Category: Blogs

Posted on by — Leave a comment

An Aspiring Chef.

www.nativchefs.com

I owe my cooking skills as an ode to the versatility of Maharashtrian cuisine, as I embark upon the trademark dishes of my motherland. I am particularly proud of the vast plethora of flavors that my native land has to offer, as it ranges from mild to strong. I like to indulge particularly in the non-vegetarian fare. My daughters are the best judges of the taste of the food that I make. I have great support from my husband and mother in law. I am very happy to be a part of Native Chefs. I feel NativChefs is a harbinger that has heralded the dawn of a new era, where homemakers are at the helm of greater responsibilities. It has helped them to be a torchbearer, spearheading a profound boost, hereby changing their perception by society. It has opened the flood gates of opportunities for the home maker to leverage. She feels through this platform they are not only able to earn monetary benefits but also intangible benefits like a unique identity to flaunt.

I firmly believe that my home and children are my pride. I can vouch for this fact. This is because every fruit is known by its tree. Hence, roots matter so much. Our food largely defines our identity. I believe that cook is artisans of divine food. NativChef is a den of culinary wizards and a true paradise for a food connoisseur. I am very pleased to be part of NativChef Community. Welcoming myself on board!

Way to go, NativChefs!!!

Post Views: 681
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Konkani Cuisine: Epicurean Delight

www.nativchefs.com

This cuisine traces its origin to the rugged western coastline of the Indian subcontinent. This region, spanning around 720 km, comprises of the trinity of Goa, Konkan region and Maharashtra. It is also called as Malvani cuisine, named after Malvan. It is a town in Sindhuberg district on the western coast. The influences can be stemmed, rooting to the Portuguese cuisine.

Considering that this region was a Portuguese colony. As a result, the grub from the region has an eclectic appeal. It is a melting pot of all the three regional fares. Hence, consists of an overlapping trinity of these regions.
It can be called a paradise for seafood lovers. It caters to their palette perfectly, with a medley of incredible aromas, textures, and tastes. The flavor predominantly is fiery, and robust. Being a coastal region, the cuisine is dominated by non-vegetarian dishes. However, there is no dearth of dishes for the “go green” connoisseurs as well.

Hallmark of these dishes is the liberal use of coconut in all forms. Be it dried, desiccated, grated or fried. Coconut milk is also used abundantly. The food ranks high on the Scoville scale (used to measure spiciness in culinary preparations) with its extremely spicy special masalas.

1.MALVANI MASALA:
Malavani masala is a mixture of 15 to 16 dried masalas. These consists of dry red chilly, coriander seeds, peppercorns, cumin, cardamom, ginger, and garlic.

2.GOAN RECHEADO MASALA:
Also, worth mentioning is the Goan Recheado masala which is a blend of aromatic spices, tomatoes, onions, and tamarind.

SOL KADHI:

https://www.nativchefs.comLike the south Indian food has buttermilk, the Konkan cuisine has SolKadhi, at the fag end of a spicy meal. This cool pink drink is a lifesaver in the sweltering summer heat. It is also an excellent antidote for acidity and helps to counteract highly spicy food. It is made from dried kokum fruit, raw mango pulp (Kairi) and tamarind. It aids the digestive process as well.
Don’t miss it! Order from Nativ Chefs, now!

Don’t mince matters (literally). We can vouch for what we recommend. Just dig and tuck in! Highly addictive!

 

 

Post Views: 693
Posted on by — Leave a comment

“Bake” Someone Happy

www.nativchefs.com

Chef Jennifer is originally from Mumbai. She was born and brought up in the city of dreams. She hails from a humble middle-class Catholic family in Goa. As for her alma mater, she has completed her graduation in commerce (B.com). Her affair with the art of cooking began by observing her mother and grandmother conjure their magic in the kitchen. Especially on festive occasions. Coming from a background of culinary expertise helped her learn the ropes of the craft. Her grandmother was famous for her nonvegetarian fare, whereas her mother was more inclined towards cakes and desserts. Ms. Jennifer gravitated towards baking, as it fascinated her.

After her marriage, she shifted her base to Nagpur. She continued her passion for baking cakes. But as a hobby only. Her children drooled over her traditional recipes as well as innovative trysts. Her relatives and friends with a sweet tooth started coaxing her to make cakes for them. Such was her acumen and skill. Soon the word of mouth spread and she started getting orders. Her son suggested her to harness her skill, and turn it into a home-based business. Also, to give it a more professional touch. This hatched the plan for “Lulu’s cakes”. Lulu, being Jennifer’s nickname.

