I have a deep seated obsession with food. And, to be frank, I think everyone does. It is truly a blessing, then, that there are wonderful people like Meeta Arora in this world. The founder of ‘Piping Pot Curry’, a treasure trove of a culinary platform, Meeta Arora has been putting out one delicious recipe after another. From ‘Chicken Tikka Pasta Masala’ to ‘Kung Pao Brussel Sprouts, Arora ensures that there is something for everyone.
Born in India, Arora’s childhood, as she states, is resplendent with some really wonderful memories of food. Though she never really had to try her hand at cooking when she was still in school, on account of her mother being an incredible cook, when she moved to the US, to pursue a Master’s degree in Management Science, she did have to dabble a little, if not too much, in cooking the basics. However, her love affair did not truly begin until she relocated to the US permanently.
The story of how she started ‘Piping Pot Curry’, then, is one that runs parallel to Arora’s own evolving relationship with food. Working as a Product Manager at an insurance software company, Arora began to see cooking as a way to unwind. Not only that, whatever she whipped up, she wanted to share. The only question that remained to be asked, then, was why just limit sharing what she loved with her friends and family? Why not the whole world?
What started as a hobby, initially, evolved into a legitimate platform that educates, shares and, perhaps most importantly, helps people grow their own culinary skills. Within six months of having started ‘Piping Pot Curry’, Arora had quit her well-paying job, as a Product Manager, and moved on to dedicating herself completely to helping the blog grow. That, she asserts, was the bravest thing she has done. After all, even the most sparkling dreams have a few lingering uncertainties.
And, it was, as Arora expected, not easy. Food blogging is an immensely crowded space, with little to no room for inconsistency. When she first started out, Arora had to navigate the challenges of running a business, while simultaneously growing an audience, completely on her own. It is fortunate, then, that for Arora, where others see daunting challenges, she sees exciting new opportunities to learn. From familiarizing herself with the intricacies of photography and videography to learning about the manner in which the platform had to integrate social media into its outreach, Arora has, indeed, come a long way.
What truly helped her grow was her tapping into the niche of cooking with gadgets and, of course, the authenticity of her delicious recipes. Soon enough, ‘Piping Pot Curry’, having started as a small blog, grew into something that Arora had hoped it would become. Now, the platform has had over 10 million readers since its inception, back in 2017.
Still, even at the highest of her peaks so far, Meeta Arora’s ongoing journey is one that occasionally throws curveballs at her. On some days, things don’t just go to plan, regardless of how meticulously they have been conceptualized. A recipe might just need more testing before it is deemed to be worthy to be showcased on the platform. What truly set her back, like a lot of us around the world, was the global pandemic.
When Covid-19 devastated the world around us, a lot of care facilities had to shut down. Although it was great to have more time with her children, it also meant that Arora and her husband had to manage everything without any help whatsoever. That meant that Arora could only ever dedicate so much time to keep ‘Piping Pot Curry’ up to the standard that she wanted it to be. Arora was, however, determined to not give up. She would pull through this. She had to.
Hiring an additional team member to help with the ancillary tasks and by managing the minimal time that she had, Arora set out, once again, to do what she did best. Make incredible food. When she looks back on it now, Arora realizes that the trials and challenges she had to face then helped her innovate and expand her business better than she could have done under normal circumstances.
Arora’s own journey has been one that is wrapped in the deepest memories of her childhood. To think of it, she went on from pursuing Computer Engineering to working as a software engineer to studying Management Science and working as a Product Manager before, finally, choosing to do what she loved. And, that, Arora says, is key to understanding what you are truly good at. The will to try and discover things about yourself is the greatest journey you can take.
Coming from Meeta Arora, that doesn’t sound too daunting to try. I am sure her readers from the USA, UK, Australia and even Africa would stand testament to that.
