IE : The real party - party- Serving up surprises : Aug 27, 2007

THE REAL party- Serving up surprises
 Students of Helen Keller Institute in Chembur wear the chef's hat and cook
up tasty meals for their clients
 JINAL SHAH

T hey may not be the best cooks in the city but they guarantee that whatever
is offered from their kitchen will capture your hearts. Meet the star
chefs - dynamic, energetic, hearing-impaired students of the Helen Keller
Institute of Vocational Center for Deaf, Chembur, who ensure that their
aural impediment does not come in the way of their work.

Started in 2001, the mini-kitchen at the institute initially took small
orders for catering from nearby areas during festivals and other special
days. But the students, all over 18 years of age, and well-acquainted with
home cooking, put so much of their heart and soul into the business, that
soon, they were taking larger orders from corporates and for parties too.
"Our students are all from poor background and most cook chapatti bhaji at
their homes as a routine. We thought why not apply the same cooking skills
here and therefore started taking orders for chapatti bhaji at the center
itself," says Nutan Sarnaik, manager of the center.

Today their customers include corporate houses like the HSBC bank branch
right across the road who began ordering from them because the employees of
the bank "prefer ghar ka khanna over junk food".

The students are so enthusiastic and eager to learn that cooking experts
like Shardha Pargal and even a chef of ITC Grand Maratha Hotel are now
chipping in to teach them new recipes. Frankies, pizza, manchurians, pastas
and Italian salads are on the cards.

In an evident zeal to excel in their art, the students have found new ways
of communicating and coordinating with each other says Sarnaik. No wonder
then that their dishes are cooked to perfection - they instinctively know
how much salt, sugar and spices every dish needs and are always willing help
each other out. "Many of the girls here have learnt to cook dishes not known
to them before. They themselves relish it so much that some have even cooked
it at their homes and taught it to their neighbors. Plus, they are experts
in hygiene and table manners," says Sarnaik.

Last year, in December, Kavita Deshpande, a customer who heard about the
caterers from an NGO, gave them an order for 500 people - their first big
assignment. "When I told them this, they expressed shock. "'How can it be
done?' they asked in sign language," says Sarnaik. But we took up the
challenge, after deciding that if anything went wrong we will not charge the
customers," she explains.

Without a minute's delay, the kids drew up a plan and a workforce. "They
were so excited on the day of the feast that they got up early in the
morning and started making preparations. They went berserk working, even as
they teased each other about what to cook for their weddings," she laughs.
Incidentally, their expertise became the talk among Deshpande's 500 guests.
A visibly excited Alka Sathe, one of the students, conveys in sign language:
"One week prior to the wedding we started working in full swing. We worked
as a team." Sathe relates their experience when the team fell short of
dishes while serving ice cream to the guests.

"We were short of dishes, so turn by turn we washed dishes and served
guests. It was fun but hectic also," she says. Sathe loves to make laddus.
and eat them as well. Now the caterers are ready to take up more such orders
on regular basis.

"We have turned 18 now and have a dream to earn like everyone else. We now
are looking for more routine orders so that we can earn regularly and
support our families," says Prateksha Kedare, a student.


Publication : IE; Section : MN; Pg : 3; Date : 27/8/07
URL :
http://70.86.150.130/indianexpress/ArticleText.aspx?article=27_08_2007_523_003