Chef Reetu Uday Kugaji (Instagram A/c: chefreetuudaykugaji ) is the founder of RUKMA ENTERPRISE, a culinary expert, mentor, chef consultant, and food content creator. Her path as a Culinary Expert & Chef Consultant, with over 29 years of experience in the culinary industry, has been based on her love of Indian cuisine, especially local, seasonal, and regional dishes, as well as culinary teaching, mentoring, and consulting.
While working as a Chef Consultant and Freelancer on a variety of culinary projects, she has had the honor of educating and mentoring aspiring chefs and culinary professionals over the years. She feels that a deeper understanding of ingredients, practical skills, creativity, and nutrition should all be combined with culinary knowledge.
Her approach to cooking is straightforward: honor the ingredient, learn about its history, and let the food speak for itself. She enjoys discovering modern ways to highlight traditional Indian cuisine while maintaining its originality.
For her, learning, sharing, mentoring, and preserving and advancing culinary legacy are all important aspects of being a chef.
Q.) Why should someone decide to become a chef?
Chef Reetu: Being a chef is much more than just picking a job; it’s a profession where passion, creativity, discipline, and knowledge come together on a daily basis.
Culinary arts can be very satisfying if you truly love food, appreciate ingredients, and take pleasure in creating something that unites people. It provides chances to learn, try new things, be creative, and discover various cultures through food.
Patience, diligence, perseverance, teamwork, and ongoing learning are all necessary for this line of work.
Being a chef, in my opinion, is continuously exploring, creating, conserving, and sharing stories of food while making others happy.
Q.) How do you stay up-to-date on the latest culinary trends?
Chef Reetu: I stay up to date by keeping up with the latest developments in food culture, including eating trends, social media, developing techniques, regional and seasonal ingredients, and international culinary discussions. We are all always learning from one another. In addition, I learn by going to culinary conferences and seminars, interacting with farmers, chefs, artisans, and students, and—above all—trying new things in my own kitchen.
Q.) When preparing meals, what factors do you consider?
Chef Reetu: It is crucial to consider the food allergies of the people for whom the meal is prepared.
Instead of concentrating only on the recipe, I approach meal preparation holistically. My top priorities are food safety, quality, freshness, and ingredient seasonality. I think you don’t need to overcomplicate an ingredient if you respect it.
A wholesome dining experience is influenced by nutrition, flavor, texture, color, aroma, and presentation. I also take into account the occasion, dietary requirements, preferences, and cultural significance of the food.
I make an effort to reduce food waste and carefully choose seasonal, local produce since sustainability is important.
My ultimate goal is to produce nutritious, delicious, balanced, meaningful, and unforgettable meals.
Q.) How should newly enrolled students overcome obstacles in their training?
Chef Reetu: Students should realize, in my opinion, that obstacles are an essential and normal aspect of acquiring a cooking skill. Errors, criticism, and challenging circumstances shouldn’t discourage them; instead, they should learn from them and turn them into opportunities to do better.
They should develop self-control, patience, perseverance, and a willingness to learn. I advise students to practice frequently, pay close attention, ask questions, and be receptive to constructive criticism.
Above all, students ought to concentrate on their own development instead of evaluating themselves against others. My advice is straightforward: never lose your enthusiasm for learning, continue to practice, remain humble, and remain curious. In the end, a successful chef is shaped by their right attitude.
Q.) Could you please describe how you overcame the difficulties you faced when you first began your training as a chef?
Chef Reetu: One of the most important things I learned when I initially started my culinary training was how to adjust to the speed, accuracy, and expectations of a professional kitchen. I discovered that becoming a chef required more than just a love of food; it also required perseverance, consistency, teamwork, and the capacity to perform under pressure.
I dealt with challenges, criticism, and difficult circumstances, but I saw each one as a chance to learn. I practiced frequently, asked questions, watched experienced chefs, and kept an open mind to criticism.
Over time, I learned resilience, humility, a dedication to lifelong learning, and increased my techniques and confidence.
Q.) According to you, what factors should chefs keep in mind while making food?
Chef Reetu: I believe that a chef should think about cuisine from multiple perspectives. The first is the seasonality, freshness, and quality of the ingredients. Good ingredients are the foundation of good food, and chefs should value their natural qualities.
Both balance and nutrition are crucial. Food should be well-prepared, tasty, and nourishing. A full sensory experience should be produced by the combination of flavor, texture, aroma, color, and presentation.
Chefs should also take into account regional customs, cultural identity, dietary needs, and preferences. Sustainability also matters by using local produce, using ingredients responsibly, and reducing food waste.
In the end, food should be tasty, nourishing, responsible, culturally sensitive, and unforgettable.
Q.) What is your experience in training and mentoring new kitchen staff?
Chef Reetu: Mentoring and training are crucial components of my journey. I collaborate with chefs and culinary teams as a Culinary Expert & Chef Consultant.
I teach more than just recipes. Mise en Place, hygiene, food safety, cooking methods, ingredient knowledge, nutrition, presentation, discipline, time management, and teamwork are among the fundamentals I concentrate on. I adapt my mentorship to each individual’s needs, assisting novices in developing confidence while encouraging professionals to improve their skills.
A mentor, in my opinion, creates an atmosphere where people may ask questions, learn from their mistakes, and maintain standards. Mentoring entails assisting people in discovering their identities while fostering self-assurance, self-control, creativity, and professionalism.
Q.) Any advice for the upcoming chefs.
Chef Reetu: My advice to aspiring chefs is straightforward: never stop learning, stay humble, and stay curious.
Don’t chase the title of chef. Respect ingredients, learn the basics, and understand the discipline involved in cooking. Put up a lot of effort and take constructive feedback. Develop abilities outside of cooking, such as professionalism, communication, teamwork, leadership, and time management.
Keep up with the latest developments in technology and trends, but never lose respect of our history. Avoid comparing your journey to that of others. Discover your voice, develop your identity, and let your work speak for you.
A chef is constantly a student. Always continue to study, experiment, evolve, and share your knowledge.
Interview By: Rida Khan (Aviation Author)
Instagram A/c:aviationauthor.ridakhan
