Three Indian virtual food communities launched during the pandemic

Simple Recipes for Complicated Times

Founded by Peter Griffin

Where: Facebook

When: March 2020

As early restrictions of the pandemic were being put in place in 2020, writer and journalist Peter Griffin says many people like him “who had never had to cook, were suddenly having to fend for themselves”. When he found himself asking friends on social media for advice on some simple recipes, Peter was met with a torrent of friendly advice and tips, not just from people he knew.

Peter began thinking about how several others could do with such help. He went on to start the Facebook group that grew to a few thousand followers in a week. “Requests, tips, recipes, hacks… they kept flowing in and were met with prompt and practical advice. I asked a couple of friends, Nikita Barton and Ayesha Thomas, to help moderate the group, and it has coasted — mostly — smoothly since then,” says Peter. He talks about how even the most experienced cooks were looking at ingredient shortages, and the stresses of cooking for a whole house with no breaks or reliefs. 

He explains how people told stories about food, their memories, struggles, and triumphs. “For me, and many others too, the learning was not just about how to cook X or hack Y set of ingredients; it was about realising how food intersected every aspect of our lives. There were insights into gender equations, caste restrictions, community, religion, history, geography, and so much more,” says Peter, of the community that still sees people joining in. “Everyone eats, but what one eats, what one can or cannot eat, how the same things are prepared in different cultures, etc. are all fascinating. Whether you look at food in a very functional way or are deeply invested in some aspect of it, there is so much to learn,” he says.

As for what he has enjoyed the most about the virtual group, Peter says it is the acceptance. “No one puts on airs about their skills and novices are met with grace and generosity.” And several learnings too, he says. “I learned to make dosa and adai; that the white of watermelons makes for a good vegetable; how to cook various kinds of meat … so much,” he says, adding that he also “lurks on” a few other srecipe groups and follows “Thomas Zacharias’s The Locavore, the Saving Grains movement by Elizabeth Yorke and Anusha Murthy, Kurush Dalal’s insights into food history and culture,  the research that Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal shares, Vikram Doctor’s posts, Krish Ashok’s science-based information, among others”. 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RecipesForLockdowns/?ref=share&mibextid=NSMWBT

The book’s cover
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

GetSetUp

Co-founded by Deval Delivala

Where: Online

When: 2020

This learning platform for seniors was launched with the aim of connecting older adults and introducing them to new life experiences.  “We offer an array of exciting cooking classes and demos to our members that covers a range of topics, from healthy cooking and meal planning to nutrition,” says Deval, who just launched GetSetUp Kitchen: A Global Culinary Journey, a cookbook that brings together dishes from their community members across the globe.

The idea for the book, he says, took shape during the lockdown years when they conducted virtual cooking classes and kitchen tours. “We’ve seen firsthand how food has the power to connect people from all over the world. A recipe is about culture, history, and a family’s story on a plate,” he says.

Archana R.’s Makhana Pea Balls
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

This, he says, got the team thinking about how they could capture these traditions and recipes. “We want to showcase the amazing diversity of food and culture that exists in our community and preserve these traditions for future generations to cherish,” he says.

In the book, traditional Indian recipes have been adapted with a contemporary take to include healthier alternatives. For example, the bajra khichdi, green peas chilla, and yogurt with gram flour cauliflower. “We’ve also shared stories of our members — some picked up cooking out of an act of necessity and others from watching their grandmothers and fathers make different masalas in the kitchen,” says Deval.

Details on getsetup.io/

 Eat Pray Love

Founded by Yogita Uchil

Where: WhatsApp

When: 2019

Here is a group that brings together chefs (Regi Mathew of Kappa Chakka Kandhari, Avinash Martins of Goa’s Cavatina, among others) hotel and restaurant owners, home cooks, food historians, and food enthusiasts. Founder Yogita Uchil, a Chennai-based HR professional who likes to call herself a “food evangelist”, says, “I started the group with the intention of bringing the food community together,” she says of the network of over 300 members who discuss everything from where to get the best seafood and dining recommendations to restaurant offers and workshops.

An offline meet-up of a few members of Eat Pray Love
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Given the group’s popularity, does she plan on creating similar communities offline? Having met a few members over Sunday brunch recently, Yogita say while another group is unlikely, she is keen to work towards their offline meetings and workshops by group members that began in 2022. “We had one workshop on how to use millets and indigenous rice, that was followed by dinner created by Chef Shri Bala. We have had three big gatherings of most of our members coming together where we cross promoted each other’s businesses,” says Yogita, who is also working towards curating experiential dining experiences that highlight regional food.

To be added to the group, reach out on Instagram @yogitauchil