Yum’s chat with Pika Chakula’s Chandni Solanki

Pika Chakula is the direct Swahili translation for ‘cook food’. Here in Kenya it is also the name of one popular food blog that has won several awards for its prowess. On Monday, I had the chance to engage in an interactive conversation with Chandni Solanki a vibrant lady who runs the food site. I asked her a series of questions and I got to know more about Pika Chakula. From my conversation, I learnt that behind the scenes, a lot of passion goes into the blog. For instance it might be interesting to note that Chandni, is a biomedical sciences graduate. After her graduation she went straight into Pika Chakula filling the shoes of her brother Raj — who unfortunately passed away during the Westgate terror attack that happened on 21st September 2013.

When Raj founded the website, he had a vision to offer people the chance to make foods that were quite expensive at the restaurant in their homes using locally available ingredients. Being a computer wiz the idea to start a site was almost second nature to him. I tried to find out if Chandni had always been a great cook and this is what she had to say: “I used to cook a lot in university and I got a lot of comments that everyone enjoyed my food.” In addition to this she also added that during one cooking challenge organized by Samsung — she prepared a dessert using a microwave and the judges termed it as “a five star plate.” However, from our conversation it became apparent that she perfected the skill overtime. Since inception — Pika Chakula has been a platform to connect foodies around the country and beyond with recipes that actually work.

There are many times that you might have tried a recipe from the internet and ended up with a dish that looks nothing like the picture. “Some of these recipes just don’t work” says Chandni. Pika Chakula, go the extra mile to try out all recipes and ensure that they work before posting it up on the site. If you have been to the site then you must have seen all those enticing pictures. So I had to ask about them. Mostly if she took them and if she had had any ‘incidences’ while taking them. This is what she had to say:

“Sometimes but mostly, I get most pictures from the internet then credit the website.”

With regards to the incidences she narrated about a time she was taking a picture of food in the garden and decided to use a plank of wood as the background. The wood was supported only by stones and when the wind blew the plan fell on the food messing everything up.

Fun facts on Chandni

1. Her favorite kitchen tool is the knife.
2. She doesn’t find any vegetable name funny because she’s used to them but has realized most people are amused by asparagus.
3. She once said no when asked about having a TV show and now she has one.
4. She wouldn’t call herself a chef, she’s a cook. She states “you could have a degree in cooking and not know how to cook, yet I don’t have one but if you put me in a kitchen I’d be a pro at it.”
5. She wants to do food photography.
6. Pika Chakula is launching a magazine soon.

How it ended

The worst part about the interview was that it had to come to an end. It was well punctuated with laughs as she was a free spirit. We wish her all the best in her endeavors. Check out pika chakula and cook something nice tonight.

Read more about other Nairobi food highlights! And, if you are interested in checking out the menus of popular Nairobi restaurants, check out: www.yum.co.ke