrian toor dal called amti at home, accompanied by a spicy thecha  made from fresh green chilli, garlic and coriander with groundnut oil.

If my mother came to visit me on Mother’s Day I would to make for  her a  warm Red Thai curry with Rice  or Creamy Mushroom  Risotto, ending on a sweet note with a Classic Tiramisu.

 

For a Mother’s Day Event I would like to make a multi-course menu giving a modernist and molecular touch  to my  favourite Maharashtrian dishes learned from my mother:

Amuse bouche:  Solkadi Spheres with kokam reduction caviars.

Appetizer: Veg  Kothimbir Wadi Carrozza stuffed with mozarella cheese served with sweet and sour mango chutney.

Non-Veg entree:  Bhakar Prawns with Jowar Bhakri Soft Tacos, garnished with mint and yoghurt foam.

Vegetarian main course : Roasted Eggplant and potatoes spiced with kanda Lasun masala with countryside rassa veloute with aromatic steamed indrayni rice.

Non-Veg main course : Charred Chicken spiced with kanda Lasun Masala with country side tamda rassa veloute with aromatic steamed indrayni rice.

Dessert: Roasted Sheera waffle cone served with amrakhand semi Freddo with Lonavala mixed nuts chikki crunch.

Mignardise: Frozen Meetha Pan dipped in liquid nitrogen garnished with Puneri sweet fennel dust.

Chef Mario Cardozo

Consultant and Caterer

My mom was a very hardworking lady who always said never give up whatever the circumstances are. I learned a lot from her as she was a very good cook – specially Goan dishes. Her prawn croquettes and the mutton curry in which she used to add cluster beans were awesome. I have preserved all her recipes, and have event used them for my catering orders.

She hardly used any oil in her cooking as all her spices were freshly made and coconut based, she never used any packet ground spices.

I love preparing soups or one-pot meals, and salads are a must with every meal; even simple sliced onions make a lovely accompaniment. Mom always loved it when I cooked Continental food. I would cook a meal of alphabet pasta chicken soup (my way) with shrimp cocktail and quiche Lorraine for her on a special occasion like Mother’s Day.

 

If I had to cater a Mother’s Day Dinner, since it falls in summer it calls for a lovely cool gazpacho,  cafreal chicken and a Cesar salad  followed by  Cajun-style fish steak and creamy wild mushroom risotto and finally to finish on a pleasant note a coffee crème brulee would be the perfect dessert.

Chef Inder Dev

Corporate Chef  -Radisson City Center by Nimitaya Hotel & Resorts, Gurugram

 

I am born in a Marwadi business family where food is the most important part of life. I never felt that my mother is less than a professional cook. My father was running hospital catering as one of business which could be another reason for my mother to be a perfectionist in her cooking.

As there was no girl child in the house I used to be the one spending much time with her in the kitchen.  She had a great blend of traditional cooking from her mother and my grand mother along with family catering business. The most important lesson from my mother was to cook food like it’s a ‘Prasad’ or ‘Bhog’ for offering prayer, with this mind set whatever one cooks, it is going to be a delicious dish. Thereafter what comes is interest, knowledge and the urge to do cooking with perfection.

 

Mangodi ki tarkaari is one of the favourite recipes that my mother taught me. One of the important cooking tips I learnt from her was to always start making a dish by putting asafoetida  (hing) in the hot oil before using it for cooking – this makes your dish aromatic. Another tip was to use a covered vessel for cooking. She added hot water when making curry not cold or room temperature water.  She dissolved powdered masala in water before using the water for the curry.

With a clear thought that mothers are the best cooks, I travelled to many cities famous for th eir cuisine and learned from many women. One of my best memories is of a Nageshkar family home in Kolhapur where an elderly lady taught me to cook fish in turmeric leaves. I even connected myself with royal families where I picked up many historical recipes and traditional cooking styles from elderly moms.

I am fascinated with regional dishes which can be from any part of the country. I feel cooking at home makes me unwind from hectic life style so even today at home the kitchen is my favourite place. I look forward to dishes like pyaaz ki tarkari , paplooad methi daane ki Subzi and tariwali lehsuni sev, which do not require ‘ bhuno’ style cooking and consume less oil. I must mention that my cooking is done either in mustard oil or desi ghee.I love eating kachche lehsun and  kachche pyaz ki kadhi is the most frequently made dish at my home. In the season it is bhindi cooked with fresh methi, try it you will love it. Mogri kI subzi, patharwali gawar subzi or a simple alu mutter are comforting foods for me.

