Mother’s Day Special: Celebrated Chefs Reflect on Timeless Culinary Tips They Learned from Their Mothers
On Mother’s Day, it’s not just gifts or greetings that hold meaning—it’s the memories, lessons, and values passed from one generation to another. When it comes to food, our mothers often serve as our first teachers in the kitchen. This Mother’s Day, India’s most acclaimed chefs—Sanjeev Kapoor, Ranveer Brar, Garima Arora, and Kunal Kapur—open up about the culinary tips they’ve received from their mothers that still inspire them daily. These Mother’s Day culinary tips from chefs are more than simple hacks—they are philosophies built on love, mindfulness, and tradition.
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Sanjeev Kapoor Shares How His Mother’s Simple Yet Smart Kitchen Tricks Continue to Guide His Cooking
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, one of India’s most iconic culinary figures, credits much of his intuitive kitchen sense to lessons his mother taught him. He fondly recalls her practical tips that still guide his choices as a professional chef. One such tip: always roll a lemon before slicing it to get the most juice. This trick, which breaks down internal membranes, is not just clever—it’s scientifically effective.
Another timeless lesson from her involved adding hing (asafoetida) to dals. “It prevents bloating and improves digestion,” he explains. He also remembers how his mother advised wiping bhindi (okra) with a cloth rather than washing it with water, as water makes it slimy and ruins its texture. And, when it came to rotis, she always said, “Wrap them in cloth immediately after cooking to retain softness and prevent them from becoming soggy.”
These Mother’s Day culinary tips from chefs like Kapoor show that small insights from home kitchens often become lifelong mantras for even the most seasoned professionals.
Ranveer Brar Talks About His Mother’s Mindful Approach to Cooking and How Her Patience Shaped His Food Philosophy
Chef Ranveer Brar, known for his poetic approach to food, deeply values the lessons his mother and grandmother passed down to him. “Maa never forced food on us, but she always made sure we didn’t leave the table without finishing our vegetables,” Brar shares. One of his mom’s secrets was to never add all the salt at once. She believed seasoning should happen in phases, so the cook could taste and adjust throughout the process. This small detail taught Brar about balance and restraint.
Another key tip was about enhancing flavors through rest. His mother would say, “Let the food sit for a while before serving—it deepens the flavors.” This idea of letting food “settle” is something Brar still uses, especially with gravies and rich curries. These Mother’s Day culinary tips from chefs are not just practical—they teach patience, intuition, and mindfulness.
Garima Arora Embraces Heritage Recipes and Family Wisdom That Continue to Influence Her Global Culinary Style
As the first Indian woman to earn a Michelin star, Chef Garima Arora’s food celebrates tradition with innovation. However, at the heart of her modern dishes lies a strong foundation built by her mother and grandmother. One of her favorite tips is a quick version of gajar ka halwa—a dish deeply tied to family memories. Her mother’s shortcut involved using grated carrots, condensed milk, and a pressure cooker. “It’s ready in minutes, yet just as rich and flavorful,” Arora says.
Another treasured habit was drying vegetables and herbs for off-season use, a sustainable practice her mother believed in. This instilled in Arora a lifelong value of zero waste cooking and ingredient respect. Through these lessons, she learned that flavor isn’t just about technique—it’s about heritage, care, and sustainability.
These Mother’s Day culinary tips from chefs like Garima Arora prove that the roots of even the most sophisticated dishes are often planted in the home kitchen.
Kunal Kapur Reflects on the Moral Lessons and Honest Cooking Principles Instilled by His Mother
Chef Kunal Kapur attributes his culinary ethics to his mother’s insistence on honesty in the kitchen. “She always said, ‘Cook with complete honesty,’ and I never fully understood that until I became a chef,” Kunal shares. For his mother, honesty meant sourcing good ingredients, cooking fresh, and never compromising on quality—values that shape how he runs his restaurants today.
She also had an arsenal of practical tips. One was to always roll citrus fruits before cutting to extract maximum juice. Another—adding hing to dals—was more than just a tradition; it was based on her understanding of digestion and wellness. His mother also insisted on keeping okra dry and wrapping hot rotis in a cloth to preserve softness.
For Kapur, these Mother’s Day culinary tips from chefs symbolize integrity, technique, and the emotional connection that food fosters in families.
Why Mother’s Day Is the Perfect Time to Honor Kitchen Wisdom Passed Through Generations
Each story shared by these renowned chefs reaffirms that our earliest kitchen lessons often come from our mothers. On this Mother’s Day, their reflections are a beautiful reminder that food is not just nourishment—it’s culture, emotion, and legacy. These Mother’s Day culinary tips from chefs may seem small, but they carry generations of insight, love, and tradition.
Whether it’s rolling a lemon, using spices mindfully, or cooking with emotional honesty, these simple yet profound tips from mothers have helped shape some of India’s most successful chefs. Today, we don’t just celebrate our moms—we celebrate their wisdom, their food, and the lasting mark they’ve left on our plates and our hearts.
