How Slow Cooking Helped Me Find Peace During One of My Toughest Phases

 By Chef Peesh Chopra

There was a time in my life when everything felt loud — not outside, but inside.
Work pressure, nonstop deadlines, long days in the kitchen, the feeling of always rushing… it was a season when even simple tasks felt heavy.

One evening, without planning anything big, I put a pot on the stove and decided to make a slow, simple dal — something my mother used to cook. No timers. No rushing. Just heat, water, turmeric, and breath.

As the dal simmered gently, I noticed something: my mind slowed down too.

I could hear the tiny bubbles forming. I could smell the earthiness of lentils releasing their warmth. I felt my shoulders drop. The restlessness inside me softened — one small moment at a time.

That evening changed something in me.

I realized that slow cooking wasn’t just about flavor; it was about returning to myself.
It became my ritual.

Whenever life felt chaotic, I would come back to the stove, chop gently, simmer slowly, taste mindfully. I wasn’t just making food — I was healing.

Some dishes saved me more than I cooked them.

Slow cooking taught me that peace is not always found in silence…
Sometimes it’s found in the gentle bubbling of a pot that isn’t in a hurry.

And today, every time I teach or share recipes, I try to pass on that message — cooking can be therapy, if you let it.