Burgundy Box – A DIY (Do it yourself) Recipe Kit

Last weekend I participated in my first ever chef competition organized by Burgundy Box.
Burgundy Box is essentially a concept where you can order prepped & portioned ingredients of a recipe of your choice and then create it in your own kitchen using them. Isn’t it cool???
I wanted to try out the box for some time now and the contest came right in time. It gave me a chance not only to experience the box but also to meet Chef Ajay Chopra of Masterchef fame and the co-founder of Burgundy Box. Needless to say he was the judge for the event 🙂

BurgunDIY August Chef Experience

On the day of the event, all participants were delivered a box of similar “surprise” ingredients and they had to create a dish using them. A maximum of 2 additional ingredients were allowed outside the box to make the dish. The box was sent at the same time to all participants, the final dish was to be presented after 2 hours at a predetermined venue.

Ingredients sent in the box for the event.

The box contained basic Italian ingredients and I chose to work out a healthy dish around them. I decided to use brown rice and milk as the additional ingredients and whipped up a Healthy Brown Rice and Vegetable Bake. Cooked brown rice was tossed in a healthy white sauce alternative made using paneer, milk and garlic. The same was then baked along with sautéed vegetables and Lima beans. You can check out the complete recipe here.

The venue was a local pop-up bazaar which was very lively and vibrant with breathtaking views of the area. We were 9 participants in all and everyone created a unique dish. The spread had foods like stir fries, tikkas, bakes, a Mexican creation using Italian ingredients, rolls, sandwiches, etc. Chef Ajay arrived tasted all of the dishes patiently and finally declared the winner. Sadly not me 😦

Display of dishes at the competition

The winning dish – Stuffed Soy Ball starter was an adaptation of Spanish Albondigas, which the winner informed, was inspired by Chef Ajay’s meat version of the same dish.
Deepa, the winner made soya balls and stuffed them with paneer and sun-dried tomatoes. The balls were served on a bed of tomato sauce and sautéed vegetables along with crunchy Lima beans. I thought it was a very creative and novel dish.
Deepa’s dish will now be a part of the Burgundy Box menu with due credits given to her. Congratulations Deepa!

Chef Ajay Chopra – of Masterchef Fame

In the end, a true Chef Ajay’s fan won a competition judged by him by creating a dish inspired using one of his recipes.

All other participants also won a voucher.
Burgundy Box Review

Now coming to the review of Burgundy Box and why you should give it a try, at least once.

Burgundy Box sends out pre-portioned, measured, processed and neatly labelled ingredients along with an easy to follow recipe. This helps you save time, money and above all cook like a chef. The box with enough ingredients to cook up a meal for 2 comes under Rs.500/-.

The best part about Burgundy Box is that it is apt for every kind of individual.

•  If you don’t know how to cook then it can help you cook.
• If you are a pro chef then it helps you save time on shopping for ingredients. At the same time, it helps you save money that you would invest in all the expensive sauces and ingredients which would eventually be thrown after one time use.
• If you love eating out and want to try replicating the same recipes at home, then this is your very own DIY recipe kit.
• If you are an experimental cook who loves to cook a new dish from a new cuisine every time and who’s heart burns in investing in the exorbitant ingredients just for one time use then the box sends you those ingredients with just the right amount you need.
• If you are a working mother who is pressed on time by doing other chores and still wants to feed her family a nice home cooked meal then the box comes to your rescue.
• If you are a man who lives by himself, then Burgundy Box is the best companion you can ask for.

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!