Self-made home chef aims high: Naaz Anjum

Located at Tolichowki, Hyderabad Naaz Anjum, a home chef has certainly marked a good impression on customers with her dessert delights and all time famous Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. From a textile engineer to being a chef, she shares her story

Excerpt:

When did you first start cooking commercially?
In the year 2016, I started cooking as a business; it was during the month of Ramadan.

Tell us about your journey?
I had a passion of cooking since a long time, but never thought of starting on commercial basis. Being a textile engineer, I was not allowed to work outside; my in-laws did not allow me to work. I thought, instead of sitting idle at home let me try to do something that I like. In the year 2016, in the month of Ramadan I made some desserts like double-ka-meetha, Kaddu-Ki-Kheer, Sheer-khurma etc. My bother-in –law had a restaurant where I happened to put all what I cooked in the menu and people liked the taste and demanded for biryani and Hyderabadi curries. And that’s how I started my journey as Anjum’s Kitchen.

What is so special about Anjum’s Kitchen?
It is all about the taste and quality that Anjum’s Kitchen is known for.

Which is the best comment you have received for your dishes?
People love my double-ka-meetha and are crazy about it. I got around 15,000 orders for this dish alone in three years. There were hardly eight or ten of them who were not happy with the taste. I got the best reviews from everyone else.

What were the challenges you faced?
There were many. When I started my kitchen they were no home chefs anywhere. But after I started, within eight days, suddenly there were a lot of them. I was shocked to see the change. I must tell you that this profession needs a lot of patience. You need to take care of everything as you have. There are critics who give you negative and positive points. The main thing here is to satisfy customers.

How do you deal with negative comments?
I take it positively, because whatever is the comment I receive on a dish I get to learn from it. I do not want my customers to be upset with me. When they are expecting something out of me and if someone recommends my name it is my duty to fulfill what they wish from me.

What changes do you see from the beginning till date?
By God’s grace my business has expanded and it has been doing well. Every customer expected something more from my food. So, it was a challenge for me to do something better on a daily note. I got to learn from the day I started.

Tell us about the emotional attachment with Anjum’s kitchen.?
It is like family to me. I cook all alone; if I keep staff for the kitchen, they will be difference in the taste. ‘Hath ka mazza hai’ -What I cook with my hand I don’t think anyone else would get the same taste.

How do you manage everything alone?
I start preparing one day before when I get the order. I mentioned in the menu clearly that it is a pre order so that I get time to prepare. I have delivery boys who drive an auto and I learnt to put a process in place.

At an average how may orders do you get in a day?
I do ten orders in a day for around twenty to fifty people. Once on Father’s Day I made Biryani for 15 times in a day that was about five to six kgs. The whole day, I was in the Kitchen.

What is the future of Anjum’s kitchen?
Right now I am on leave as I am pregnant. I will be coming back in the month of December with a new menu and soon I will be making a trade mark for Anjum’s Kitchen. I am planning to expand and one day will be catering all around the world.

Are you planning to start a restaurant?
No I am not because I am not satisfied with the concept. When you eat in a restaurant you are not satisfied with the quality and quantity and end up paying more.

Is there any message you wish to give to the women of today?
Every woman is an Annapurna. God has gifted every woman with a talent, if you want to go ahead with that talent you need to put all the hard work.