In Your Own Words: Naina Das’s Candid Journey of Food

Naina Das has been cooking ever since she was in school. Mostly, helping out her mother in the kitchen, she learnt the basics of cooking. She says, “My mom makes the best food. As a kid, I never had to resist any vegetable as she can make a bland vegetable like Bottlegourd tasty. The trick was always in the amount of love and effort you put in the masala.” A 19 years old girl, currently completing her graduation in the field of Education, speaks about her journey with food and the effects of lockdown towards juicing up her inner chef.

Fig 1: Chicken Biryani with Raita. Image Courtesy- Naina Das

Naina Das has been fascinated by the art of cooking ever since she was a little kid. She would often sit beside her mother while she cooks dinner and drools over the aroma of her mother’s cooking. This is how it all started. She would volunteer to help her working mother in the kitchen, by making rotis and making simple sabzis. However, she was never given the full task of handling the kitchen the way she wanted. The lockdown changed the scenario completely.

Fig 2- Moong Dal Halwa. Image Courtesy- Nikita Das

In a candid conversation, Naina Das narrated her journey of taking over the kitchen from her mother and how it helped her keep her soul sane. “My mother, like any other mother was always scared that I would screw up if I am given the full responsibility of the kitchen. Due to lockdown, my mother stayed at home and we would often cook together. I would do the menial job of cutting up the vegetables, keeping an eye on the curry, peeling garlic. I was dying for an opportunity. One fine Sunday, when my father brought chicken home, I gathered up all courage and asked for a chance. Ever since then, I have been handling the kitchen.” says Naina. “The lockdown was depressing for me. Locked up in a home I needed to vent and the kitchen became my safe space. I often talk to myself and retrospect various aspects of life and people associated with me while cooking. It is more than therapy.”

Fig 3- Paneer Makhni Biryani. Image Courtesy- Nikita Das

For Naina Das, the lockdown was all about understanding the flavours of the Indian spices. “One thing I learnt from my experience was, it is all in the aroma. Indian spices are filled with different level of aroma and can bring about a certain colour to the food. I do not follow a recipe. I use my hands to measure the amount of spice that would go into a curry, the amount of water is also estimated and I cook according to the way I understand the vegetables, meat and spices. I look for a recipe to understand the ingredients and then I move on to make the dish my own.”

Naina spent her lockdown trying out recipes of various cuisines. She cooked the lockdown trends as well as her favourite recipes. From making Pan Baked Pizzas to Kada Prasad (wheat halwa), from Paneer Makhani Biryani to Fried Rice with Veg-Manchurian, she cooked it all. The young chef still continues to cook every day after lockdown and is now seriously considering culinary school as a career choice.

Fig 4- No Oven Pizza made from scratch. Image Courtesy- Nikita Das

Seems like, lockdown worked pretty well for Naina Das. What about others? The next narrative will be of Mukta Mrinal, a Christ student and her food journey during the pandemic. Stay tuned people!