Ms. Jennifer is a versatile and professional baker. Lulu’s cakes are an ideal “umbrella haven” for the cake lover. Ms. Jennifer’s clientele spans across the length and breadth of Nagpur. The bouquets of praises have not stopped pouring from every corner, ever since. This gives her immense satisfaction and joy. Ms. Jennifer dotes on “tea time” cakes. These are her signature. She definitely belongs to a distinguished class of Avant Garde bakers in the city.

“Happiness is knowing that there is a cake in the oven. A cake in the mouth is worth two on the plate. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.”

She avers, adding wit to flavor.

Bravo to “Lulu’s cakes”. We highly recommend this indulgence!

Post Views: 478
Posted on by — Leave a comment

A chef reaching new Horizons

www.nativchefs.com

Shruti Jain was an ordinary girl with an MBA in HR and Marketing. Although her family had a business of their own, there was no pressure on her to pursue the family tradition. But, she always had lots of dreams and aspirations, that were yet to see the light of the day. Her affair with the culinary arts began when she started to assist her mother in cooking for guests at home. The spark found its flame when she took a liking for the craft and started conducting classes for local ladies in the vicinity. As the word of mouth spread, the frequency of her workshops increased. Needless to say, her recognition spawned to humungous proportions.

Later, she participated in Master Chef India contest. This took her one notch higher. It unlocked entire new doorways of opportunities, a new plethora of new cuisines like international, Chinese, Thai and a compendium of innovative dishes like desserts, chocolates, and Nano cooking were now adding more feathers in the cap of her culinary odyssey. She was called as a jury for many cookery contests, where she judged budding novices.

She won a place in Limca book of records for making 323 varieties of items from potatoes. Another feat is her mention in the Asia book of records for 21 layer cake from 21 grains weighing 21 kg made on 21 January for 21 disabled children. She was honored with the title of “Chef of Nagpur.”

She believes she has explored new horizons, as she now works as a consultant for many hotels. She helps them to make bonafide tweaks to their menus with the help of her widely gleaned expertise. She plans to conduct workshops in the Middle East in yet another year.

She feels that The Gourmet of Nagpur is on the anvil of positively huge transformation and that the palette of the quintessential Nagpur foodie is evolving, day by day. The fleet of new innovative food joints are a testimony to this. Thus, attesting to the fact that Nagpur is definitely making its mark on the global culinary scenario. Thereby, making a mark on the international Gourmet map.

Post Views: 944
Posted on by — Leave a comment

A mom, a chef and an entrepreneur who made it happen

www.nativchefs.com

Stories nourish the mind. There are stories that captivate you and there are stories that completely engulf you in their realm and leave a permanent impact on your heart. One such is the story of Chitra Soni, a woman who dared to dream and created a pathway of success for herself and thousands of others who follow her. Here’s an excerpt of our conversation with her.

When I joined hotel management college in 1970, the course was recently introduced in the country and was not that popular among women. Thus I was one of the 5 girls in the class of 100, but I discovered my passion for cooking and enjoyed every bit of it. After the graduation I was placed at ‘The Taj Group’ Mumbai and my joy had no bounds. I was living my fairy-tale, but then unexpectedly due to my father’s transfer we had to shift. I had to leave my promising job, dreams and fairytale back in Mumbai and move to this new city which did not even have a single big hotel, Nagpur.

This transformation hit me really hard and I was exhausted mentally. I had qualifications, experience but no opportunity to showcase my talent. Some months passed by and there was an opening for the post of lecturer in LED college which had introduced HMC recently, I went to the interview and to my surprise I was the only candidate present there who had relevant qualifications! But this journey carved my future as I discovered if there was something I loved more than cooking it was teaching how to cook!

Things were going smoothly, I also met the man of my dreams and we decided to marry, but after marriage, I had to resign from my job due to family commitments. I was clueless once again. One fine day my father in law asked me ‘What are you doing these days?’ to which I retorted ‘Nothing much’. He asked ‘Why don’t you start doing something from the house itself?’ and I grabbed this opportunity as hard as I could and started my journey by opening the first cooking classes in Nagpur, ‘RUCHIRA’ in 1975. I just had 6 students for my first batch, and last year in 2018 when I decided to finally end my journey of Ruchira I had already trained 1,00,000+ students! The proudest moment for me was when I was called ‘Ruchira Aunty’. I was successful in creating a brand. It took hard work, consistency, and dedication from every moment of my life. Today when I look back I see a scholar, employee of a five star hotel, a teacher, a housewife, and an entrepreneur and most importantly a satisfied and happy human being who has lived her life to the fullest and if you think this is the end of my career, you are wrong. I have just begun my journey as an adviser. So all the women out there, there is nothing such as happy ending to your fairytale as you are your fairy who can write her own tales!”

Kudos to her journey as a loving mom, an exceptional chef, and a successful entrepreneur

Post Views: 625
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Garlic: The Wonder Herb

www.nativchefs.com

“Garlic is a complete pharmacopeia in itself.”

