Relying on Home Cooks: A trend that is here to stay!

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In the past few years, my food aesthetic and sensibilities have swayed towards the soulful and authentic. A lavish 5-star buffet is of no interest to me anymore. It is too much work - getting dressed in high heels, for instance, to blend in with the ambience surrounded by people I have never seen and will never see after we pay the bill loaded with taxes for the costly meal.

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Now, I relish tying my hair up in a messy bun, wearing my oversized pullover, putting on some lipstick and sipping wine, chatting away with my mum while my Dad quietly watches television, and our dogs and cat cuddle up close to us, creating the perfect atmosphere, one filled with warmth, joy and family time- the very essence of life! Pure bliss!

This year, I battled the cold, work, school and other excuses to celebrate the New Year with my parents who live in an art deco-style building in the busy lanes of South Bombay (yes, it will always be ‘Bombay’ for me). So, as soon as I realised that my daughter’s me and my 6-year-old daughter, who is more like a best friend and adventure partner to me, had been generous enough to grant their students a long weekend, I hurriedly booked my tickets on my favourite non-stop train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai (yes, it’s Mumbai now).

Scented candles named after colonial ports and exotic destinations, burn their flames dispersing their wondrous fragrance, bright lanterns sway in the breeze, our garden is dotted with hibiscus flowers in peach, red and white among other wildflowers, lichens and mosses are teeming with tiny snails.

I wanted to make New Year’s Eve as close as possible to a Christmas feast spread. So, what do you do when you are craving a wholesome New Year’s feast but don’t want to do the cooking? The answer is ‘home cooks”. Thanks to the power of Whatsapp and Social Media and delivery startups such as Swiggy and Zomato, home cooks have access to the market demand for home cooked food that is easy on the pocket and does not compromise on quality and quantity.

Aiya Patrao! is a home-cooked food venture started by a Malyali-Goan husband-wife duo in the warmth of their kitchen. After going through their Instagram profile loaded with sumptuous delights, I knew my work just got easier. I contacted Ms Marian, the Goan half of the duo, and she was most generous and patient in curating the festive menu. Simultaneously, I convinced my mother and father to experience the vibrancy of the Malabar coast and appreciate our country’s diverse heritage.

 

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I was excited to order the prawn balchao, an authentic Portuguese dish that has made a special place for itself in Goan cuisine. "We use Goa jaggery to give it a dull sweetness", Marian assured me when I let her know my concerns about overly sweet prawn recheado. Her other recommendations were the Goan kingfish curry and the chicken ishtu and appam to represent her Malyali husband's heritage. The combination sounded eclectic and she was confident we would love it."Learning about food is a lifelong process", she quipped.

Before we knew it, the blazing Bombay sun had subsided giving way to a pleasant afternoon breeze much like the extinguishing embers after a bright fire. The doorbell rang and a deivery executive from 'Porter' - a private delivery service home cooks swear by - was at the door.

As we unpacked the food containers and laid them out on our dining table, it came to life with a burst of colours and aromas - fresh seafood, the sweet spiciness of the calamari nestled in the Goan recheado sauce, subdued by the delicate balance of the fish caldeen curry. The chicken stew ‘ishtu’ and fluffy appams weren’t far behind. Only, the view of the foamy and playful sea seemed to be missing.

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Freshly baked plum cake with just the right dash of rum from the local bakery unearthed some delicious childhood memories. The sweet port wine concluded the most beautiful New Year’s Eve. In the past few years, people's food aesthetic and sensibilities have swayed towards the soulful and authentic. A lavish 5-star buffet is of little interest to those who want to explore the authentic flavours and make it about the experience rather than the place or the menu.

Aiyo Patrao delivers throughout South Mumbai and western suburbs. Give them a shoutout at @aiyo.patrao on Instagram and for some 'real' food!

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