Chefkraft: Gourmet Dishes Crafted For You

Meet Chefkraft, a company started in 2014 by three friends with the aim to “make gourmet food powered by great gourmet ingredients, accessible to everyone”, says co-founder Mohit Mital. 

What is gourmet food? Gourmet food is essentially defined by the ingredients. It doesn’t necessarily make the meal gourmet if it has been treated a certain way, but if the ingredients are of high quality, then it fits into the gourmet bracket. Chefkraft sources all their ingredients from firstagro.com, a company that provides pesticide free vegetables and fruits.

We caught up with Mohit, one of the founders of Chefkraft and got the lowdown on the brand, how they work and what to look forward to in the future.

How does Chefkraft help you?

The problem most people face is not just the desire to cook, but finding the right ingredients. “For example, if you wish to prepare a salmon dish, it’s impossible to buy just 200 grams of salmon for cooking. You’ll have to buy a larger quantity and only use half of that purchase, leaving the rest to sit on your shelves till you find time to cook another dish using the same ingredients,” says Mohit, and invariably, you won’t actually find that time to use the ingredients again.

Which is where Chefkrafts recipe kits come into play. While a very popular concept these days, recipe kits aren’t just for the lazy. They are designed in such a way that you get the best ingredients in the right quantity to cook for just yourself or for more than one person. And these recipe kits come prepared for one person, for two and some kits are even designed for more people and put under ‘The Specials’ section, where you can make enough to feed the family or a party.

They also have ready to eat meals, which are prepared in the Chefkraft kitchen and delivered to you fresh and hot. These are all made for a single person, with dishes like Irani Kheema Pav, Bento Boxes, Peri Peri Chicken with Coconut Lemon Rice and so much more available for you to order online or via their app (Android/iOS). They’ve even got sushi and smoothies that only require you to open the box and pop it in your mouth.

A third section they have on their menu are the salads, where they also have a selection called ‘nutrisalads’, which are specially formulated by Potential Health Development in Bangalore. These are not your traditional salads, and like the other food that Chefkraft prepares, they are also made from gourmet and special ingredients. As Mohit say, “…. I wouldn’t call them exotic exotic, but they are definitely flavours that are unique.”

Bento Box Non-Veg [Chicken Chilly Basil Fried Rice, Chicken Summer Roll, Green Mango & Raw Papaya Salad]

What is great about Chefkraft?

The salads have every ingredient packaged separately, because you get to add as much of the ingredients as you want, you also get to leave certain ingredients out. All you have to do is mix the ingredients together and serve. The salads come in single and double servings, but you have complete freedom to prepare your dish however you please, giving you the absolute control.

As for the recipe kits, you get enough ingredients for the dish as well as a recipe card which guides you on the preparation of the dish. Depending on how people you’re looking to serve, the recipe is set that way.

And, all the food is packaged in recyclable boxes that they will take back from you soon after a delivery, or when they come for a second delivery, they will take the box from the first time.

Smoked Salmon & Egg with a Yogurt Dill Dressing (Nutritional)

Who is responsible for all the great food?

Chef Xerxes, of Red Fork fame, is one of the partners and also the main chef responsible for the dishes prepared on the website. Having studied at Cordon Bleu Australia and then set up Red Fork in Bengaluru, Xerxes is comfortable and strong with Mediterranean, Italian, French, American, Middle Eastern and Australian cuisines, while they have a chef for all the Pan-Asian cooking and they have hopes to bring on another chef to work on the sauces and spreads that they intend to add to their menus.

What does the future look like for Chefkraft?

They plan on staying in Bengaluru for at least another year, wanting to build a great customer base and get a proper handle on the business. That’s not to say that you should keep a look out for them coming to your city, but cross your fingers and wish for it.

In the mean time, foodies and folks in Bengaluru, download the app and start planning your life around Chefkrafts meals, because this is exactly what you’ve been looking for.