In 2017, Induben Rajput from Mehsana, Gujarat, met with a bike accident that left her spine severely injured, with multiple cracks and compressed nerves.
She was advised complete bed rest in order to avoid a permanent back issue.This put the mother of three in a precarious spot as all the money she had earned through her craft of stitching was going towards her expensive medical treatment.
Her husband, who was a Government clerk at the time, took multiple loans for her post-surgery care and the education of their children.
“Our lives shattered after that incident,” Induben, now 46, tells The Better India. “I felt helpless, because I had lost my earnings. My husband worked longer hours as I lay in bed the whole day.”
“I saw no light — there was only a long dark tunnel.”
But it was her homemade food venture, Chilli and Cheese, which helped the family find financial stability.
Induben also made it to the sets of reality TV show ‘The Big Picture’, hosted by actor Ranveer Singh in December 2021.
Induben may be an expert in preparing a variety of dishes, but she was full of self-doubt when her daughters first suggested she start selling home-cooked food.
Living in a state populated with all kinds of food joints, she knew she had to have a standout component to make money.
Without enough financial standing to buy ovens or microwaves, she did the next best thing — she turned towards her mother’s recipes.
“Being born and raised in Kolhapur has its advantages. As a Gujarati, I must have eaten vada pav more than dhoklas while growing up,” she says.
“My mom would make them at home and add her masalas instead of what is generally used. This gave the food a distinct flavour and smell,” she recalls.In 2019, the family rented a small space for Rs 16,000, and opened their food joint.
They started selling vada pav and later added other items such as sandwiches, pizzas, and burgers.
Induben introduced mint and schezwan vada pav to attract the younger generation.
Pic source: Cook With Manali
“I was afraid we would have to shut shop as none of us are experts in marketing. Ranveer’s encouragement on the show made a huge difference,” she notes, adding that the appearance there changed their fate.
In fact, their best selling item is the ‘Spicy Simba Vada Pav’, which Ranveer Singh named himself, she shares happily.