Independence Day 2024: Finding Freedom in a Kitchen of Your Own

We live in an independent country and every year on August 15, we look back at the past, then the present and perhaps a little bit into the future too, to reflect on how far we have come as a nation and where we are headed. While these ideas and visions are of utmost importance, the idea of ​​freedom for any Tom, Dick and Harry (or perhaps a Tanmay, Deepak and Harshit), really comes into perspective from the lives they lead. Tell me, what is “freedom” for you? Where do you find it every day? And why do you want it, or rather, need it?

Interestingly, freedom can be found in our relationships, in the spaces we occupy, in our work and perhaps in other small things in life that may seem ordinary from a distance, but if we dig deeper into our minds and hearts, we will discover that these small things are what truly give freedom to our lives.

This Independence Day 2024NDTV Food decided to harness the kitchen space as a place of freedom and independence. A kitchen is much more than just a small room in the house where food is prepared every day. On second thought, the kitchen can be a very special space that really adds meaning to many people’s lives, empowering them with a sense of liberation and a personal space for self-expression and creation. We spoke to a few cooking enthusiasts about what ‘freedom in the kitchen’ meant to them and how something as simple as cooking one’s own food, in this day and age, is imperative to be able to truly consider oneself independent.
Read also: Why eating with your hands is more than just a tradition

Freedom from the chaos of the world

Freedom in the kitchen can mean different things to different people. For Mayank, 28, the kitchen It is a space for both control and freedom. Studying in Delhi, away from his parents in Lucknow, Mayank discovered the power of the kitchen to help him drown out the noise and chaos of the outside world. Living alone, he often finds himself seeking help from many people to figure things out. But if there is one thing he is sure of, it is that he can cook for himself whatever he wants, whenever he wants and he actually finds the process comforting. A long, tiring day melts away at the bottom of his evening cup of chai – the one with just the right amount of ginger and cardamom, just the way he likes it. The kitchen is his zen place – a place where there is no one to judge him, where his creative energies take centre stage and a place he always leaves with a sense of satisfaction and a plate full of aromatic, flavoursome food.

Giving my mother some freedom

Sheelu, 62, has been cooking for almost the past 49 years. She was 13 when she realised that her mother was overburdened, handling multiple household errands and raising five children. As the eldest child, she felt that the least she could do was take responsibility for dinnerHer culinary journey began with making dinner every day and giving her hardworking mother a break from at least one errand a day. Fast forward to the present, and Sheelu has found a new kind of freedom with cooking. While she has the resources to hire a cook and no longer needs to “work” in the kitchen, she finds this attitude to be quite restrictive. Instead, cooking food the way she wants using nutritious ingredients and a dose of love for her family is what she finds truly empowering. Sheelu believes that a sense of balance is essential to achieving any kind of freedom, including in her relationship with cooking. While she enjoys cooking and experimenting with her recipes, on days she wants a break from cooking, she doesn’t hesitate to do so.

Freedom to cook peacefully in a clean and positive space

Aakanksha, 31, is an architect and interior designer, and she knows how to build functional and aesthetically pleasing kitchens for her clients, even when their home is not big enough for a large kitchen. Apart from her work, Aakanksha also loves to cook, but for a long time, she chose not to cook most of the time. Why? The house she lived in had the most unsanitary kitchen: old walls, a sink always full of dirty dishes, and poor hygiene. cooking Practical. Although she loved cooking and had many ideas and inspirations, she longed for a kitchen that she could call her own, that was designed the way she wanted it, and most importantly, that was clean at all times. Now that she recently moved into a new home, she is truly celebrating her independence in her new kitchen, where the only smell is that of delicious dishes and everything is organized, well stocked, and she can comfortably cook whatever she wants in a kitchen of her own.
Read also: I tried the one week Navratri fast for the first time and here are my two cents

Free yourself from junk and unhealthy food sold on the streets

Vijay, 64, runs a clothing store in Delhi and started his culinary journey just a couple of years ago. He was quite bored of eating the same kinds of dal, roti and sabzi day in and day out for so many years. He never liked ordering food from outside, so most of his meals were limited to what his wife cooked. One day, he finally decided to step into the kitchen and cook something different from the typical meals prepared at home. Though it was difficult for him at first, he soon grasped the basics of cooking and started enjoying the process. From desserts to mocktails and salads, he started experimenting with foods beyond dal and sabzis, and the tasty meals appealed to other family members as well. By learning to cook at the age of 60, Vijay finally unlocked the power of being able to cook what he wants to eat and experiment like no one else in his family had ever done. It ensures that the food you cook is fresh, nutritious and delicious so that your family is always independent from the growing culture of ordering junk food at the click of a button.

Freedom to experiment and unleash my creativity

Mayanka, 25, is an English teacher living in Ujjain for work, away from her family and home. Creativity is Mayanka’s middle name – you’ll find her paper crafts hanging on the walls, paintings on any blank sheet of paper she can find, and plenty of quirky doodles alongside her notes. When she recently moved out of the house for work and started cooking for herself, she channeled all her creativity into the kitchen. Although she was always fed by her mother at home, cooking alone never seemed like a lonely or burdensome task to her. Her small but efficient kitchen is like an art gallery – the food she cooks is nothing short of a work of art. art And he becomes an artist as soon as he steps into the kitchen. While he loves feeding his friends who often come over for dinner, his priority is cooking to impress no one but his own palate. The freedom to experiment, eat breakfast for dinner, and whip up a five-star dish at two in the morning gives him an incredible sense of joy and liberation.
Read also: Why you should preserve and recreate your family recipes

If you haven’t tried cooking yet or think there’s nothing exciting about cooking, this Independence Day 2024 we encourage you to give it a try and the newfound ability to cook might unlock a new level of independence you’ve never felt before. Happy cooking and Happy Independence Day 2024!