Cooking taught me important lessons

Summary

The author discovered a passion for cooking during lockdowns, learning valuable life lessons through trial and error in the kitchen.

Abstract

The pandemic's lockdowns inadvertently led the author, previously uninterested in cooking, to explore this new hobby. Initially spoiled by the culinary skills of his mother and wife, the author took to the kitchen out of boredom and a desire to contribute. His first attempt at making "Kande Pohe" was a success, motivating him to continue cooking. He learned the importance of appreciation and encouragement in fostering motivation and resilience, as well as the significance of timing and patience in cooking and life. The author also realized that moderation in adding spices is crucial for a well-balanced dish, drawing parallels to focusing one's energy effectively. Despite the challenges, he now enjoys cooking and has expanded his repertoire to include various Indian dishes, with the only downside being the cleanup required afterward.

Opinions

Appreciation for someone's efforts can be a powerful motivator for continued success.
Encouragement should be given even in the face of failure to help someone persevere.
Timing is critical in cooking, as it can significantly affect the outcome of a dish.
Balance and restraint are key when it comes to using ingredients like spices.
Cooking can teach important life lessons, such as patience, timing, and moderation.
The enjoyment of cooking can be somewhat diminished by the prospect of cleaning up afterward.

Lockdowns made me my family’s favorite cook

Cooking food was nowhere in my plans or to-do lists. But just like for many others, the pandemic has made me find my new passion.

I was and am spoilt by my mum and my wife as they both know how to address my taste buds. And so having been constantly fed good food for years, there had been only one reason to enter the kitchen and pantry which was to find food.

But during the lockdowns, the tables turned a bit. My wife still had to go to work and I was working from home. I ended up having a lot of time. So rather than wasting all of my time binge-watching hopeless web series’, I thought I could invest it in cooking.

One fine day, I decided to make a snack. And it turned out absolutely delicious. The snack I made was “Kande Pohe”, a dish from Maharashtra, India.

Photo captured by the author — Kande Pohe

When everyone appreciated the taste and efforts I put in, I got motivated to do more.

Lesson 1: After a successful outcome, appreciating someone’s efforts will motivate them to keep repeating the success. Doing so may even make them aim higher and raise the bar.

But not every dish turned out to be as good as the first one. Still, my family appreciated the efforts I put in. That kept me going while I kept learning from my mistakes.

Lesson 2: If someone fails in spite of them putting effort, encourage them to keep trying. Appreciation should not necessarily be attached only to a successful outcome.

While cooking Indian food, frying spices in Ghee/Oil is usually the first step. When you heat the oil/ghee, the time when you throw the spices in has a significant impact on taste. If you heat the oil/ghee too much, spices could burn but if you did not let it heat property, you will smell oil in the final product.

Lesson 3: Timing is an important factor to consider for any task. Be patient yet at the same time know when to act.

When I started cooking, I had an aim to not just create an edible product but something that is as close to a restaurant-style dish. And for that, I felt adding more spices would do the trick.

But I quickly discovered that adding more than required spices ruins the dish. Adding less than required spices still maintains the dish edible. So, I had to be careful about the quantity and number of spices I add.

Lesson 4: Don't overdo things until you know your energy is focussed at the right place.

Apart from Kande Pohe, I have made Goat curry, Kheema Masala (Lamb mince masala), Anda Ghotala (Boiled Egg Masala), Egg Curry, Chapati, Lentils Dishes like Daal Fry, Masoor Daal, and Panchmaal Daal. Do reach out to me if you need the recipes.

I am now enjoying cooking more than ever. The only thing that keeps me from doing even more of it is Cleaning. :-)