Alumni Story: Sugandha Saxena, chef entrepreneur from New Delhi

Here is my favorite sweet recipe, which I have developed:

Coconut Tapioca Kheer (gluten-free)

Ingredients:

• Coconut Milk - 500 gms
• Full cream milk -500 gms
• Coconut sugar - 200 gms
• Tapioca - 200 gms 
• Chopped Dryfruits  100 gms - you can sauté in ghee  or add directly ) 

Method:

• Soak Tapioca overnight. 
• Boil coconut and full cream milk together and add the soaked Tapioca.
• Let the milk reduce to 1/3 quantity. 
• Then add coconut sugar.let it boil a little more. Once the Kheer has reached its desired consistency and the Tapioca is cooked, add the chopped dryfruits. Let it cool and serve. 

My passion was always cooking

When I left SSTH and joined into the corporate side of the hotel industry, was the best decision I made in my career. I enjoyed my work in the field of training and development, but my passion and love was always cooking. I decided to quit my job and started my own business for Indian desserts.

At the moment, I work with different restaurants and hotels in India and abroad. I create special chefs table and food festivals for Indian cuisine along with my business for Indian desserts. Lately I was in Germany for 15 days showcasing and cooking Indian food and in Bangalore I was participating a 10 days food festival for Indian food (Kaystha Cuisine). I think nowadays culinary trend is of clean plating and organic food. People are looking for simple flavors which organically produced ingredients.

Every hurdle you come across and overcome is a success in itself. 

I’m a chef entrepreneur- what makes my company unique is that I get to travel and work with every new restaurant and hotel. Each time I travel which makes it equally challenging and exciting at the same time. 

I face challenges everytime I get to work with a new team of people which sometimes makes it difficult to coordinate while working on a menu. 

The best compliment someone ever gave me was

when I met a little girl in a hotel, where I was working. She was sitting with her mother right next to me at the breakfast table and was talking all about food and desserts with so much passion. Then she said to me: I want to be just like you, when I grow up.

Happiness for me is a feeling contented with what you are enjoying it in present. I love cooking and I want to keep excelling in this field.