Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Sometimes, the best lessons don’t come from five-star kitchens or Michelin-star mentors, but from the warmth of a humble home.
For Chef Kunal Kapoor, that moment arrived in Indore. Over a simple lunch at someone’s house, he tasted food that was so rooted, so honest, that it changed the way he looked at cooking. ‘That’s when I realised what the taste of Indore really is,’ he confessed with a laugh.
Indore, he says, is not about complicated dishes. It’s about flavours that speak directly to your heart. ‘Yahan ka street food is light on the pocket, simple, fresh and gone in a flash. Jo banta hai, wahi khatam hota hai,’ he said, admiring the city’s habit of making food just enough to finish, no frills, no leftovers, only freshness. Inspired, he took the city’s beloved bhutte ka kees and turned it into a butter-dripping kebab, smoky from the tandoor yet carrying the soul of corn roasted on coal. Playful, nostalgic and deeply Indori.
But Kunal doesn’t stop at stories but breaks down cooking into five truths. First, the utensil must be right; after all, authentic chhole only happen in an iron kadai. Second, your raw ingredients decide everything. Third, knowledge of recipes and authenticity is non-negotiable. Fourth, like music, cooking needs riyaz—practice, practice, practice. And fifth, food demands love, because attitude reflects on the plate.
And what about mistakes? He grins, ‘Galtiya hi guru hai. The first time, measure properly. Taste, learn what’s right or wrong. It’s mistakes that teach you what never to repeat.’ For him, Indore isn’t just a city that eats—it’s a city that cooks with its heart wide open. And that, he believes, is its real recipe for magic.
