An event that clearly shattered the myth of ‘men in kitchen’ caught the attention and appreciation of the food-loving crowd in Hyderabad. A group of men from varied backgrounds came together at the ‘Freedom Oil The Hindu Cookery King competition’ at Lemon Tree hotel last weekend to showcase their culinary skills..
The mood of the room was fun, drizzled with a tinge of competitive spirit raising the bar.
These men who took part in the competition brought vibrant and colourful dishes, all cooked at home, and brought to the venue to present to judges. One could see all kinds of dishes, from carved carrots which looked like flowers to those garnished with rose petals. These carefully curated dishes were divided into three categories — veg, non-veg and desserts. While some chose to make comfort-food, a few men ventured to present exotic international flavours. The enthusiasm of these men added to the endearing atmosphere. Apart from the strong aroma that wafted through the room, the food presentation caught one’s eye with innovative garnishing and adornments.
“Women bring perfection, men bring passion. Men should cook more often,” said Subramanyam Iyer, one of the participants, who made Sakkarai Pongal or Aravanai Pongal — a traditional South Indian dish made of freshly harvested rice and jaggery garnished with a lot of dry fruits. “I don’t get to cook often because my wife is a splendid cook, I do indulge in weekend cooking. I gave this my best shot. More than the competition, I’m here for the experience,” he says.
One of the dishes at the contest
Joseph Balraj who has taken part in this event earlier too, says, “I made traditional Indian food. It’s called ‘Banana flower balls spicy curry’. I’m presenting it with rice-buttermilk-papad as combination. It’s simple but a good meal.” Balraj, who is a retired employee, asserts the importance of both men and women sharing the responsibility of cooking at home. “It’s a stress buster for me. You don’t need to make complex items. If friends and family appreciate your dish, you feel happy,” he adds.
Imtiaz Rahman who is a business development manager by profession made an elaborate arrangement of his dish dakhani murgh . “Cooking is my passion. I participated in the last edition and won. It was a very good experience. It’s great encouragement to men to learn how to cook without depending on anybody. And I believe well-presented food can be more appetising,” he says.
Participants of the contest
Prashanth Rao, who made a mini version of a complicated French dessert croquembouche , says “I’m an engineering student. I’ve been cooking for more than seven years now. Baking is a great stress buster to me. I don’t like to go out with friends, I just like to feed them my desserts,” he jokingly adds.
The judges are more than satisfied at the dishes presented to them. Chef Deepak from Mercure says, “It’s refreshing to see men bringing their dishes cooked by them. A good sign for society and an opportunity for us to see the diversity.”
“Colour, taste, texture and innovation are some of the parameters we will judge on mainly. It’s great that people from different lines of work are cooking. This is not seen regularly,” declares chef Majumdar from Green Park hotels. “We have been judging a lot of events, mostly they were for women but this is different. Men of different age groups are participating here, which is interesting,” adds chef Sambhav who is with the Lemon Tree hotels.
Participants shortlisted here will attend a live cooking competition on August 10 to win the ‘Cookery King-2019’ title.
