Winner of MasterChef India Season 5 in 2016, Kirti Bhoutika has her hands full as she divides her time between managing her 'baby' - Sugarplum Cakery, and rustling up recipes for her 225k Instagram fam. We spoke to the 26-year-old on what’s keeping her busy, loving low-waste cooking and juggling the role of a chef and entrepreneur.
How has life been going since last year?
Busier than ever actually! Trying to balance my social media, bakery, classes along with eating healthy and working out and meditating. It’s crazy and fulfilling at the same time.
What has kept you busy during the lockdown then and now?
When the first lockdown hit last year, many men and women found the kitchen a place for finding their peace of mind. Some took it up as a challenge to learn something new in the kitchen space and others just saw it as a time to enhance existing cooking skills. While the world was getting more and more interested in cooking something new for their families stuck at home, I started posting recipes of what I would cook for my family every day.
Coming from the kitchen of a MasterChef India winner who used everyday ingredients to cook up something extraordinary, everyone wanted to try out my recipes. My social media follower count shot up.
Also online classes have become a huge part of my life right now. I conduct almost two classes on Zoom every month since the lockdown started, with students from all across the country (and some abroad).
Some of my best lockdown recipe videos that got over a lakh views were Mexican Burrito bowl, Lazy Chocolate Mud Cake, Butter Paneer, Hot Chocolate and even Veggie Spaghetti Bolognese.
Are you still shooting for It’s Summer with Chef Kirti? How has the experience been like?
I shot for It’s Summer With Chef Kirti earlier this year in Mumbai with Foodxp. This was my third food show with them that is currently airing in the UK. The show is full of bright colours and healthy summer special recipes where I share some of my favourite recipes to beat the heat. From salads to cocktails to ice creams and popsicles, everything summer is shared in the show. My idea is to try out as many cuisines and ingredients possible and then try to recreate them with locally available ingredients.
Did you find it difficult to face the camera and do what you do best — cook?
Honestly, the first season was very challenging. It is not as easy as it looks. Also cooking well is one thing and cooking well on the camera is a completely different art altogether. You have to cook, clean, make the food look beautiful, soak, teach, look pretty and enthusiastic at the same time. But cooking on camera grows on you. Connecting to my audience feels much more natural and fun now. I am very proud of how this show is turning out.
How has your brainchild — Sugarplum Cakery — been shaping up?
Sugarplum Cakery started back in 2015, when I was in college. After college I auditioned for MasterChef India in June 2016 and went ahead to win the show later that year. After the show, I took a one year break to travel and learn and work in restaurants across the country. Finally in 2018, I set up Sugarplum Cakery again.
What started with a two-member team is now a 12-member kitchen. I wanted to set up a platform where I train young girls who have to support their families and teach them how to bake great cakes.
Today, the bakery is run by young women, mostly single mothers or sole earners of the family. These girls who never knew what a cake tasted like, now bake beautiful wedding and birthday cakes, and I am extremely proud of them.
I want to expand this to an even bigger kitchen and it is happening, slowly but surely.
Over the past years what has been the biggest learning for you in terms of manning a business?
The fact that you cannot do everything on your own when you are running a business but you are responsible for every little thing happening in the business.
As an entrepreneur who has to run a bakery, think about expansion, give online classes and be relevant on social media, it is very important for me to learn how to delegate my work but still keep an eye on what is going on around me. Delegating responsibility while being responsible for everything, this is what a good entrepreneur does, and I am learning to do that every day.
Over the years there has been so many food trends coming and going, is there any particular trend you are crushing on? And a trend you want to bring to India?
I am a fan of low-waste cooking. Love how we can include peels or leaves of many veggies and fruits in our foods. Peels of banana, mangoes, kiwi and even potatoes are edible and can be turned into delicious dishes. India could totally do with a more conscious and sustainable food style.
Kirti’s Thai recipes
Tender Coconut ice cream with Peanut Chikki
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup tender coconut water
• 1 cup fresh cream
• 1/4 cup sugar, granulated
• 1 cup tender coconut meat
• 1/2 cup condensed milk
For the chikki:
• 50g peanuts (roasted, skin removed)
• 50g sugar
Method:
• In a grinder or blender, grind tender coconut meat along with tender coconut water to make a puree. Now add the full fat cream, sugar and the condensed milk into the same jar and beat everything together until well combined.
• Chop the extra tender coconut into small chunks and mix it into the tender coconut ice cream.
• Your ice cream is all ready now. Pour this tender coconut ice cream mixture in a freezer-safe bowl with a tight lid and freeze it for minimum 7-8 hours.
• In a pan, caramelise sugar till nice and golden. Add peanuts and give it a mix.
• Quickly and carefully, spread on a greased plate. Once set to touch, crush into small pieces and serve with the ice cream.
• Once the ice cream is frozen, remove the bowl out, scoop the tender coconut ice cream into the serving bowl and serve with peanut chikki.
Lemongrass Spritzer
Ingredients:
For the syrup:
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly grated ginger
• 2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
• 10 fresh basil leaves.
For the spritzer:
• Lemon wedges
• Sparkling water
• Ice cubes
• Cucumber slices to garnish
Method:
• In a deep pan, add all ingredients for the syrup and bring it a boil. Allow it to simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
• Switch off the heat, cover the pan and allow it to steep for 15 minutes. Once cooled, strain and store it in an airtight jar.
• For making the spritzer, drop some ice cubes in a glass, pour little bit of the syrup, followed by sparkling water and some lemon wedges and cucumber slices.