In recent times, the prevalence of obesity and diet-related lifestyle diseases like hypertension and type II diabetes is growing steadily in both developed and developing countries across the globe. At the same time, there has been a decrease in the time spent cooking at home. In today’s urban lifestyle, people are becoming more dependent on packaged and fast food options due to their convenience. However, these foods are far from being nutritious like home-cooked foods. El The Cook is an Indian food startup that is focused on taking Indians back to its home cooking culture for better health.
El The Cook started its journey in the hands of the couple entrepreneur Elton Fernandes and Aparna Goel Fernandes in 2018 motivated by Elton’s personal experience with frequent consumption of junk and restaurant foods. In 2015, at the age of 24, Elton, a Pharmacist by profession, pursued food blogging as a hobby to introduce the locals to some of the best dining options in his city. Dining out in restaurants at least three times a week was a part of this job. As a result of this overindulgence in outside foods, he began to develop some serious stomach health issues. After multiple healthcare consultations, he was diagnosed with Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease(GERD).
In 2017, when he started to search for healthy food options to maintain his health, he found that the supermarkets are full of packaged foods full of sub-par ingredients and preservatives. So, he turned back to home-cooked foods and started to follow his grandmother’s recipes and cooking tips to make his foods more palatable. More frequent consumption of home-cooked meals improved his health significantly. So, Elton, along with his wife Aparna, decided to lay the foundation of their vegetarian Indian food startup El The Cook.
Today, El The Cook has successfully positioned itself as a Gourmet Masala brand offering some of the best quality Indian spices to its customers. Their Gourmet Masala range is dedicated to making the kitchen experience simpler and home-cooked meals more enjoyable. Their premium spices, curry pastes, marinades, instant whole spice tempering, or Tadka offerings like kebab masalas, Thai curry pastes, chicken & mutton masalas, fish & seafood masalas, exotic veg & dal masalas, rice masalas, and chai masalas bring restaurant-style food to home kitchens.
Talking about their award-winning range of masalas, El The Cook founder, Elton shares, “Spices are more than just flavoring agents. They exhibit multiple health benefits along with making your food tastier and flavourful. With El The Cook, we are trying to help people reap those benefits of Indian spices. If you want to cook restaurant-style food at your homes, you can rely on our spices without compromising your health.”
El The Cook’s Gourmet Masalas have already made them a reputed name in the Indian marketplace. They have a rich community of over 15000 users who use their masalas to enhance their cooking experience. They have also received the Times Of India Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2020 and the Economic Times Industry Leaders 2021. They are also looking forward to introducing a range of global flavors from Pan-Asian to African Gourmet Spice Blends. As more and more people are realizing the benefits of home-cooked meals, El The Cook is determined to bring people back to their kitchens.
