What if you discovered that the delicious and steaming hot meal you enjoyed was not prepared with love by a human, but rather by a machine?

Yatin Varachhia, co-founder of Bengaluru-based startup Euphotic Labs, conceived the NOSH device. The 34-year-old was motivated to create this device due to his personal struggles with finding good food.

"I come from Kantva, a small village in Gujarat, and I moved to Bengaluru in 2008 to pursue my studies. Despite completing my post-graduation in science at the Indian Institute of Science and working for multinational companies, I faced difficulties in accessing quality food and grew tired of restaurants," he shares with The Better India.

Even after Yatin got married, he and his wife struggled to find time to cook meals due to their busy professional lives and commutes. Yatin shared his difficulties with his friends, who could relate to his situation. "I discussed it with nearly 100 people, half of whom lived in the US. The situation was the same in both countries. My friends in the US couldn't find authentic Indian food and didn't have the time to cook it themselves," he explains.

Many of his friends also expressed their frustration with unhealthy eating habits, relying on ready-to-eat packaged food, and even experiencing stomach problems from eating restaurant food.

In 2016-17, Yatin shared his idea with his friends Pranav Raval, Amit Gupta, and Sudeep, and they decided to collaborate on developing a solution that would solve their cooking woes once and for all.

After three years of relentless effort, six prototypes, and numerous iterations, the group successfully created NOSH. This innovative device can cook over 120 food items according to the user's taste preferences and requirements, all in just three easy steps.

Explaining how it works, Yatin describes the machine as being approximately the size of a microwave and requiring ingredients and spices to be filled in designated containers. "There are slots for spices, oil, and water. The main ingredients such as vegetables, paneer, or meat go into the tray. The next step is to select the desired item for cooking and let the machine handle the rest," he explains.

He adds, "Although there is no human involvement in the process, the cooking time remains the same. The machine follows the recipe's exact order, ensuring that the ingredients blend and cook evenly."

Yatin emphasizes that this innovative device was designed and manufactured in India. "Equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) and driven by a mobile app, the device can cook one-pot dishes like matar paneer, fish curry, and more," he adds. Furthermore, users have the ability to track calories, customize dishes to their taste, and even create new recipes.

A Revolutionary Device Capable of Cooking

Amit states, "While the concept of a single machine churning out various food items is fascinating, the building process posed significant difficulties. We didn't have any existing products to serve as references or learn from. We had to go through multiple iterations and conduct numerous experiments." He explains that each food item requires different treatment, and the device had to be trained accordingly.

To illustrate this, Amit provides an example: "The process of roasting rava is continuous and consistent. The machine needs to understand and follow the appropriate method; otherwise, the rava will burn. The same goes for frying onions in a curry. Ingredients and spices should only be added once the onions have turned golden brown."

Amit points out that humans can make multiple hand movements to manipulate ingredients while cooking, but the robot accomplishes the same tasks with four motions, achieving equal efficiency. "The robot initially began with frying potatoes and gradually progressed to preparing more complex dishes," he adds.

Finances were another obstacle. "We were fortunate to receive financial support from the Government of India, a few investors, as well as friends and family, who have all contributed to realizing this dream of technological innovation," Amit explains. He also mentions that the team is currently in the process of raising a seed round of funding.

Future Plans for NOSH Technology

Amit reveals that the innovative NOSH technology has already garnered 190 pre-orders, despite limitations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. He explains that the pandemic hindered wider product demonstrations at events or exhibitions, but it also underscored the evident need for such a device.

The NOSH is priced at Rs 50,000, with pre-order rates currently set at Rs 40,000.

Siddhartha Ghosh, a consultant and one of the initial trial users, discovered the device through mutual friends. He shares, "We are all familiar with microwave ovens and OTGs, but the idea of a machine cooking food became enticing for me and my wife, Niharika. We regularly prepare dishes like poha, upma, biryani, kadhai paneer, chicken khurchan, garlic prawn, and pasta. We were highly impressed with the quality of food." Siddhartha adds that the machine eliminates the possibility of human errors and consistently delivers delicious taste.

Niharika adds that the most surprising aspect was that the food didn't taste like it was prepared by a machine. "I had reservations about a machine cooking meals, but my perspective completely changed. Moreover, the machine doesn't require any supervision, which is the most convenient part."

Yatin emphasizes that their startup is addressing a ubiquitous problem. "We aim to target customers in the USA, and we have identified four million Indians longing for freshly cooked home meals at their convenience. There is a demand from consumers across Asia, the UK, Australia, and other parts of the world. We are preparing for on-field trials in the USA while simultaneously establishing a production line," he adds.

In conclusion, Yatin shares, "Our vision is to make the food experience effortless, enabling everyone to enjoy freshly cooked meals according to their taste preferences, work schedules, and health requirements."