Happy Garlic Day to all our esteemed readers.Did you know that those small bulbs of garlic conceal a host of highly healing and medicinal properties? Garlic is one of the most ancient medicine that has heralded the dawn of medicine, not only in India but all over the world. Let us probe further and get to the bottom of the matter:

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

The Mesopotamians:

They ate garlic and drank it with wine as a tonic to ward off disease.

The Egyptians:

They  formulated ancient papyrus document called “Ebers Codex” written in 1550 BC which gives twenty two uses of garlic including treatment for heart problems, tumours, headaches, worms and bites.

Ancient Greek:

Here, garlic was given to athletes before Olympics, soldiers before battles as per Homers Odyssey published in 1000 bBC. Hippocrates, known as the “Father of Medicine” called it a wonder herb, recommending it for infections, wounds, cancer, leprosy and digestive problems. Dioscorides known as the “ Father of Pharmacy” ,prescribed it in Material Medica for snake bites, dog bites, toxic poisoning due to the sting of bees and scorpions. Roman gladiators chewed garlic before combats. Pling, the Elder called it as an antidote for any type of poisoning.

Chinese medicine:

It is the most developed herbal medicine in the world. It consists of classic formulas more than hundreds of thousands years old. Garlic called “da suan” in the Chinese jargon, has a special mention in “Collection of Commentaires on the Classic of Material Medica” published in 500 AD and “Vegetables as Medicine”. Here, it is prescribed for common cold, whooping cough, dysentery and boils.

Ayurveda:

According to this school of medicine, garlic effects each of the constitutional types, namely Pitta, Vata and Kalpha. It increases the fiery nature of Pitta, spacy, spasmodic  and airy nature of Vata,cleans mucous and opens up obstructed channels of Kalpha.

Unani Tibb:

It is the branch of medicine from the Muslim world. Hakim Ibn Sina is the father of this medicine and in Canon of Medicine published in 900 BC, garlic is recommended for intestinal problems, food poisoning, dysentery, asthma and whooping cough.

European Herbalism:

Garlic has been touted as the cradle of civilization and extensive research has been conducted on garlic in German Phytotherapy(Plant Medicine), spearheaded by Hildegard von Bingen. It is used in the preparation of “Four Thieves Vinegar” and “Galen’s wine” which are used as poultice for wounds and injuries during the medieval period.

MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF GARLIC:

These can be elucidated as follows:

Anti asthmatic: Eases constricted breathing.

Anti inflammatory and blood thinning properties.

Anti epileptic: Reduces severity of convulsions.

Antiseptic: Fights infections in digestive and respiratory tracts.

Antispasmodic: Combats cramping and pains.

Anthelmintic: Kills germs and intestinal worms.

Carminative: Expels gas

Diaphoretic: Promotes sweating and circulation.

Diuretic: Promotes urination.

Emmenagogue: Promotes menstruation.

Expectorant: Promotes flow of mucus.

Rubefacient: Fight skin irritation.

Tonic: Boosts immunity and overall health.

SIDE EFFECTS:

The following are the side effects that might result if the usage is not within the limits of  discretion :

  1. Bloating and gas.
  2. Feelings of heat
  3. Digestive irritation
  4. Heaviness in head
  5. Aggravation of pain
  6. Increase in urine(diuretic)
  7. Dull eyesight
  8. Headache
  9. Nausea
  10. Flushed face
  11. Garlic breath and excessive sweating.

FORMS OF USAGE :

Capsules and tablets, oils(steam distilled and macerated), chest rub and plaster, compress(hot and cold), cooked garlic, raw garlic, decoction, douche, enema, poultice, infusion in wine and vinegar, juice, nose drops, poultices and tinctures.

We can thus conclude that the appeal of garlic is universal and its versatility needs no further attestation. It displays the broadest spectrum of medicinal properties and is like a medicine chest all by itself. So don’t wait, grab this ambrosia right away!

Post Views: 593
Posted on by — 1 Comment

Third chef meet at Nativ Chefs

www.nativchefs.com

Palette Pantheon: the Third chef meet at Nativ Chefs

Nativ Chefs team welcomed budding new chefs, a stream of new culinary wizards on 3rd January’19, Thursday at the conference hall at IIM, Nagpur, from 2 pm to 4 pm. The event was attended by fifteen participants who would be admitted as prospective chefs, once their dishes are evaluated and scrutinized by the establishment.

It commenced with the tasting ceremony, which involved showcasing of individual dishes with their names. As the tables were studded with the dishes, the canvas was replete with the most distinguished preparations that signify the unique Indian tradition and also a legacy which is second to none. The participants interacted and shared their anecdotes with each other. This was an outstanding platform to connect with their peers.

