Women's Day 2025: Chef Muskan Sethi shares her story of giving up on patisserie and falling in love with hot kitchen
This ever-smiling, soft-spoken, curly-haired young lady always knew that she had to join the culinary industry when she grew up. Muskan Sethi, who always had an inclination towards baking and pâtisserie, went to college for a four-year culinary arts diploma — and fell in love with the hot kitchen concept, happily switching her focus. The dynamic chef, who is on point with her Asian flavours, speaks with us about the representation of women chefs in commercial kitchens and also shares a recipe. Excerpts:
Kolkata chef Muskan Sethi shares her hot kitchen experience
What do you think might change in the foodscape of Kolkata this year?
I think more fine dining restaurants would come up. I think people are looking up for places that are minimal yet chic, and technique-forward food. Kolkata is still stung a bit in the past. So many new restaurants are coming up and are trying to incorporate newer techniques, but I don’t see people appreciating those much.
How difficult is it to head a hot kitchen alongside your male colleagues?
It is difficult, but if you have the right kind of people, it is like a cakewalk.
Restaurant kitchens are still male-dominated. Why do you think that is?
I see a lot of women chefs coming into recognition in recent times — not just in India but across the world. I think it’s just a belief that there isn’t enough female representation in commercial kitchens, but the female ratio is growing quite a bit.
Why do you think more women chefs take an interest in pâtisserie?
I think they are more attracted to baking and pâtisserie because it is more creative work. Hot kitchens need a lot of manual labour. Though there are many chefs who excel in hot kitchen jobs, I think creativity is definitely the prime reason for choosing pâtisserie.
A classic recipe that chef Muskan Sethi shares with Indulge readers
Recipe: Chin Taan (Chinese steamed eggs)
Ingredients
Chopped Carrot - 1 Tablespoon
Chopped Celery - 1 Tablespoon
Chopped Water Chestnut - 1 Tablespoon
Salt - To Taste
Sugar - To Taste
White Pepper - A Pinch
Oil - 1 Tablespoon
Eggs - 2 pcs
Water - Double the volume of the eggs (Pro tip : Use the broken egg shell to calculate the quantity of water)
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - ½ teaspoon
Light soy sauce - 1 Tablespoon
Sesame oil - 2 teaspoons
Finely chopped chives or spring onion - 1 Tablespoon
Method:
1. Blanch the carrot, celery and water chestnut together for 2 minutes in boiling water.
2. Strain the water out and transfer the vegetables to an ice bath.
3. Add oil to a fry pan and sauté the vegetables while seasoning them with salt, white pepper and sugar.
4. Take it out of the pan and keep it aside to cool.
5. Pour the water into the beaten eggs and mix well together.
6. Strain this egg mixture through a sieve into the bowl in which it will be steamed.
7. Add the salt, sugar, finely chopped chives & the sautéed vegetable mixture (carrot, celery and water chestnut)
8. Cover the bowl with cling film and pierce 3-4 holes on top to allow the steam to escape.
9. Once the water comes to a boil, steam for 12 minutes over medium heat.
10. Take it out of the steamer and make cuts across the dish.
11. Pour the light soy sauce & sesame oil over the dish and let it seep through the cuts that you have made.
12. Top off the dish with your favourite stir fried dish like I’ve done with a Thai basil chicken in the picture above.
13. Serve warm and enjoy!