Our upbringing says a mother is always a mother for all.  Cooking a dish for a mother is a matter of pride rather than a challenge. I would love to prepare a Thali  meal of balanced home style dishes in which a curry, a dry vegetable, a  nice innovative chutney, an unusual raita, a traditional yet unheard chaat (for example, a chaat of dry kachri), raw mango raita along with phulke and rice mixed with fresh soya beans. For sweet it will be desi ghee ka patlewala sheera.

If I had to create a Mother’s Day Event at a restaurant, I would like to create a haveli –style décor and name it ‘Mother India’. This will have regional combo meals  set on counters with a backdrop showing the culture of the region it belongs to, with a focus on traditional cooking. The idea is to respect mothers from each place and its will be an opportunity for a chef to make mothers proud of the food they teach their next generation. Such an event will be the most important and lifetime satisfying moment for me.

Chef Aniruddha .V. Limaye
Director of Food and Beverage – Courtyard Marriott Ahmedabad, Gujarat

I learnt my most important lessons in life from my mother. I learnt how to work selflessly for others, how to adjust and take care of others without expectations, and how to manage and organize the kitchen single-handedly. Most importantly, I learnt how to put my heart out in the work I do and be a good human being.

Even though I am a chef, I always look forward to eating simple home-cooked nutritious meals. Occasionally I cook International dishes for my family as per their requests.

If I had to organize a Mother’s Day Event, I would make it a   buffet menu that will compromise any one favorite dish of the mothers of all the chefs in my hotel team. The restaurant would have a live counter where children would accompany the chef to cook a dish for their mother. Every table will have a personalized letter thanking mothers for their selfless, never ending and unmatchable work. A live band will be set up to perform songs on request. A small photo frame as a gift with a photo captured while enjoying the meal to preserve this memory.

 

Rishabh Singh Rana

Chef de cuisine-  The Shakaharis, Ahmedabad

 

I still cook a lot with my mother – when we cook it feels like nothing can go wrong. I started learning from her once I decided cooking and this is what gives me happiness. My favourite recipe which she taught me was how to make her famous dhagewale karele. She has always told me one thing what I also try to teach my team that “Always be happy and positive while cooking and everyone will love your food’’ –  that is the secret ingredient that makes the dish stand out. Never be cruel to someone even if you think they deserve it. Be patient in life because that is what makes a person successful. Don’t give up easily with anything you start. Whoever you work with or people who work for treat them with utmost respect and kindness.

 

I have always associated my home kitchen with my grandma, she has taught me a lot about food, and there was always a story attached to whatever she cooked. One dish i am always excited to cook with my grandmother at home is a spicy and tangy chicken curry.

 

Mother can never be replaced by anyone. So if any mother or my mother comes to my restaurant, I would make her feel very special because that is what they always do for, I will personally ask them whatever they want to eat whether or not it is part of the menu and cook it for them specially.

If I keep a Mother’s Day festival at my restaurant the menu will have my home food recipes with a twist. We will also plan live music, for instance, a gazal night for the mothers, giving them special memories.

 

 Chef Ravi Shankar Sharma

 Executive Chef –  Novotel Ahmedabad

All my life, I have been hearing from people that my mom cooks such delicious food .My mother like any other mother wanted us to eat only home food. She taught us all the recipes like boondi raita, aloo bhindi ki sabji, and  tuvar dal without tadka made with just some turmeric, ghee and salt  which reminds me of our times together and it will always be my comfort food. My mother is a wonderful teacher and I learned many cooking skills from her.

At home I look forward to eating aloo karela with phulka, rice and dal. I cherish this as it is light, healthy and nostalgic. It also reminds me of my lunchbox which mom used to pack for me lovingly every day!

If I would ever get a chance to cook for my mother I would like the meal to be as simple as possible, because I can equate mom-cooked food with minimal spices, and use ingredients sourced from a  local grocery shop which vouches for its freshness and locally available items only. Growing up, I remember my favourite days were when my mother used to make parwal sabji, so that would definitely be on the menu. Also some of the vegetables that are fast being forgotten by commercial kitchens such as lauki, gawar and pumpkin subjis will definitely come up in my top list.  Deep in my heart, I know she is the best chef I have ever come across, and I have learned from her in the kitchen. I will be nervous if she comes to judge my food.

