Meet the SHEROES - Rachita Doctor Shah

The love of good food and the desire to experiment with delicacies led to the creation of Paagal Khana. Rachita Doctor-Shah and her husband took the plunge to begin Paagal Khana once they got tired of their routine corporate jobs. So what makes them different from the usual catering businesses out there? For starters, they offer customized meal solutions to their clients, across varied kinds of cuisines! That's not all, the power couple learnt all they know in the business - first hand, while on the job! 

Let's hear Rachita's side of the story,

How did the idea of Paagal Khana come about?
I always enjoyed cooking and my husband loves to eat. Food has always been a passion and interest for us. We enjoy tasting new cuisines and experimenting with food. After tiring of our mundane jobs, we decided to take the plunge and follow our passion. And here we are!

What differentiates Paagal Khana from other catering / food service businesses?
Paagal Khana is a bespoke, customized made to order kitchen. We do not have a fixed "menu", neither do we restrict ourselves to a few types of food/confectionery. We understand a customer's needs and then tailor make a solution for them. Which is not to say that we do not cater to the basics, we do, but our core competence is bespoke solutions for customers.

When starting out in this field, what were the initial challenges?
Well the biggest challenge was that neither of us is a professionally trained chef. We are both self taught chefs and had to adapt and learn everything on the job. Things that are probably second nature to a trained professional had to be learnt and cultivated by us.

What advice would you give aspiring women entrepreneurs wanting to start out their own food ventures?
Firstly, ensure you have the time and the inclination. Food businesses have a way of taking over your life. Your holidays and festivals get spoken for :). Take it slow, gradually scale up, ensuring that quality is never compromised.

What beliefs help you in your day to day life and inspire you?
My inspiration is essentially drawn from the encouragement of near and dear ones. Being a self taught cook who has made it this far, I believe that if you put your mind to it and believe in yourself your goals can be achieved. I believe that learning is a constant process and you learn something new everyday.