My Journey of Becoming a Cook

My Mother died in January last year. At that time, only my father and my mother used to live at home (in our hometown). I was preparing for competitive exams in a different city. My brother was working outside India.

After my mother passed away, my brother left that job and started working in India, not in our hometown though. Now my father was alone at home. So I decided to come back home and live with my father, and continue my study from home.

Around that time, COVID cases were also peaking, so it made my resolve to come home and live with my father more firm. 

First, we thought about getting a maid to prepare our breakfast and dinner. However, after hearing bad experiences with maids of people in my town, and their work ethics or a lack of it, we had to give up that idea. Reportedly, they are not regular and always make extra food, also steal items from the kitchen.

So, I tried to prepare breakfast for both of us. Earlier, we used to eat parathas for breakfast. So I tried my hands at that. Initially, my paranthas were very bad. They were not round, moreover, they were a little hard.

After continued practice, my paranthas started becoming soft and then they also started becoming puffed like a balloon. In a few days, my parathas were quiet round if not perfect.

I usually made jeera-aloo sabzi to go with the parathas. I was already good at making sandwiches. I make sandwiches and tea in the evening. 

For dinner, we’ve taken tiffin service. That’s because I also need time to study and manage other work at home. It was very difficult to cook at night also. I have also learnt to make puri and paneer sabji.

Although I’m not a very good cook, I cook well enough to feed a hungry person and satiate their hunger; and call myself a cook.

These pics are glimpses of the food I cooked: