One cook and five knives. No, that’s not the title of a murder mystery. It is the state of my kitchen. I cook and I have five different knives. Well, it was not intended to be a collection but somehow it has become one. 

Give me Red

The first time I decided to move into a place of my own, I bought myself a set of two knives, red ones, mind you, just because I thought they would be clearly visible in my spoon and knife holder.

I got two, one to cut vegetables and one to cut fruits. My mom used to always say we should cut fruit with a different knife so that the fruits don’t smell of garlic and onion. I thought it was wise advice, so I followed it till date. So, this is how the first set of knives came into my life.

They are small but sharp and with an eye for detail. I have used them to cut all kinds of vegetables from onions to yam and they brilliantly do their job. I am proud of this wise purchase of mine.

Black is Beautiful

Once life started to get busy with work and commute in Mumbai, I decided to hire a cook. She was a decent cook, but she didn’t like my set of red knives, so I had a buy a new knife for her. This time I got a slightly bigger black knife. My cook was pleased that I had promptly followed her instructions.

One day after a few months I noticed that she had started using my old red knife. When I asked her the reason, she told me that the red one was sharper. The black knife stood there in the holder feeling dejected.

The Chef’s Knife

Then there came a phase when I was obsessed with cookery shows. From MasterChef to Chef’s Table, I binge watched them all. I marveled at the way these world-renowned chefs and the aspiring chefs cooked with such flamboyance and confidence. For a short period, I was also tempted to create these stunning dishes in my kitchen. That is when I bought my fourth knife – a chef’s knife or at least something that looked like one.

I believed having this knife was the key to making all those mouthwatering, I-can-die-for-this’ looking dishes. But soon I was proved wrong. My dishes didn’t turn out anything like that, not even miles close to it. That closed the chapter in my life called Chef’s cooking and the knife went into the holder.

Now I take it out only when I want to cut a whole watermelon or a pumpkin. That’s the only use it has.

Tradition Time

One evening when I was at my parents’ house, I was visiting them after their return from their yearly Kerala trip, I asked my mom what she had got for me from Kerala. Her reply was – nandan kathi aka a traditional Kerala knife. Yes, you heard it right.

The knife that is used in Kerala is not like the regular knife available everywhere else. Unlike the other steel-based knives I have in my kitchen, this one is made with iron, and it is so sharp that you can easily murder someone with it. (Not that I am suggesting–Strong Disclaimer).  Legend also has it that if you use this knife well, it will stay good for 20 years. I will let you know about mine, meet me after 20 years.  

My mom showed me two knives, one with a broad top and another a slightly thin one. The broad one looked overwhelming to me, so I quickly took the small one. Along with it she also gave me a finger glove and a warning not to use the knife without wearing the glove.

In Kerala, they don’t use a chopping board, they use their index finger as the support for chopping so they wear a finger glove to protect themselves from the sharp villainous looking knife. (Please don’t ask me why).

We also have other kinds of knives in Kerala as per their well defined use but that is a story for another day. Thus, came into my life my fifth knife – the traditional Kerala knife.

I use it on most days now to slice and chop all kinds of vegetables as I cook regularly now. It has inspired me to explore the dishes that belong to my roots. It has helped me become a faster and more adventurous cook. But I still go back to my old red knife once in a while, just for nostalgia’s sake.

It’s a Wrap

This is the story of my knives. They all stand comfortably together now in my knife holder. They remind me of my journey, where I started and where I have reached in the past decade. Feels good and proud too.

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