Everyone loves to eat good and delicious food and for this purpose people always not only discuss new recipes at home but also try it. Every housewife tries to cook delicious foods and gets admiration from the family members. That is why a large number of housewives have a keen interest in watching TV cooking shows.
Today we are introducing a female chef, who has been associated with a TV cooking show for the last 15 years and her recipes are famous not only in Pakistan but also abroad.
Chef Rida Aftab is one of the most popular chefs in Pakistan. She is not only an expert in traditional dishes but also in fusion.
MM News arranged a special meeting with Rida and asked her questions about her expertise in cooking foods and her famous TV show.
MM News: What difficulties did you face in the course of becoming a celebrity chef, what was the reaction of your family?
Chef Rida Aftab: My father was against it. It is very difficult for me to learn cooking. I used to go to learn cooking secretly. After that, I started sending recipes to a magazine and at the same time, I got offers from TV, which I refused in the beginning but after some time accepted it, and later my father also agreed over instigation by the people.
MM News: The rating of your show has never come down in the last fifteen years, what is the reason behind it?
Chef Rida Aftab: Everyone says that I have the special grace of Allah. The head of the channel also says that the rating of my show is always good even outside Pakistan, so I should do something for avoiding evil eyes.
MM News: What is the reason behind the popularity of your recipes?
Chef Rida Aftab: My recipes are always very simple. I cook with common spices and always cook with keeping the middle class in mind, so people like it because they don’t have to buy many spices from outside.
MM News: What is your signature dish?
Chef Rida Aftab: I am very good at making traditional and local foods.
MM News: How old were you when you first started cooking?
Chef Rida Aftab: I was ten years old. I made potato stew ( Aalo Ki Bhujia) and worked from morning till night for making it, while my elder sister made a lot of fun of me.
MM News: Do you feel nervous that something can go wrong while hosting a live show?
Chef Rida Aftab: Yes it feels because the show is broadcasting live. In the beginning, I used to feel it much, but now I have become habitual.
MM News: What is your advice to those who want to enter this field?
Chef Rida Aftab: People who want to come to this field must come to do something new and we will also have the opportunity to learn something from them. They should come because nowadays chefs are given a good salary as well as many other incentives.
MM News: Well, you are a chef yourself but who is your favorite chef?
Chef Rida Aftab: Well, all chefs are good, but Zubeida Apa was my favorite chef and I have learned a lot from her.
MM News: Which dish of you, your family members like the most?
Chef Rida Aftab: The family loves my biryani.
MM News: Who does eats the food cooked in your shows?
Chef Rida Aftab: This question is often asked by people. Actually, in the past, the foods used to be eaten by the channel staffer present there, but now this food either goes to Sultana Apa’s house or somewhere else.
MM News: What do you think is necessary for becoming a successful chef?
Chef Rida Aftab: The first thing is that you should never jump in any field, go step by step because if you go one step at a height, you will come down just as fast, and the other never be arrogant.
MM News: What do you think how important the food presentation is?
Chef Rida Aftab: The presentation of food is very important because one looks at the presentation before eating and therefore one should pay some attention to the presentation too.
MM News: What is your message to MM News fans?
Chef Rida Aftab: My message to all is that people can earn a lot of money but it is very difficult to earn respect and I have always given priority to respect that is why people always praise me.