Mothers are probably most satisfied with whatever you do with love and affection. So if I had to plan a Mother’s Day event, I would curate the menu using local ingredients but give the dishes a twist to make each guest feel special. The setup would be authentic yet minimalistic and classy.  Also the back ground music would be the favourite music from the 1970s and ‘80s, like Kishore Kumar songs, which most mothers of today’s hotel guests grew up listening to in their younger days.

Chef  Rajarshi Guria

Executive chef – EKA ARENA by SE TransStadia, Ahmedabad

The influence of my grandma and mom is partly what made me take up cooking as a profession. Although they used to cook simple food but they were magical and amazing. The regional cuisines are all passed on from generation to generation, from the grandmas to the moms to the younger generation. I personally witnessed my mother learning a lot of variety of pickles, vadi and festive sweets from my grandma. In our countryside home I have spent hours in my childhood sitting with my grandma, watching her making date palm jaggery or puffed rice, the precision of timing in the cooking and the level of perfection of each item was unique.

I found the traditional cooking at the countryside home, during my vacations, very interesting. The traditional kitchen had holes dug out in the earth with a raised pot like structure to support the cooking utensils. Wood and cow dung cake were used to fuel the flames on which the food was cooked. I learned the nuances of Bengali cuisine mostly from my mom – some of my favourite recipes are bhaja moonger dal, shukto, choccori and macher jhal that I would watch her cook and follow the methods she used to make the dishes. I learned from her the art of cooking on slow flame, simmering the dish and covering the vessel – all this helps to retain the aroma and gives the gravy the desired consistency.

As a chef I have worked in different cities, and always look across in the remote parts of countryside of whatever regions I visit to have food cooked by senior people. I ask them the processes and as a chef I try following their instructions, experimenting to get something unique out of the dishes I learn from them. In Ahmedabad, for example, the best of the Gujarati dishes I learned to cook from an old lady in the neighbourhood where I stay – I call her chachi. She has a subtle hand and I relish her house specials like cashew karela and handvo.

I love simple homely food like those  prepared by my mom – boiled rice , bhaja moonger dal , posto vada, aloo jhoori bhaja , and shukto made using raw banana, broad beans , potato n brinjal drumsticks radish, vadi and karela. My son loves western food – I cook his favourite dishes like pesto pasta, gnocchi or pot roast chicken.

If I had to cook for my mother on a special occasion it will be Indian food with the influence of the local taste and bit of western fusion. At a restaurant if I was asked to create a Mother’s Day menu, it would be simple and healthy. The welcome drink will be a simple refreshing ginger cooler laced with cardamom powder and black salt. For starters, I will serve steamed buns with a filling of soya vadi in salsa. For the mains, a small bajra roti with a methi aloo shaak or sukhi bhindi tossed with grated coconut .For the rice course, a pre-portioned brown rice pulao with pine nuts and crispy yellow pumpkin. Dessert will be fresh fruits with crumbled date and jaggery topped with homemade English mustard flavored ice cream – the blend of pungent with sweet tastes will lend a surprise end to the meal.

Chef Vijender Singh Kasana

Executive Chef –  Central Park -2, Gurugam

 

My mother told me the importance of having a diehard attitude towards my profession and to give my best to the job at all times. She taught how to make Pani-ki-roti, that taste amazing when paired with salan or curry – using her recipe I make these rotis that are very crispy outside but soft inside making them right to soak the gravy right  to the soft core.  From her I learned the art of making Sarson ka Saag using ingredients like soy leaf, bathua, palak and her special tadka with garlic, whole chili, cumin, crushed coriander and green chilies. She used to make saag a day before serving and then next day adding yogurt to the matured saag, which would turn out amazingly tasty. She cooked most dishes in an earthenware pot and used desi ghee.

At home, the meals depend on the season. On a warm summer afternoon, lunch would have chutneys, nooni ghee (fresh white butter) and chaas (homemade butter milk) as accompaniments. One of my dinner favourites is paneer cooked with curry leaf, dry coconut and hand ground Indian spices, paired with safed chawal roti, and accompanied by hand- cut kachumber salad.

