The Joy of Negligible Cooking

 In most modern urban homes today, having a cook or a live-in maid is the standard template of daily life. Yet, for over fifteen years—ever since my marriage—I have chosen a different path. I handle the kitchen myself.

My reasons are less about culinary perfection and more about protecting my peace. I absolutely refuse to fuss around with anyone early in the morning. I deeply crave a serene, calm start to my day. My maid arrives at 5:00 AM—a time often referred to as Brahma Muhurta, the sacred, quiet hours before dawn. Frankly, who wants to begin a day born of that stillness by pointing out mistakes or managing someone else? So, she does what she needs to do, and I prefer to dose off on my couch, keeping the morning speech-free and quiet.

By 8:30 AM on any given day, breakfast and lunch are completely done.

But I am only human. There are absolutely mornings where I look at the stove and think, “Oh, I wish I had a cook. I wish someone else would just handle this today.”

And today, the universe granted that wish in its own sweet way. Today was a rare, beautiful day of negligible cooking.

I can’t claim it was a "no-cooking" day, because the kitchen wasn’t entirely abandoned. The ritual of morning tea still happened, and I rolled out rotis for dinner. But beyond that? Nothing. The heavy lifting was entirely off my hands.

Instead of the usual kitchen routine, the day filled itself with life’s gentler rhythms:

Family & Food: We went out shopping and enjoyed a great meal. I got to step back and just enjoy the moment, watching my son proudly tackle a plate of biryani all by himself, followed by a sweet ice cream treat.

Creativity: I managed to finish a new piece of artwork. It’s sitting there just waiting for a few final touch-ups, and I can't wait to share it soon.

Preparation: Even the laundry got cleared out of the way, intentionally making room for a completely unburdened Sunday.

Between the shopping, the art, the whole day just felt... relaxed. Unhurried.

Some days just feel that way, I guess. When you step away from the daily rituals of caretaking, even just a little bit, you realize that a break doesn't have to be a grand vacation. Sometimes, the deepest rejuvenation comes from a perfectly ordinary day with just a tiny, negligible amount of cooking.