Natasha Gandhi, Masterchef India 6 Contestant, Founder & Owner of House of Millets started off with the aim to bring food to you which is full of nutritional benefits, made with local Indian grains, and unprocessed ingredients keeping Health benefits & dietary restrictions in mind.
Her all-time favourites are ragi, jowar, and dates which have been helping people pamper their sweet tooth without loading up on calories.
Catch Chef Natasha Gandhi as she shares her inspiring journey with Women Fitness.
Namita Nayyar:
You are a MasterChef India 2019 Season 6 contestant? How did you end up participating in the competition?
Natasha Gandhi:
I realized my passion for food and started interning with chefs & then eventually I started working as a Social Media & Marketing executive at a Cooking studio in Mumbai
One thing led to another and one day I received a call to participate in a cooking contest, they didn’t mention it was for MasterChef. It was just a series of telephonic interviews and finally, I was asked to come for an audition and that’s when I realized it was for MasterChef.
It had been only been a year since I had started my cooking journey so I didn’t have very high expectations of getting selected, but I guess they found my cooking style unique and loved what I did with Millets and I got selected in the top 15.
Namita Nayyar:
You were studying for my CA finals in 2018 “when I realized that this was not what I wanted to do. I often spent my study time cooking and experimenting in the kitchen.” Share your early experience with cooking? Has this field lured you from the beginning? How did your family respond to the same?
Natasha Gandhi:
Cooking has always been something that I was interested in since a kid. I have grown up in a Punjabi house where everyone is a great cook, be it my Dadi, Nani, Dad, Mom, Bua, and Masi’s, and I have eaten stunning food made by them.
And I have this knack that once I taste something, I can recreate the same dish without a recipe. So whenever I would eat something I would start thinking about how it’s made and how I would make it different.
As a kid I would love watching Cooking shows and at times In the kitchen helping my mom I would pretend to be on one and say dialogues in my head too, this is very vividly remembered. And everyone in the family has always been supportive and I feel I am blessed to have gotten so much motivation and love from them.
Namita Nayyar:
What motivated you to start House of Millets where you cook very Healthy and Gluten-free recipes. How did you go about it?
Natasha Gandhi:
House of Millets was born after I realized the need for Affordable Healthy Desserts in my own family and in the area I live in. Also, my dad was advised to control his sugar and I took it upon myself to find a solution as there was nobody catering to it and if they were then these were super expensive. I had already learned how to make regular cakes, I just had to apply my knowledge and science on how to adapt those recipes and make them healthy. And as we are making healthy maida and wholewheat are out so naturally, they are gluten-free, millets are affordable and the sustainable way to go forward, but it took 6 months of trials when I finally nailed the recipe.
Initially, I sent out desserts to friends and family to taste and in less than a week they started posting about it and recommending me and I finally made it a full-fledged business venture.
Namita Nayyar:
How do you go about developing recipes for House of Millets, deciding on healthy ingredients, etc. 5 tips to keep in mind while opting for healthy cooking?
Natasha Gandhi:
Knowledge about baking & understanding the science of ingredients is very important. So first I study a regular recipe and then swap ingredients with healthier options, then try it and make changes till I am satisfied with the end product.
A few tips would be :
- Ragi flour and chocolate pair very well, so always make a chocolate cake using ragi flour
- Use lighter flours like almond flour or oats flour to balance with the millet flour and the desserts will be light
- Use avocado oil instead of butter or refined oils, it helps with adding moistness due to its high Good fat content and also has a neutral taste and so many health benefits. In my everyday cooking too I have replaced regular oil with avocado oil and seen such great results in overall health
- Start with small steps , try to make roti with 50% millet flour and 50% multigrain, so it’s easier to make and everyone to adapt to the taste. Then start with 100% millet flour Rotis
- Don’t be scared to experiment with healthy ingredients, swap that sugar with date syrup, swap it with jaggery and you will see results.
Namita Nayyar:
“People have a feeling that alternative flour and sweeteners lead to “compromised” desserts which are disappointing in taste.” How were you able to break that misconception. Please explain
Natasha Gandhi:
It’s all about balance.
Don’t make cakes with 100% millet flour, they will crumble and be very dense. Always use a combination of 2-3 flour-like millet, almond, and brown rice flour.
When it comes to sweetener I use both dates and jaggery so that the taste is slightly more caramel because of dates, otherwise, it might taste like an Indian mithai if u use too much jaggery
And lastly, experiment with flavour combos, add orange zest to your chocolate cakes, add berries & Jamun to your vanilla cake and these fruit flavours help to bring out a beautiful dessert.
Namita Nayyar:
“I would be watching Nigella Lawson on television. I also loved watching Indian cooking shows such as Chakh Le India, etc.” Share the first recipe you ever tried.
Natasha Gandhi:
The first proper recipe I tried was Nigella’s chocolate mousse and a lava cake. I didn’t have the ceramic mold to make the lava cake in so I made it in regular Katori and in a pressure cooker since no oven. I think since a kid I have always worked with alternative solutions, haha!
I also remember helping my mom knead the dough for rotis and also stir vegetables or add salt. But it was a dessert that I fell in love with when I was a kid.
Namita Nayyar:
What is your daily fitness routine? How do you like to kick start your day?
Natasha Gandhi:
Recently I have joined swimming, so every morning 1hr is for swimming, followed by a quick 15 min Vipassana. And I always start my day with a green smoothie or a Beetroot carrot juice.
Late evenings are for walks, to reflect on the day and also plan for the next day. So this is what my current fitness routine looks like. I am planning to start some basic weight training soon too.
Namita Nayyar:
What foods do you love to eat? Your 5 favorite anytime desserts.
Natasha Gandhi:
I love to eat. I love all cuisines, especially Japanese, Keralite, and Gujarati food. Picking 5 favourite desserts is a huge task but here we go in no particular order –
- Moong Dal Halwa
- Kesar shrikhand
- Strawberry icecream
- Jalebi
- Gulab Jamun
Indian desserts have my heart!
Namita Nayyar:
Your future upcoming plans about expansion and selling all over India. Elaborate
Natasha Gandhi:
Due to the pandemic, I didn’t want to expand or venture into new areas. But now the situation looks so much better, the next few steps would be to tie up with restaurants & cafes in Mumbai and Pune.
Namita Nayyar:
According to you, the key to success lies in…
Natasha Gandhi:
There is no one key to success. You have to show up every day, work hard, and create & add value and that’s only possible if you are passionate about what you do. Take risks, experiment and you will be rewarded, if not then it’s new learning. But always remember to do what you Love!
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