Growing up at a time when not many opportunities presented themselves, given the lack of the current invention in the form of the internet, could be considered a rather daunting experience. With social media, we have become more connected. Opportunities have also flourished, and we get to choose how we want to be. But there was a time before that when people had fewer choices. Primarily due to less exposure, the ability to make your dream a reality was also limited. And nobody more than Renuka Salunke could vouch for how much social media changed their lives. Her Instagram page @homecheff_renu also gave her a new way to fulfil her dream. She could dream again and become stronger than ever before. All by ensuring that her recipes reach every home via social media.
The Journey
Married at 16, Renuka wasn’t given much of a chance to dream or try to make it a reality. Surprisingly, her recipes were far from perfect compared to what they are on social media today. Back then, she struggled to cook. But rather than giving up and being disheartened by the comments about her cooking skills, she decided to dedicate all her time to honing her skills in the kitchen. And she perfected her recipes one day at a time. Soon, with patience and diligence, perfection followed. But these perfect recipes still needed a wider audience.
Around 2016, Renuka was introduced to the power of social media by her niece. It was here that she saw what social media, especially Instagram, could do for a home cook. It was on Instagram, a social media platform, that she watched her very first cooking video by Kavita’s Kitchen. And soon the idea of taking her recipes and opening her kitchen to the world started to germinate.
After struggling financially for quite many years, Renuka and her husband finally managed to save up enough money for a better life. And in 2021, when they shifted to a better place, Renuka decided to finally open her kitchen to the world. Growing up in Karnataka with her maternal grandparents and aunt, Renuka always carried a bit of South India with her in her cooking. And guess what? Her first video, which racked up a million views and followers overnight, was her “Dosa video”!
How’s It Going Now?
When she started making videos for social media on Instagram, her main goal was not only to get recognition for her hard-earned recipes but also to develop a new channel of income for herself. By the end of 2021, she managed to get recognition for her years in the kitchen. And also started getting offers for collaborations. And soon, the 16-year-old Renuka’s dream of making something out of her life became a reality.
But just because she was living her humble dream doesn’t mean everything was all roses and rainbows. Renuka highlights how in the early days her family didn’t quite understand what exactly she was doing on Instagram. During that time, there were instances when she thought of closing her kitchen doors to the world. And shut down her Instagram account. But with her son as her strongest pillar of support and the positivity she got out of making videos on Instagram, the decision to leave was quickly abandoned.
Although her family has now become very supportive of her dream, she still faces a lot of hurdles behind the scenes. Most of them stem from the rising prices of ingredients and the struggle to get a good camera angle, as, according to her, her kitchen doesn’t have the best lighting to shoot reels. Hence, it requires her to shoot her reels on her balcony, where it can get tricky sometimes. Regardless, she still mentions how Instagram has a special place for her in her heart. And it’s not just because it helped her make her dream come true and helped her recipes reach a wider audience. She highlights how Instagram has always been a source of positivity and an escape from her painful times, as she loves making reels.
The Golden Rule of Cooking
Renuka, just like other content creators, follows the trends at times. But most importantly, she tries to follow her heart, and that’s what sets her apart. Criticisms and mistakes may bring her down, but instead of staying there at the bottom of the wallow pit, she chooses to move on, as her recipes and her dream are sacred to her. In her kitchen, there’s just one rule: “Aap kuch bhi bano, lekin agar dil se banate ho toh, usme taste aa hi jata hai.” (Translation: No matter what you make, if you make it from the heart, it will end up tasting good no matter what).
A firm believer of following your heart rather than Instagram or social media trends, views and followers, she has the following message for young content creators:
“If you’re choosing this career, you need to be consistent and be patient. You also need to give yourself time to figure things out; initially, nobody knows exactly what they are doing, but they figure it out eventually.” (Translated to English, was originally quoted in Hindi.)
If Renuka’s story touched your heart, we are sure her recipes will touch your soul. Do check out her Instagram page @homecheff_renu!
