THE SPECIAL INGREDIENT

Launching a home bakery is not just a business decision; it’s an act of passion

- Kaveri Jain

While packing lunch for my mom, who was in hospital for a surgery, I murmured to myself, “If only I had a smaller sized papad, I would fit it inside this lunchbox.” A minute later, I came up with the solution: I cut the papad into half, and made it into a little cone that fit perfectly.

“What amazing food you’ve been sending for me! All the nurses would wait for me to open my lunchbox the moment your dad came in carrying that cane basket.” That was the first thing mom said to me the day she got back from the hospital. I was 16 and I had just discovered my first and lifelong love: food.

I constantly annoyed my grandma and her old cook with my endless questions, always poking my fingers into the paratha dough. One day my pokey finger got what it probably deserved: I put my hand into our ancient masala grinder and my poor finger bled like a tap.

In a deja vu incident, on the day India went into lockdown, the same finger again went into the grinder, though this time by accident. An hour-long surgery, 14 stitches and a broken bone later, I was once again poking around the kitchen. I don’t need a perfect finger to cook amazing food; all I need is lots of love.