It was then succeeded by a PowerPoint presentation, in which the founder of Nativ Chefs, Ms. Leena Dixit explained and outlined the basic concepts of Nativ Chefs. She also defined the vision, mission, and objectives of the organization. This was followed by a technical discussion compared by Madam Chitra Soni, who is a stalwart and is a much-revered personality in this field. She has over forty years of experience in the food sector and has tutored over one lakh students. She touched upon the core ideas of costing and budgeting of the dishes, which is highly imperative to the seamless functioning. Also, a host of other nitty-gritty like contract details and aspects, as well as FSSAI registration was covered. Hygiene factors were standardized. Stringent measures were adopted which would not be compromised.

Also towards the fag end of the event, interviews with the prospective chefs were carried out by the Nativ Chefs team, to break the ice and accustom them. This ceremony was a very hearty and warm welcome to the new talent that would be channelized into Nativ Chefs. A message to all participants:

“We look forward to working with you. Welcome aboard!”

Post Views: 1,246
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Indian Treasures: A toast to forgotten, unsung Recipes

www.nativchefs.com

We are currently on the anvil of the descending Internet era. With the onset of globalization and digital technology, our daily life has garnered some radical changes and is somewhat doing a somersault. But as the old adage goes, the same fire that melts the butter hardens the egg. Also, the same hammer that forges the steel shatters the glass into shards. Similarly, the onslaught of the factors above mentioned has had a humongous effect on the food culture in India. Meaning to say that, yes, the nanotechnology which is at large now has brought us closer and shrunk the world. But, as far as the food domain is concerned, it has ironically distanced and eroded our love for traditional homemade recipes, that have been passed from generation to generation akin to an heirloom. These recipes are tethering on the brink of oblivion and are now going kaput.T the culprit being the fusion food and invariably, so.

However, on the other end of the spectrum, there is good news too! We at Nativ Chefs endeavor to revive these treasured jewels and ensure that they remain evergreen. We persevere to choose avant-garde chefs who are originally from the region where the dish belongs. Their skills are like pearls in a shell which are of no use unless they have good exposure. Nativ Chefs gives them a platform to showcase their culinary talents as they treat the world as their oyster and paint the town red with their skills. They can celebrate their motherland and at the same time, discover their identity. They can work from the comfort of their abodes with flexible timings. The majority of our chefs are winners of prestigious cookery contests.

This would further bolster your faith in the delectable recipes made by these culinary wizards. For them, cooking is a religion. It is a language that tugs on the cockles of the heart and the coffers of the soul. They are distinguished and seasoned professionals which sets them apart from the crowd. We believe those cooks are artists and cookery is an art of self-expression. It reflects the redolent scent of the land, just like fruit is known by its tree.

Nativ Chefs conducted a cookery contest called “Indian treasures”, on the 10th of December 2018 at Chitnavis Centre in Tamarind hall. The timing is 12 pm to 4 pm. It was attended by over 55 participants and the overall turnout was over 120. There were four categories, namely:

  1. Vegetarian Snacks
  2. Non-Vegetarian Snacks
  3. Vegetarian Native cuisines
  4. Non-Vegetarian Nativ cuisines

Every participant was allowed to bring one or two guests.

Nativ Chefs thanked  NTC, Punit Super Bazaar, Whirlpool, VLCC, Waghamare Masale, & Gruhini ready mix for sponsoring the event.

The esteemed panel of judges included stalwarts like Madam Chitra Soni, who patronized the event and delivered fair and impartial judgment.

“Indian treasures”, was dedicated to forgotten unsung recipes and it was a traditional zeitgeist. The winners got a chance to be a part of the Nativ chefs team and to win attractive prizes as well.

Post Views: 637
Posted on by — Leave a comment

First Chef Meet

www.nativchefs.com

We started our search for capable home chefs by ordering paid samples from them. We tasted the samples ourselves and shortlisted 18 most delectable dishes out of 52.


It is our priority to provide food that is true to its origin. We selected a total of 16 home chefs based on their skill, dedication, and willingness to share their talent with the world.


We held our first meet on the 23rd of July, 2018, at our office in the IIM Nagpur campus. Our main agenda was to familiarise our chefs with our business model. Other goals of the event included – working out the cost of every single dish selected, suggesting better methods of preparation with the help of our advisor, food photography for our website, and distribution of aprons.


We held our second meet on the 3rd of August, 2018. The goal of this event was to train our home chefs and set standards for the dishes they provide. Our advisor, Mrs. Chitra Soni, who is a celebrated chef in Nagpur, guided our team to help them improve their talent. Both of these events were an excellent opportunity for us to interact with our chefs, and we can’t wait to share their delicacies with you!

Post Views: 720