nita mehta

My Passion For Cooking Carved My Path – Nita Mehta

One of India’s most celebrated cookbook authors and cooking experts, Nita Mehta is the queen of cooking in India. With more than 400 cookbooks published under her name, Nita Mehta is a name that almost everyone is familiar with. She has initiated a chain of Cooking Institutes by the name ‘Nita Mehta Cooking Classes’ in the country and has also won international awards for her cookbooks and recipes. Find her talking about cooking, food and recipes in this exclusive interview with WomenPlanet.

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    I was interested in cooking since teenage days. As a little girl, I would bake cakes and cookies with my neighbour aunts. My passion for cooking carved my path.

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    My family & friends appreciated my cooking a lot. It was their appreciation which made me pen down my recipes. My husband gave me the support to convert all those into a book since he was computer savvy. He helped me with the DTP and made a book out of all my recipes.

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    I travel a lot, visit restaurants and try out new dishes. I never hesitate to ask about a particular dish because I believe “Learning is never ending.” Many a times, I collect ingredients lying in the kitchen and try to create something interesting with those. Cooking is a very creative art, but technical too. If you understand food well, you can create endless recipes.

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    I enjoy stir-fries, whether Continental or Oriental. I find them light and refreshing. I enjoy salads too.

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    I started cooking classes for fun and to pass my time at home. I wanted to keep an eye on my growing children as well as do something. Cooking classes, I thought was a good option. I enjoyed taking classes at home as it was a good social outlet for me. I enjoyed meeting people from all walks of life — there were Doctors, lawyers, housewives etc. attending my classes. Soon I realized this hobby can be turned into a profession and then I opened my first formal culinary academy. After that there was no looking back.

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    My first restaurant is “Kelong” in Ludhiana which is a multi-cuisine restaurant. We offer Indian & oriental cuisine, all cooked with fresh ingredients. I try my best to see that the food served is tasty, healthy and hygienic. We opened another restaurant “Lemon Grass” which offers Thai & Mexican food.

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    In enjoy baking cup cakes with my grand children. I love taking them out with me and pampering them. I also enjoy watching movies with my husband.

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    Judging competitions is pretty tough. The first thing that I see is the flavour. The texture of food, I mean cooked just right is very important too. A little overcooking or undercooking can alter the taste a lot. I like the food to be garnished simply. Sometimes the contestant over garnish the food, taking eyes away from the real food.

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    To keep the budget in check, one should avoid wastage. People think, using extra spices, oil, nuts in recipes will enhance taste but I think otherwise. So use all judiciously, balancing taste and health.

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    Cooking is a science. One can definitely learn. But if you have a flair for cooking, it definitely helps.

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    Follow your heart! Work and study both become much simpler if you enjoy doing it. Anything related with food will never decline, so always give it a try.

Image Source: Eatyourbooks.com

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