God's Own Kitchen: The Inspiring Story of Akshaya Patra - A Social Enterprise Run by Monks and CEOs by Rashmi Bansal

Author:Rashmi Bansal [Bansal, Rashmi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Westland
Published: 2017-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

All the standard spices but cooked with the ‘right consciousness’.

Satvik food, which satisfies the mind, the body and the soul.

CHAPTER 14

STHAPANA

“My walkie-talkie is dead!” exclaimed Yuddhisthira Krishna one morning.

The new kitchen in Hubli was an engineering marvel. But it was vertical, not horizontal, and poor communication created many a mess. Cooking techniques and recipes had to be modified now and then. The kitchen was thus one giant culinary laboratory. And the ‘scientists’ were busy at work.

“We must not add coconut to the dal,” concluded Yuddhisthira Krishna after dozens of experiments. “The sambar gets spoilt by afternoon.”

It was important to know the exact temperature at which to add spices. And how long to boil water for perfectly-cooked rice. This attention to detail made cooking not just an art but a science.

No one was more pleased about this effort than Janardhana Dasa. A BTech graduate from NIT Trichy, Janardhana felt strongly about food safety and the need to implement processes.

Back in 2002, the young monk had attended a two-day workshop on internal auditing by the DNV-GL, an international certification and classification body.

“We must implement the HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system in our kitchen,” he said to Madhu Pandit and Chanchalapathi.

A team of experts identified where food was most vulnerable to contamination. Soon after, Akshaya Patra hired its first quality officer, a recently retired gentleman who was a food safety expert.

Slowly, Akshaya Patra was acquiring more structure. A general manager and a finance head had been appointed. However, one weak link remained.

“We need professional help with marketing,” said Chanchalapathi.

And soon, he would have his wish.

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