Home chef Anuradha Joshi Medhora cooks meals that are inspired by Marathi, Rajasthani, Mughlai and Afghani cuisines. The Mumbai-based chef specialises in lip-smacking royal feasts from Indore.
"I had a classic small town upbringing. My family loves food and so food was always the centre point of all the plans. I was very lucky to have been born in a family that was associated with old families of this region and our food was largely influenced by these illustrious families," says the founder of Charoli Foods.
When asked why she chose to become a home chef rather than taking up a full-fledged job, Anuradha replies, "Charoli is the dream of a little girl who was more enamoured by the food cooked in the royal kitchens than the royals themselves. It's my bit to revive a cuisine that otherwise would never make it out of the dining rooms and will slowly die out as the next generation moves out and onto faster, busier lives."
"Charoli is something I do in my spare time as I am a part of my family's textile business as well," - Anuradha
Challenges
"The struggle is real in the sense that a home chef's job is definitely slower and more limited versus running a full-fledged commercial kitchen. It's you and your small team, therefore there is only so much you can take on and cater to. I've been very lucky and have always had enough work on hand. Sometimes it's hard to manage between the two jobs, but revival of this cuisine is why I started out," she explains.
Anradha provides pop-up meals, sit down dinners, private meals and curation.
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Being Home Chef Is: Introducing A Royal Cuisine
Every new order means many new foodies being exposed to the magnificent cuisine of the royals of Malwa.
Usual Routine: I get up, work and cook!
Future expansion plans
"I'm currently working on a fusion cafe in Indore and some very exciting collaborations are in the pipeline. Let's just hope it all works out and something more concrete can be done with Charoli."
Support from family
Anuradha reveals that it was her husband who pushed her to pursue my food dream. "It's really because of my family that I could pursue my love for food," she says.
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What aspect of your specific style of cooking did you want to popularise (for regional cuisine chefs)?
USP: To never skip steps and find short cuts for making a dish. It's never the same. Invest your time and the result will be smashing!
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Cooking as a Liberated Profession for Women
An uneducated widow has been earning her livelihood by sending out chapatis or a young mother makes dabbas to support her family
Also Read: Catering to your sweet tooth: India’s Best Pastry Chefs
Food has always liberated woman. Most women, who can't do anything else, can cook and their kitchen is their kingdom. Women home chefs in cities have such fantastic opportunities. There are portals which connect them to their end consumers or innovative opportunities to take their dishes to food lovers.
"Why shouldn't a woman, who is proud of her culinary skills, take this up as a profession and take her craft to the world?"
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About Indians Trying Out New Cuisines
"A new age of very experimental foodies are on the rise. This is great because we can pretty much make whatever we feel like and it will be tried and consumed."
Loving The Change
The environment in the kitchen is changing, she says. "The norm that men, generally, take up the career of chefs in hotels/restaurants is changing too. It's gradual and you would almost never find a woman chef in smaller cities. But that's not the scene in the cities!"
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No Absurdness In Kitchen
"My father is a fantastic cook and so is my husband. Anyone who loves food -- whether it's a man, woman or child -- belongs to the kitchen!"
Girls should go ahead and pave a way for themselves, it is more challenging for a girl in the culinary industry but that's changing! And if you are good, you are good!
READ: Ruchika Vyas Bakes it Up with Her House of Cookies
READ:How Being A Home Chef Can Transform A Woman’s World
Read More Stories By Ria Das
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