If I make a Mother’s Day meal for my mother, I will cook her favourite Cholai Ka Saag and Bajre ka Malida. For a Mother’s Day Food Festival I would focus on Indian street food as I find most Indian women love chaats – pani puri, aloo tikki, chaats, cholle bhature and  jalebi with kulfi.  The décor will be colourful, and I would like to add a sales counter for sarees, dresses and accessories at special prices.

 

Kiran Suvarna

Executive Chef

Le Meridien Mahabaleshwar

Marriott International

It all started from her I could say, my lifelong passion for cooking began with my mother teaching me kitchen skills. Mom introduced me to the culinary world at a very early stage of my life and there was no turning back ever since. I was a very curious child asking so many questions about ingredients and how to cook a particular dish, and she used to never get tired of my questions and would give me enough ideas about the ingredients and the instructions for making that dish. It is so much fun cooking with her and I am still learning something new each time I cook with her.

 

One of my favourite recipes I learned from her is healthy finger millet dumplings with stew, and even a sweetened version of millet dumplings.  She told me there should be no shortcuts –   focus when cooking a dish to not forget any steps in the recipe. Practice the dish until you master it and then there will be no turning back, it has to be delicious and consistent all the time. Fresh ingredients are always best. Prepare small and adequate portions every time so there are minimal or no leftovers. Clean as you go to ensure and maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of a kitchen at the highest standard. I follow her principles.

 

About a hearty meal she would say eating well is all about cooking well and one must master the skills to do that. Using commonsense is by far the best advice I have received in my career and one I always pass on to aspiring chefs.

I love eating my mother’s home cooked food, her variety of dosa and idli with different fillings and chutneys, dumplings with stews, curries with fresh farm vegetables and seafood curries.

If my mother visits my restaurant I would treat her to a hearty pumpkin or mushroom soup followed by a handmade pasta dish or a roast dinner with pomme puree and garden fresh vegetables, ending with a lovely chocolate creameux dessert. A Mother’s Day Event I organize will be lit with candles, decorated with flowers and feature elegant seating options.

 

Chef Suresh Khanna

Executive Chef – Fortune Landmark, Ahmedabad​

 

My mother always told me to remove my footwear before entering the kitchen, respect elders, wash my hands before cooking and maintain cleanliness and hygiene in the kitchen. She told me I should touch every utensil with a cloth and not use my hands. We used to cook on chulha everyday so it was mandatory to wash the tawa daily. When making ghee, my mother taught me to put one spoon of flour and simmer cook it for 5-6 hours to get the desired consistency.n Before using fenugreek (methi), she told me it should be roasted first as that will make the dish aromatic and flavorful. She also taught me to knead bajre and makki ka aata with lukewarm water, and then roll the dough to make roti by hand.

My favourite dish is Punjabi vadian, which we prepare from scratch with udad dal and maa ki dal, cooked in mud pot in a core desi style. It will be a really special moment for me when mom comes to a restaurant at the hotel where I work. I will prepare dal makhni or maa ki dal, karela kadai in an iron pot, teamed up with Indian breads, cucumber raita, boondi raita and desi pinni, and moong dal ka halwa for dessert.

 

Chef Vrinda Menon

Sous Chef, The Fern, Ahmedabad.

 

My mother taught me how to roll as many as six or seven rotis in a minute – she has been rolling rotis since she was 13 years old. She portions out the dough into small rolls of the needed size and then she adds a bit of flour to the portioned out dough before she starts rolling it. The rotis should rotate while rolling on the board. That’s the secret behind the quick roti making technique.She always asked me to crush the garlic in mortar-and-pestle rather than chopping it. Crushing the garlic releases more flavour especially if the grinding is done by stone. She always uses freshly ground ginger and garlic for her subzis.She always fries the paneer cubes before adding it to any dish so the cubes retain their shape and texture. She taught me how to sprinkle lemon on dal tadka before serving to get that extra zing.

 

I learned the recipe of a tomato and onion chutney which can be eaten as subzi or can be a base for the South Indian style Egg Roast. It has a wee bit of Sugar to cut the acidity of tomatoes. It is a quick fix recipe and can be made in just 10-15 minutes.

