Mumbai: Andheri home-chef curates new menu every week, offers on sale

Dark biscoff tacos

Like so many others, the lockdown has meant that Andheri-based Aashna Mayekar has had the time to pursue her passion for food. "After I quit my job at a product design firm in December 2019, I wanted to hone my music skills. The idea was to focus on singing, and grow my fanbase on social media. But life had better plans for me," Mayekar, 25, laughs.

Mexican rice and chicken pops

From a family of food enthusiasts, Mayekar was spoilt for choice as her mother, Meena, experimented in the kitchen. "I started cooking three years ago. But in the lockdown, I felt the need to eat home-cooked food only and ended up taking my interest in cooking seriously." When her dishes made a debut on her Instagram handle, she says her inbox was flooded with requests from friends and family to deliver safe and tasty food during the lockdown. It was a cue for her to consider starting a business.

Naked apple cinnamon cake

Tasty Tunes, which launched in July 2020, offers weekly savoury and sweets sales, around a different menu every Sunday. "I'd share the menu on Fridays for advance orders. My first big hit was the cheesecake brownie sandwich, a cross between a cheesecake or brownie. They loved it." Mayekar, who admits to following no rules, visualises flavours and combinations before putting the ingredients together. "I imagine how flavours will work together. Take the jalapeño crème bread pockets, for example. They are mascarpone pockets that come with a sweet chilli dip. I imagined it, put it all together in a bowl and tasted it; it was exactly how I wanted it to be," she says.

Aashna and Meena Mayekar run Tasty Tunes from their Andheri West home. Pics/Sameer Markande

Her best-selling snack is the dark Biscoff tacos. "Again, it's a weird combination of Biscoff biscuits, dark chocolate and cream cheese, but people are loving it. While I hadn't tasted Biscoff biscuits, I knew they were caramel flavoured. I made a shell of the biscuit and put dark chocolate on it and decorated it with cream cheese. I was up in the middle of the night in my kitchen experimenting with it. My parents were spooked!"

Mayekar likes to give a personal touch to the food, and writes notes to accompany the eats. Different for every customer. "I dedicate a good amount of time writing notes just before the delivery. It is my way of thanking them for believing in my cooking."

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