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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: Sept 10: Come festivals, this Maharashtrian household in Greenfield Apartments, Sector-8, Nerul is abuzz with cooking. The reason- Mrs Latika Dongaonkar’s hobby for cooking Maharashtrian delicacies. This smart housewife has capitalized on her passion for cooking Maharashtrian specialities into a potential business opportunity.

Ask her about this unique business, she replies at once, “I don’t term it as a “business”. I am just pursuing my hobby. I am extremely fond of cooking, so I began by preparing dishes for people I know. Now I take orders for festive foods and other Maharashtrian food stuff.” This ‘not a business’ venture includes a long list of mouth watering delights - Modak, Karanji, Puran Poli, Besan Ladoo, Rava-Besan Laddoo , Fried Chivda , Aloo Vadi , Coriander Vadi , Chakli, Chirota, Khari papdi and many more.

So how did this whole idea of taking orders for such ‘gharelu’ food occur? “I began by preparing dishes for people known to me. Then someone suggested I sell these delicacies outside,” she says. But such foods are in demand only during festivities. Would they be available at other times also? “I normally take orders from people when they want me to make a particular dish. Yes, but during occasions I am flooded with orders,” she replies. Festive seasons like ‘Shravan’, Gauri-Ganpati, Diwali and Holi are rush times as far as she is concerned. But she assures that it doesn’t affect her housework in any way, “It takes up the entire day. But my husband and daughter co-operate and help me out”. Says daughter Kasturi Dongaonkar, who is in second year BMM, “We were up till 1.00 am last night. We had some last minute orders to finish. And mom was up again at 5 in the morning.” Though, when festivals come she keeps all the things in hand a couple of days in advance so that she doesn’t have to panic even if she gets an order at the last moment.

Orders for Modak have been flooding in. Interestingly, steamed Modak is still prepared at homes and is rarely available in sweet shops. So, how did she come up with this idea? “When Kasturi was suffering from jaundice during one Ganpati season, she insisted on eating Modaks. She could not eat oily stuff and I decided to make steamed ones instead of frying them. My friends liked the idea and they suggested that I start making and selling them,” she says. Most of her orders come from Maharashtrian Brahmins but she doesn’t have any inhibitions about taking orders from other communities also, as long as it doesn’t become too much of work.

Other than being a full-time homemaker and a seasonal businesswoman, Latika has a lot of interest in other activities also. “I enjoy doing a lot of embroidery, fabric painting, knitting, crochet knitting and making laces for sarees,” she says eagerly.

Then is she a devout worshipper and will they bring Ganpati home? “Yes, I am very dedicated to God and am a spiritual person. But we do not bring Ganpati here in Nerul. The family’s Ganpati is at my brother-in-law’s place at Bilaspur (Chattisgarh).” Finally, on being asked a wish she would make to Ganpati Bappa this year, she says, “All I wish is for good health and prosperity for my family, friends and all those who have suffered during various calamities,” she says.

Lakshmi Subramanian