Endurance and Strength were my mother’s motto – she told me to never give up even when a process is tedious or monotonous. And being in the male dominant hospitality and food industry that is what you need the most. She taught me how to do a job completely leaving no loose ends. If I am starting something up, I have to end it. There would be times when I would feel helpless, I would have to become my own strength and overcome the problem.

My mother is the Executive Chef at home and she whips up a great dinner daily because that is the only meal we all relish together as a family. I look forward to eating the Gujarati dal, sukhadi and dal dhokli that she makes.

As my mother loves eating Fish I would prepare a simple but flavorful fried fish-and-chips or grilled fish-with-veggies plate if she visits my restaurant on Mother’s Day. She loves flavor balance in her meals and doesn’t like heavily spiced food.

The menu that I would create for Mother’s Day would be very simple yet comforting food that mothers usually make. The menu would include items like pineapple rasam, spinach and cheese dim sums, meen moili or Goan prawn curry, and homemade fresh fruit ice cream. The setting would be ambient and warm with some ‘80’s music.

Chef Pradeep Chavan

Director Innovation – Global Gourmet India, Vadodara

 

My mother taught me basis like how to be organized, the importance of cleanliness, why dishes should be consistent in taste, why one should respect the house recipes coming down from generations, and that there are no shortcuts to make a perfect dish – like all our curry masalas were ground to a smooth paste on chiselled flat black stone block with a stone pestle. I remember the  freshly roasted whole spices, goda masala or kala masala, a combo of fresh onion, garlic and dry coconut , all roasted along with select red chillies and dry whole spices and then pounded using a wooden mortar-and-pestle , which used to remain a house secret recipe. My aunt was a great collector of Femina magazine recipes from the 1960s,  and I continued to be a collector of recipes. My family used to do a lot of experimentation using the published recipe as a base.  Another culinary mom I still take her advice is 84-year old Chandraben Vithlani – she is like a walking-talking encyclopedia of Gujarati cuisine. She has great experience and stories of how to create delicious dishes and shares knowledge of every ingredient, when, why and how to use each ingredient with perfect judgment. She shares her Gujarati recipes including those  of the Gujarati Diaspora in Africa and England. I learned how Africa-based Gujaratis add a small quantity of peanut in every dish to add protein. She has been generous with many tips for making pickles, sukhwani, sherbets and chutneys.

What my mother first taught me was how to brew tea. She said the first interaction task in kitchen whether you like or not is to stand near the  gas burner and obey instructions, like keeping an eye on the milk so it does not spill over. The technique of making tea I learned from my mother was to use one cup of water, half teaspoon tea and one teaspoon sugar and milk as require , and the most important part of brewing the perfect cup of tea is to keep it boiling on medium flame till you get the aroma, and add milk after that and keep it to heat further before serving. She showed me how adding lemongrass or lili chai gives the tea drink an additional freshness – that was also an important learning. She told me I should not forget to buy the meat with fat on it, as the fat adds flavour and texture to the mutton curry.  I look forward to cook her way of making Maharashtrian dishes like batatawada, pithla and vaangi bharith.

For a Mother’s Day party, I would create my Italian and Thai vegetarian specialities with a touch of spices. The meal  will be served in a thali for that local comfort feel . The menu will consist of eggplant parmigiano, pepperonata, Thai basil baby potatoes ( krapaw ) and green Thai curry. Fusion farsans can be created from vagharela polenta squares and gnocchi fritto ( fried pizza dough made like sakarpara ) , spinach and cheese risotto (made like a dhili khichdi ) and steam jasmine rice, piadina bread ( roti-like flatbread ) and gongolas  ( Fried bread of Italy  puffed up like a puri ). Somtom salad and onion tomato bail jeera olive oil salad, pesto chutney ( and garlic aioli  will accompany the meal. The sweet course will have Thai sticky mango rice pudding like a kheer laced with coconut milk and a kesar elaichi charoli mascarpone shrikhand. For the beverages I would make chilled parmesan infused chaas and fresh coconut water infused with sandalwood and saffron. The dishes will be plated on a sparkling silver coated thali with a basil and orchid duet. I want to give them the comfort of home blended with the global taste of my creations.

