Children discover their inner chefs at HT’s culinary workshop

Bandra resident Jordon D’Souza participated in the cooking workshop ‘Fun with Mangoes’, part of the Summer Fun programme, a series of activities organised by Hindustan Times for school children between the ages of 6 and 14. Nidhi Varma reports.

Bandra resident Jordon D’Souza, 8, was excited to don an apron to test his culinary skills on Friday at Godrej’s Nature’s Basket, Bandra.

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D’Souza participated in the cooking workshop ‘Fun with Mangoes’, part of the Summer Fun programme, a series of activities organised by Hindustan Times for school children between the ages of 6 and 14.

“The only reason I participated in the workshop was because it had recipes involving mango, my favourite fruit. It was great fun to cook delicious, quick snacks,” said D’Souza.

The cooking workshop, spread over two sessions, concluded the Summer Fun initiative. Children cooked tortillas, sandwiches and kheer, all with mango as the main ingredient. The enthusiasm of the participating children showed their willingness to try unusual activities in their free time.

Parents enjoyed watching their children identify ingredients, mix them and prepare different dishes. “It was a delightful experience to see the enthusiasm in kids while cooking. Such a platform helps children understand food, nutrients and develop their taste buds,” said Neeta Dam, 44, a Borivli resident who brought her two daughters to the workshop.

Maria Coelho, another parent from Bandra who enrolled her eight-year-old daughter Charista said, “My daughter is really fond of cooking. This was the best opportunity to let her develop her interest.”

Arundati Subramaniam, 12, a Chembur resident, dragged her mother to the workshop after she learned about the event. “I love cooking and this was my first ever formal learning session. It was worth the time since it helped me polish my basic cooking skills.”

Another young budding chef, Sufia Lambrou, 9, who knew almost all the ingredients said, “I want to learn as many dishes as I can since as I want to participate in the TV reality show Junior Masterchef.”