Kitchens at home have largely been women-dominated in India, but slowly it is changing. Men are now entering the kitchen and are dicing onions, kneading dough, and whipping a variety of dishes. From trying out exotic dishes to experimenting with new ingredients men are cooking as they wish to share chores at home and find it relaxing too. Also, the progressive parents practice gender equality at home and ensure even the son knows how to cook. Cooking shows and blogs also show recipes from both professional chefs and hobby cooks which is also encouraging men to cook at home.
Cooking Is Therapeutic
Cooking is a hobby that not only treats the taste buds but also takes care of one’s overall well-being. Amrish Mavlankar, an artist from Bengaluru has been fond of cooking since childhood and he has been the nominated chef of family gatherings. “My wife does join me in cooking sometimes but as a sous chef. The peaceful moments of chopping, cooking, and steaming give me a sense of calm. When the dish comes together perfectly it is like a piece of music with the perfect symphony and mood. It gives me joy when someone enjoys my dish. I have also become health conscious and opt for nutritious recipes according to my dietary requirements,” he says.
The notion that the kitchen is solely a woman’s domain has evolved significantly in recent years, also thanks to various cookery shows from traditional Indian recipes to international cuisines food influencers are inspiring people to explore cooking through their easy-to-make recipes. Recently, we have also seen a growth of social networking sites with recipes and cooking videos. Men too joined this culinary race, especially with reels of fancy dishes, “Cooking is a skill and passion that anyone can enjoy, regardless of gender. I learned to cook through trial and error, by watching online tutorials. After work I enjoy cooking, it helps me to unwind. I also now explore new gadgets and tools for the kitchen. Learning new dishes is something I always strive for,” says Karan Sharma, a journalist from Bangalore.
No Gender Bias
Today in modern households changing gender roles has brought the teaching of cooking skills to both sons and daughters as part of life skills. Gen-Z is very accepting of cooking as a skill, not a gendered one. Cooking is also a bonding time for the family all contributing their bit. Chef Cyrus Daniels, corporate chef, OURO restaurant, Bengaluru states, “For some men it is a survival skill for few others it is passion or a hobby. When you live alone or the women in families fall sick, the men are bound to cook. When food does not differentiate between people why should we differentiate cooking based on gender? Besides professional cooking, whenever I find time, I cook for my family, especially barbecues.
My son is 5 and he has an interest in cooking and so I teach him cooking without using fire. More women are now hoteliers, and chefs and it is tough to be a chef, due to long working hours and various other pressures. However, it is wrongly assumed that women cannot handle the culinary profession. I go by the saying: “A hand that can rock the cradle can rock the world.”
Male-dominated Industry
The culinary world in India is still ruled largely by male chefs. “Things have changed, gradually, an increasing number of women are joining the field and despite facing difficulties, they continue to work,” adds Neha Deepak Shah, chef-content creator and MasterChef India Season 4 runner-up. She says, “I have Co-founded Meraaki Kitchen and have worked in the hospitality industry and run two restaurants, in general, the industry is laborious. Most of the time women are multitasking and they also have a house to take care of, which is not expected from a man. Hence, they find it hard to balance long hours. Also, people do not take women in business seriously. It is slowly changing now; women are getting avenues to shine independently and I see lots of women running hospitality businesses.”
Cook For Better Health
The lockdowns during the Covid pandemic resulted in cooking to a therapy of sorts and more men are now cooking at home. The pandemic made everyone take up cooking irrespective of gender. Dr Anshu Kulkarni Consulting Psychiatrist and psychotherapist from Mumbai says, “Cooking is a creative experience that involves different organs such as smell (aroma) and various ingredients (touch and sight) to make a new dish. The process of cooking a delicious meal is a satisfying experience that enhances self-confidence and gives a sense of accomplishment. Cooking is all about mindfulness, as one focuses on the task at hand. This can be effective in reducing stress and anxiety. So, as a hobby cooking is therapeutic. Home-cooked meals also bring friends and family together, give one a sense of purpose and expand the family bonding and social ties which also helps mental health.”
My wife does join me in cooking sometimes but as a sous chef. The peaceful moments of chopping, cooking, and steaming give me a sense of calm.”— Amrish Mavlankar, artist from Bengaluru
Things have changed, gradually, an increasing number of women are joining the field and despite facing difficulties, they continue to work.” — Neha Deepak Shah,
Chef, Content Creator Runners MasterChef India Season-4
The process of cooking a delicious meal is a satisfying experience that enhances self-confidence and gives a sense of accomplishment.” — Dr Anshu Kulkarni, Consulting Psychiatrist and psychotherapist, Mumbai
When food does not differentiate between people, why should we differentiate cooking based on gender?” — Chef Cyrus Daniels, Corporate Chef, OURO
Cooking is a skill and passion that anyone can enjoy, regardless of gender. I learned to cook through trial and error, by watching online tutorials.” — Karan Sharma,
Bengaluru-based journalist
B-town Cooking Stars
King of Romance, Shahrukh Khan is fond of cooking. Shahrukh has in various interviews said that he has learned how to cook Italian dishes. He enjoys cooking pasta and pizza for his kids. He also cooked for David Letterman’s special episode of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction (Netflix show) with the star when he visited Mannat. Besides treating his Pathan team to delicious hand-made pizzas during the film’s shoot, Khan also hosted model Navpreet Kaur.
Akshay Kumar often cooks for his family at home, especially Thai and Japanese cuisine. He worked as a chef in a hotel in Bangkok. He was also a judge in Master Chef India Season 1 in 2010. Even his son Aarav has developed a hobby for cooking like his father. He can whip full meals and desserts. Proud mother Twinkle Khanna often shares it on her Instagram posts.
Ajay Devgn, actor, and director finds cooking a way to relax in his free time. He revealed that he picked up cooking from his dad and now it is a stress buster for him. He loves making Indian and Chinese dishes and his wife loves the Khichdi he makes for her. Bollywood Saif Ali Khan is an amazing cook. He cooks all types of cuisines. Kareena Kapoor, his wife has often revealed on Instagram that he cooks all types of cuisine, including Italian, like pasta, and pizza. Even during the family vacations in the UK, Saif invited many of his friends over for a Sunday meal and prepared the food himself. Actor Arshad Warsi is also fond of cooking, especially biryani and curries when he has guests at home. He recently cooked Raan Biryani and treated his co-judges Malaika Arora and Farah Khan Kunder on the sets of the Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 11, a reality TV show.