 

Chef Sunil Kumar Gangwal 

Executive chef  – Surat Marriott , Surat

My mother told me I should eat healthy and remain healthy.  I always used to help to my mother in kitchen, with tasks like peeling onion or cutting vegetable.  First thing she taught me was how to brew tea. Once I was making Kadhi in hotel and that got curdled, immediately I called my mother and asked her how to improve it and she gave me hot tips that I use even now. She always told me to cook food on slow flame and told me that using a copper container will enhance the taste of the dish. I love home food, and if I have to cook I will make some biryani with raita with shahi tukra as a dessert. If my mother visits the hotel when I am cooking, I will make a menu with roasted tomato basil soup, fresh exotic veggie salad with olives, yellow cheddar, ice berg lettuce and extra virgin olive oil, apasta, a pizza, and a nice dessert platter comprising of strawberry tart, chocolates and apple cobbler.

 

For a special Mother’s Day event at the hotel, I would like to serve a multi-course prix fixe menu at a nice setting like the poolside or on a terrace.

 

Chef Aman  Tandon 

Executive  Chef -Crowne Plaza Ahmedabad City Centre — An  I H G  Hotel   

I hail from the vibrant city of Kanpur which is famous for its distinctive food both veg and non veg , sweets , lassi and chat pakodi. I grew up in a joint family, living in a mansion where all the women were at their creative best and used to ensure all members of the family are well fed with all the love and care. All the five mothers living in the house taught us the right time to dine, the joy of eating as a family with laughter, fun and relish, the importance of hygiene and sanitation, and the right etiquette.

At home today food is diverse bringing together different backgrounds – Kanpur and Lucknow where I grew up, Jalandhar  that was the home of my wife Chef Sushma Tandon, and  Kolkata where my mother Kamni Tandon  lived. Though we are a chef couple, my mother still guides us on making her style of traditional vegetarian food   ranging from simple Satvik recipes to rich and royal dishes. Mom being the best culinarian and a chef avtar i have ever seen in life is a master of masalas and her Garam masala recipes travels world over where all my relatives are settled and prospering. I learned different masalas from my mother , and these have won hearts of my patrons – garam masala , pulao masala , korma masala , chaat masala , peshawri masala ,and so forth.

If my mother or aunts were to visit my restaurant I will make food that takes into account their dietary requirements and health matters – salads rich in fibrous fruits and vegetables and a great source of sucrose and fructose  , soy based vegetarian protein rich food turned into delectable kebabs , curries and kormas  made in light extra virgin olive oil , trans fat free food preparations,  low sugar and organic honey rich desserts of all kinds.

For a Mother’s Day special feast that I will curate there will be classical recipes from drink to dessert which is extracted from the popular cuisines of the times when our parents were younger to evoke nostalgic memories. The special meal would end with customized desserts made with natural sweeteners like maple syrup, coconut sugar and date palm jaggery, as well as sugar-free desserts sweetened with stevia.

I would like to give complimentary takeaways of my secret blend of masalas for all the mothers visiting my hotel for the feast on Mother’s Day along with handmade chocolates.

 

Yash Thakore
  Executive Chef
 DoubleTree by Hilton, Ahmedabad

My mother was a banker who had to cook breakfast, packed lunch and
dinner for my father and me, along with her working full time. The
most important things I have learnt from her was dedication towards
the work & family & planning. She for years managed both house & work
flawlessly. Along with my mother the another lady from whom I have
learnt different aspects of life was my aunt who passed away in 2017
due to cancer. Since my mother was working & during my school vacation
my lunch & evening tea use to be with my aunt as we lived in a joined
family. We enjoyed watching cooking shows on television,as since
childhood I was fascinated by food.

While at home I look forward to eat simple Gujarati food like’Dal Dhokli, ‘Kaju Ne Karela Nu Shaak ,   Kadhi, Dhili Khichdi and Turia Ne Mug Ni Dal Nu Shaak.        In summer, Fajeto’ with Be Padi Rotli are my favourites. My daughter sometimes asks me to make non-Gujarati dishes like upma with a modern tweak, pulao or pasta .

Mothers like the food that is very traditional, simple, quick yet tasty so considering that I would prepare a meal for my mom if she visits my restaurant. And for my mother I would like to make ‘Okra’ as that is one vegetable that she doesn’t like but she always makes for me. I would like to make the way she makes so she knows how delicious her Bhindi (Okra) tastes. Apart for that I would like to make ‘Handvo’ for her which is one of her favourites.

