Gurgaon husbands are wizards in the kitchen

Most households in Gurgaon have full-time cooks – where is the time to enter the kitchen when you’re juggling family and work?
Ask the ladies to imagine a life without their cooks and be prepared to get the stink eye for even coming up with such a horrible idea. Because for them, husbands who cook don’t exist and without a cook, the responsibility of preparing meals automatically falls on their shoulders.But while most women live under this assumption, there are husbands in Gurgaon who’ve happily taken over the kitchen, while their wives lounge or take care of other things. Jealous already? Wait till you read what these privileged wives and their hard-to-find husbands have to say.
Food enhances my relationship with my wife
Sankalpa Bhattachariya, who works with Accenture, says, "I’m the one who does all the cooking. We do have a cook, but I enjoy cooking. And I cook exotic stuff – chicken yakhni, Kerala chicken curry, pan fried fish, caramelized prawns, mincemeat gol gappa, pasta, mutton sukha fry. My family waits eagerly to taste what I cook. Food enhances my relationship with my wife. I don’t care if she cooks or not, because it’s not a battle. Most of my friends are impressed, especially because these aren’t your average dishes. Plus some of the best chefs in the world and in India are men." Sankalpa’s wife Charu adds, "I never enjoyed cooking and it’s one of those things I feel I was not meant to do. I enter the kitchen only when I have to grab a bite. The closest I come to cooking food is clicking pictures of my husband while he makes delicious things for us, and then I post them online. I feel fortunate that I have a husband who enjoys cooking."
I mess things up when I try to assist my husband
Ravi Malhotra, senior software architect at a semiconductor company, says, “I am very picky when it comes to food, so cooking on my own lets me prepare what I want, the way I want it. Cooking relaxes me after a stressful day at work. Though I can prepare traditional meals like roti, daal and subzi, I am more fond of Italian, Continental, Chinese and Mughlai cuisines. I have cooked Goan, French, Tex-Mex and south Indian as well. I love to experiment and keep cooking new stuff. My father also used to help my mother in the kitchen and loved to cook non-veg food on Sundays. When my sister and I were barely 10 years old, we were encouraged to cook and we would regularly prepare tea, bake cakes and make breakfast. The only downside is that my friends complain that I’ve gotten too involved in cooking and hardly socialize, but my wife is more than happy to do that bit and is far better at it too!' Ravi’s wife Charu, who is a corporate communications manager at a mobile services company, adds, "My father was extremely protective of me and always kept me away from the kitchen. I was fortunate enough to find a guy who loves cooking. There are days when I don’t enter the kitchen at all. I know there will always be food on the table whenever and however I want it. Whenever I enter the kitchen, I always mess things up, so I am asked to stay away. I have ended up cutting my fingers and burning my hands many times while trying to act as an assistant chef to my husband. Since this only doubles his work, I listen to him and stay away as much as possible. Of course I don’t mind it one bit!"
Why should cooking only be a woman’s domain?
Karthik Krishnamurthy, chief operating officer of a south Indian food outift, says, "I feel fortunate to have a wife who lets me cook and experiment with new recipes without any fights or arguments. I don’t see why cooking should only be a women’s domain. Different people have different passions and there are no set roles for either gender. So if I am good with cooking, she is good with managing the parties we organize. And in that way, we complement each other. A lot of my female friends get jealous of my wife for having a husband who cooks, but I’m more of an inspiration to my guy friends." His wife Anuradha, who is the head of brand and marketing at the same south Indian food outift, adds, "We do have a lot of arguments about cooking that lead to fighting over each other’s grandmother’s recipes, but they’re really funny arguments. Honestly, how many women are lucky enough to have a husband who can cook?"
He takes care of the kitchen and she handles the finances
Remy Cruz, who is a travel agent in Gurgaon, says, "I am definitely the better cook between my wife and I, and she loves me more because she doesn’t have to struggle in the kitchen! The women in our family insist that I teach their husbands a thing or two about cooking and I also get praised because of this." Remy’s wife Sasha adds, "There’s no denying that he cooks better than I do, so he takes care of the kitchen and I handle the finances. Normally, we avoid arguments, but when the kitchen is messy or when we find out that we’re out of salt or chilli at the last minute, arguments are unavoidable. But I try ending it on a good note, because I love the delicious food he cooks and can’t risk him getting upset."
Why should anyone be surprised if a man cooks?
Debanik Chaudhuri, who works as a creative director with an advertising firm, says, "I don’t see why someone should be surprised that I cook just because I’m a man. I find peace in the kitchen. I made my first omelette when I was in Class IV and I can cook everything now – from shorshe maachh, laal maas, Kerala mutton fry to spaghetti carbonara. I don’t follow any recipes and cook whatever I feel like cooking. I work as a creative director, so cooking for me is also a form of art. It’s a very normal thing for me and my wife. She loves what I cook, so it keeps her happy. What more can I ask for?" Debanik’s wife Pragati adds, "It’s not that I don’t cook, but his passion for cooking doesn’t really give me the chance to enter the kitchen. I barely use the kitchen. I feel liberated and I’m proud that I have a husband who doesn’t want his wife to be in the kitchen while he goes out and works. But I do feel guilty sometimes when I watch him wake up every morning and prepare breakfast and lunch, while I sleep or laze around reading the newspaper."
Men in the family cook together for wives regularly
Kunal Jaidka, a global real estate advisor, says, "I love to cook and my wife loves the food I make, so it’s a perfect combination. In our family, all the men regularly meet up and cook together for the ladies. My friends too look forward to the days I cook for them. It is my passion and a great stress-buster.” Kunal’s wife Daksha, who is a homemaker, says, "I don’t enjoy cooking at all. My husband decides what we will eat every day, and I dread the day I have to think about that. I’m lucky that I don’t even have to enter the kitchen. Even my kids go straight to their dad if there’s something they want to eat," she says.
I’ve never felt ashamed of being in the kitchen
Tapan Rishi Bhatnagar, senior vice president with a defence and aerospace company, says, "Since I cook to stay stress-free, it helps our married life a lot. My dad too loved to cook, so I never felt ashamed of being in the kitchen. When I see the look on people’s faces after they taste my food, it always feels great. My friends are jealous of me and I’ve also set an example for some of them. My wife keeps saying that the only reason she agreed to marry me was because I could cook, and sometimes I actually think she’s serious." Tapan’s wife Divya, who is a partner associate with a corporate communication company, says, 'Because my husband cooks well, I never really felt the need to cook. While I take care of the guests, he makes delicious things to treat them with. Though I am completely okay with the fact that the kitchen is his territory, sometimes when I feel like cooking, he can be quite interfering!"
My father taught me how to cook
Shivendu Airi, vice president of a financial services MNC, says, 'It was my father who taught me how to cook, but unlike me, he used to cook rarely because he used to be busy. I love food and love to eat what I cook. Name any vegetarian dish, and I’ll make it. Because of me, the men in my family and friends have started to enter the kitchen more often. They’re impressed with my knowledge of food and appreciate that I can cook. I don’t see it as something a man can’t do or shouldn’t do.' Shivendu’s wife Gunjan, a consumer insights manager, says, "I have a full time job and after having a child, I never got enough time to do all the chores alone. So, my husband pitches in – be it cooking, getting our daughter ready for school, doing the laundry or grocery shopping. If I am out on the weekend or have to go to the salon, he prepares lunch for the entire family, including his parents. Both of us think we cook better than the other, so we keep criticizing each other. And when we’re both in the kitchen, it’s disastrous. So I like to stay away from it."