We are all brought up attuned to following some rules. Rules of life, rules in school, rules in office and rules in our day to day lives. Whether it is traffic, crime, social services, any odd chore and task, or simply in the kitchen. The world says you can ace the kitchen only if you ace a recipe well. I beg to differ. My talents are simple; making people feel good, and whipping up a meal or a snack from any random ingredients I find in the house. It could be an impromptu bhel, an Indianized taco or simply some pasta with flavours to spike your taste buds. It is all a game of experimentation!
Most people say “Life starts at the end of your comfort zone”. So why not apply this to our lives in the kitchen too? It is far too easy to follow a recipe. Why? It is laid out for us to read and adapt, it is tried and tested, and it is easy not to think of anything new. It is the “recipe handed down for generations” or simply a creation by a famous chef, who experimented with ingredients and tastes and flavours himself/herself too! Recipes are simply accidental creations that turned out to be a hit!
But why is experimentation fun? Because it gives you the opportunity to create something that is exciting, new and an adventure. We crave adventures in every scope of life; be it our lifestyles, our vacations, a professional opportunity or simply just a day out on the town. So, I ask, why not while you cook a meal?
What is the worst that could happen if you put a little more of a certain ingredient? It could get a little saltier, or slightly creamier. But what if it is something you like more than the recipe you follow? What if it becomes the party favourite? What if it becomes the meal that your children end up loving every day?!
Give yourself the benefit of the doubt. Give yourself faith. Some trust. That something amazing could come about with a little experimentation.
For example, it was during peak lockdown I think, and we barely had any ingredients at home to make a proper meal. I had a bag of millets, some grains and tomatoes and onions (the staple in every Indian household) as well as my spices. On a regular day, you would eat a khichdi made of rice or dals. But this time, I put whole garlic, whole masalas and some roughly chopped onions, tomatoes and chillies, along with cups full of millets, grains and some lentils to create an excellent brothy meal. A simple loaf of bread and this mixture gave us one of the tastiest meals of our lives!
It was a chance we took. It was a risk of how the food would turn out when there was no shop to go to or a restaurant to order in from. But it turned out to be one of the best meals of our days. Now think of salads; they’re simply an amalgamation of fresh vegetables and greens tossed in a sauce of your choice. So why not play around with the ingredients? Why not add some fruits? Some nuts, some seeds and some cereal to give it a tang and a crunch?
There is always something to toss around a meal you are preparing; which more often than not, will never be in the recipe. But this concept soon becomes a signature move. You are known for it. For changing the taste of a usual meal.
A secret spice in a cocktail, a unique crunch to your everyday salad, or simply the surprise ingredient in a dessert. It could make all the difference!
Written By Gouri Gupta
Week 48, November ’20
