Kamruddin Non Veg Cook

I do my cooking in Kota, and mostly I handle non-veg dishes for people who want a real home-cooked taste. I don’t have a big restaurant with waiters and menus. It’s more about the pots and the spices I use. I spend my mornings at the local butcher getting the best cuts of meat I can find. If the meat isn't good, the whole dish is ruined, so I am very picky about that. My kitchen is always hot because the burners are going for hours at a time. The smell of frying onions and garlic is something that sticks to my clothes, but I don't mind it much anymore. I started doing this because I liked feeding people, and word just spread around the neighborhood. Now I have people calling me for small parties or just for a Friday night dinner. I do everything myself, from grinding the masalas to cleaning the big handis after the cooking is done. Sometimes my hands are sore from all the chopping, but it’s part of the job. I don't use any of those pre-packaged spice mixes you find in the stores. I mix my own, just like I was taught. It takes longer that way, but you can really taste the difference in the gravy. I just keep things simple and focus on the food. People know where to find me when they want something that tastes like it came from a real kitchen.