If I had to plan a Mother’s Day Event, the menu will  consist of Indian Regional dishes from different states – Masala Chi Vangi and Puran Poli from Maharashtra,Sev Tameta Nu Shaak and Bhakri fromGujarat, Papad Ki Subzi with Jodhpuri Chawal from Rajasthan , Urulai Roast & Puliodharai Sadam from Tamil Nadu, ‘Pindi Chole with Kulcha from Punjab, ChorChori  from Odisha, and so forth. Desserts would include Ghanv Na Lot No Sheero, Parapu Payasam, Churma Laddo, Gajar Ka Halwa and Misti Dohi, and for non-vegetarians there will be also Kozhi Chettinadu, Allepy Meen Curry, Laal Maans, Patiala Murgh, Kolkata Biryani, Prawns Xacuti and those kind of dishes. I would like that every son or daughter who treats their mother for the meal be involved in the service and even making chaats that most women love.

 

Chef  Vaibhav Arora

Executive Sous Chef

Renaissance , Ahmedabad

Talking about Mom, Mumma or Maa, whatever one calls one’s mother, they are one of the closest members to you in your family. When it comes to cooking with my mom, it always gives me extra motivation and delight especially preparing certain dishes that are close to my heart and I relish the meals with her till the very last bite.

I grew up in a Punjabi joint family where my  mother spent hours in the kitchen cooking for all family members without frowning which surely was mind boggling for me. Her eternal smiling face and my parents’ ceaseless support (in the days when it was taboo for a boy to become a cook and the career of a chef was little known) helped me become an epicurean like my mother.
Besides, she taught me the “mool mantra” of being a proficient chef – cook from your soul and eventually the food will be scrumptious.

My mother has been my greatest mentor as she acquainted me with the details of cooking from the  names of commonly used spices and lentils to tasting food.

 

Some of the lessons learned from my mother include  sun drying fenugreek leaves without them getting tanned, preparing chaat masala and selecting dry red chili depending on whether I wanted to use a milder or more pungent variety, and the nutritional advantage of cooking in an iron pot.  She taught me that cooking on a slow flame helps in retaining all flavors of a dish like boondi ki sabzi. From her I learned that sautéing green chilly and ginger first before adding onions provides crunchiness to the dish, the techniques of cutting potatoes for dishes like crispy masaledaar aloo and  frying potatoes in mustard oil adds a distinguishable flavour to the dish.
When making a masala egg curry she would sauté the onions to a desired texture. If by error I added too much salt or chili to a dish, she told me that a ball of kneaded dough would absorb the extra saltiness or pungency. To enhance the colour of red chili she would add a few drops of mustard oil to make a chili paste.

 

 

Chef Akshay Katti
Executive Chef,  Courtyard by Marriott Ahmedabad

My mother taught me values like being generous with people, and that I should support and care those you love. I always admired her ability to be patient in every tough situation and I wish I can be as patient as she is someday. She is the one who taught me to surround yourself with what you love so that is why I  decided to take up my passion for cooking as a profession .I always saw her making grocery list for weekly or monthly purchase and that is how I leant rationing. She always taught me to use the best product because you are cooking for people you love and they simply deserve the best
I saw her adding a pinch of salt in sweet dishes like kheer and that is how I learned how to balance the  tastes in a dish.

She taught me to make the perfect appam, the correct proportioning of bishibeli bhaat, and the recipe to make soft and delicate gulab jamoon.

She also gave me lot of tips on kitchen management,  the best being how to be productive with limited resources.  She taught me to make the best with whatever ingredients you have at home – I remember her lessons during the Lockdown when we had to make do with what was available!

 

 

 

My wife and I usually cook together. My wife is a teacher in IIHM so she is generally busy with her online classes in the morning. I usually make South Indian breakfast like uttapam or idli.Then we cook together our lunch and dinner. Both my mother and mother-in- law have visited the restaurants I am heading. I have made their favourite delicacies like bisibeli bhaat, appam, payesam for my mother who is from Karnataka, and fish curry with rice for my Bengali mother-in-law.  Also they enjoy when I make pasta, ravioli or gelato in the hotel.

For Mother’s Day we were planning to do a live cooking for the mothers where they can instruct us how to make their favourite food and we would do it the same way.  Also we could teach the kids one of the mother’s favourite dish so that they can prepare it in home whenever the mother crave for that part.