Aprons On, Bons Vivants

It’s one of the comforting cornerstones of modern urban, and urbane, living—eating out, then dissecting the victuals, fancy or otherwise; comparing a mutton rezala with those offered by other restaurants; debating the authenticity of the ingredients in a ratatouille. How many acres of print are used up in reviewing a new-fangled delicatessen, bytes expended in skewering the ‘best’ kebabs on offer and in comparing recipes? Yet, as if charred beyond redemption in an unattended oven, this liberating, civilised course was mercilessly curdled by the Covid pandemic. Worst off was, of course, the hospitality industry. While many eateries had to shut shop, the ones that decided to batten down the hatches and bite on the bullet, innovation was the only way out.

One solution many hit upon was DIY (do it yourself) food kits that help people prepare their favourite meals from a restaurant/takeaway in the comfort of their homes. The food kits give special emphasis to comfort cooking, authentic taste and high standards of hygiene.

In a DIY kit, a brand provides fresh ingredients needed to prepare a gourmet meal, all vacuum sealed, to a customer. A detailed instruction sheet is attached too. All dishes can be prepared in seven to 15 minutes, helping even neophytes  acquire the empowered swagger of top chefs. The kits have proved to be a saviour for many.

Supper, one such DIY brand, was built by Mumbai-based Umang Murpana and Sahil Dewani, who were actuated by their passion for food. Says Umang, “Having strong taste buds but poor cooking skills, we decided it was time to let everyone experience what being a chef really means. You can now cook by simply ordering our box and letting your basic instincts take over.” Launched during the lockdown, Supper is churning out 35 to 45 orders daily. “We have many high-profile clients who order from us when they have parties at home or are travelling. Our meal kit is a hit with college students and professionals who are not from Mumbai, as the preparations are simple,” adds Umang.

Makery, another brand started by siblings Tarika and Rishiv Khattar, crafts easy to follow recipes with perfectly portioned ingredients for home cooking. “The idea emerged during the lockdown when we were forced to cook. We have had very impressive sales growth over the past few months and have sold over 4,500 kits to date,” says Tarika. Makery offers a moreish sweep—including a popular ten-minute salad range, seafood dishes like prawn balchao and meat dishes like chicken chettinad. The emphasis is on Indian, West Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine. Most kits are priced between Rs 400-Rs 700, serving two. “In these strange times food acts like a mood lifter and food kits work like magic if you want to destress,” adds Tarika.  

Javed Sheikh, director of operations, Andaz Delhi, also points out how DIY food kits—with duly sanitised ingredients and accompaniments and an ins­truction manual that tells one how to cook (or assemble!) them—make sop­histicated cuisine materialise on the dining table. “The new imperative meant many patrons couldn’t visit their favourite restaurants. Not everyone is still comfortable eating out…. We had to reach our patrons and to give them a signature experience they could relish while being at their homes, to give them the means to enjoy their favourite AnnaMaya [their restaurant specialising in north Indian and European cuisine] recipes from Andaz hotel. And voila…we came up with the idea of DIY food kits.” While admitting that an immaculate, finely curated dine-in experience can perhaps never be replicated, Sheikh says food kits do give customers the option of “enjoying the same dishes as they would have ordered at the restaurant”.

At AnnaMaya, European and Indian DIY kits—three-course meal boxes, no less—are the most popular. Chef Vikram Ganpule enlightens us on its delectations: “The three-course Western menu, for instance, has mezze platter, an appetiser, linguini with your preferable sauce as main course and a classic Black Forest slice as dessert. Similarly, for our Indian menu, you get to choose from chicken tikka or Amritsari paneer tikka as appetiser; dal makhni, butter paneer masala and pulao as main course and goodies like Grandma’s special coconut laddoo as dessert. The menu is designed around consciously-sourced ingredients from local artisans. The DIY food kits are priced at Rs 2,500, plus taxes.”

And lest you think it’s a need for sumptuousness that food kits cater to, with nary a thought for a sudden urge for savouries and fast food like pizzas, rest assured. Many pizza places are working towards delivering slices that one can personalise. 1441 Pizzeria bel­ieves there is no reason you shouldn’t devour a warm, authentic Italian pizza whenever you like—a DIY pizza kit is their answer.  It comes with artisan pizza dough, a plethora of vegetables, authentic sauces and cheese along with meat and other additions. Says Krishna Gupta, MD of 1441 Pizzeria, “During the pandemic, we noticed an increased interest in cooking and culinary experiments. Most of our customers were playing chef…so, we thought why not give them something new to try?”

The pizza makers’ DIY kits have carefully measured out ingredients; with specific cooking instructions—there are no chances of burnt crusts. “The DIY kit adds to the sense of safety, as all ingredients are packaged in airtight bags. They make for great family activity and is ideal for events like birthday parties for kids. With cooking the fastest growing avocation everywhere, DIY food kits have become the go-to to Palliate hunger,” Gupta adds.

Then there are the customers—the eager receptacles of DIY food kits, people who have inhered, by now, the caution of a new normal, yet won’t lower the expectations of their palates. For Greeshma Thampi, a Mumbai-based image consultant, food kits are a godsend that she started using during the lockdown. “Our apartment complex had a tie-up with Burgundy Box and a lot of people from the complex were placing orders with them. They would deliver boxes weekly. I am an amateur cook, so it was perfect for me in terms of trying different cuisines,” she says with a well-fed gleam of satisfaction.

Jaydeep Mukherjee, brand head, Smoke House Deli, weighs in: “With these kits, customers are delighted with a one-of-a-kind experience of cooking a gourmet meal at home.” The DIY kits from Smoke House Deli, he insists, are designed to be simple, yet challenge the cook in you. Made with the freshest seasonal produce, dishes are broken into components that are packed individually in sanitised, food grade containers labelled with details of the contents. An instruction sheet runs diners through the steps.

Many chefs claim DIY kits are going to be the future of the food industry, just as OTTs have sustained showbiz. Give that a serious thought, though the sensual appeal of a favourite restaurant—like that of the big screen—will not disappear gently into that good night. But cook-it-yourself boxes might just wrestle for themselves a permanent place in the sun.