A delectable fare from a Covid-induced chef
The lockdown from the midnight of March 24, 2020, caught many off guard. The impact of the Covid-19 outbreak was yet to sink in as we stared at uncertainty with mixed feelings of scare and jubilation.
The first and foremost task was to stock up on supplies of essential items and medicines. Next, we geared up to manage household chores with domestic helps staying away. We were doing okay but concerned about our son, Vibhor, who was all by himself in his Gurugram apartment. How we wished he could’ve got a day to reach home before the lockdown.
Our son could neither go to office, where he used to take lunch, nor could his cook visit his apartment to prepare a meal. Thankfully, he had managed to buy groceries and dairy products in the nick of time. But he had no clue about cooking.
On Day 1 of the lockdown, Vibhor boiled milk and managed with leftovers in the fridge. Fruits came handy. But we worried how he would manage for 21 days. I tried to get him a travel pass but realised it was impossible unless on medical grounds. The police were proactive and had enforced an undeclared curfew.
If necessity is the mother of invention, hunger can transform a novice into a chef. There were animated discussions over the phone between mother and son. He cooked as she directed till, he finally managed to boil rice and potatoes for lunch. Breakfast and dinner comprised bread and milk.
Cooking rice daily was not the solution. He had to learn to make chapatis somehow. Kneading flour isn’t easy, my wife said. “I will try,” he replied. The mobile phone was perched suitably in the kitchen and put on video call as my wife guided him to not only knead the flour but also make the chapattis and paneer bhurji. It was a 90-minute video call but free, thanks to Whatsapp. As he savoured his wellearned meal, we heaved a sigh of relief.
On March 26, he prepared paranthas and had them with curd. He juggled between rice and paranthas. One day, my wife guided him to cook rajmachawal and another time, she taught him to make idlis. Soon, he learnt to prepare pizza with the help of Youtube.
By April 10, I was finally able to arrange a pass for him to travel home. That day, he started early and was home at 9am. His mother greeted him with tears of joy.
The next day, as I was busy working from home, tapping away on the laptop, my son, our very own Michelin Star chef, slid a plate towards me, ‘Here, Papa! Try some cheese pizza by chef Vibhor. You’ll forget the fast-food chains, I promise you!”
HE HAD MANAGED TO BUY GROCERIES AND DAIRY PRODUCTS IN THE NICK OF TIME. BUT HE HAD NO CLUE ABOUT COOKING