It would’ve grown onto you to pull out your phone and capture that perfect click of the gourmet spread before tucking into it. But, nothing compares to the simple joys of sinking your teeth into a piping hot plate of amma madidu oota. And, that was exactly RJ Raaj, an entrepreneur’s train of thought when he decided to rustle up Eat Raja, a mom-sourced zero waste cafe. “The idea is to celebrate all those moms who cook amazing food. Every mom has a specialty dish. But, they are not documented and nobody has access to that food other than close family members. So, I wondered, why not bring them out and get the rest of the world to acknowledge and appreciate the gems rustled out from their kitchen, monetarily and otherwise too?”
‘Not in the business of mass cooking’: The idea is to offer ‘Mom cooked food’ in limited quantity. I wont be swiggying it or making it just another commercial entity. I’ve signed up with mums all around Malleswaram. No moms need to cook every single day. This forum also hopes to document age old secret recipes from households from across the locality,” he says. Raaj who was a popular voice during his commercial radio days, believes life has gotten a lot better after he took the plunge into social entrepreneurship. The local cafe, which serves a pure vegetarian South Indian fare will be priced between Rs 20 to Rs 100. Located on Sampige Road, Raaj feels this local cafe will get the pulse of the residents, “Malleswaram has a thinking crowd. I’m planning to hire speech and hearing impaired youth to give them a chance to work and be financially stable. Simply put, I wish to make this a sustainable social venture, which is profitable to keep things going.”
That aside, Raaj has his hands full with other commitments: “I’m juggling too many things at the time. But this local cafe eats up most of the time. But on days, I get to take a breather, it’s radio jockeying and catching up with friends that take up all my time,” he adds.”
On a mission to empower women via a zero waste cafe, he smilingly concludes, “I don’t give garbage to anybody. I dont use plastic. So, it’s not just about raking big moolah, but bringing closet chefs to the fore! Imagine a cafe where you get food everyday which, keeps changing, is unadulterated with lots of love. Let’s bring about a difference with a tinge of gratitude.”
