In the vibrant city of Mombasa, where the tantalising aromas of spices mingle with the salty breeze of the Indian Ocean, Maliha Mohammed discovered her passion for cooking at the tender age of 10 under the nurturing guidance of her beloved grandmother.
Growing up in a home where the kitchen was the heart and soul of family gatherings, Ms Mohammed was captivated by the art of cooking.
With each dish her grandmother prepared, she absorbed not only the flavours and techniques, but also the rich heritage and traditions woven into each recipe.
Her grandmother’s teachings became the foundation upon which Ms Mohammed built her culinary empire, and she soon began to create exquisite dishes that delighted the taste buds of her family and friends.
She remembers pilau as the first food she learned to cook.
With unwavering determination, Ms Mohammed is preparing to push the boundaries of time, skill and endurance in what she envisions as an epic culinary marathon.
The renowned Kenyan chef is preparing to break the 100-hour cooking record set by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci in May.
Baci was confirmed by Guinness World Records (GWR) three days ago as the new world record holder for the longest cooking marathon.
It all started in 2018, when Ms Mohammed was just a cook who also worked as a caterer.
“I learn part of my cooking from YouTube, I take it as my school, and on that particular day, during my lunch break at work, I saw a certain chef from California in the United States cooking for 65 hours. It inspired me. I had never seen such a challenge in Kenya and so I went for it,” said Ms Mohammed.
“We have marathon runners who break records, but there are not many Kenyans in the Guinness World Records and I wanted to change that because we can do it too,” she added.
The mother-of-two said she immediately created a website, updated her social media accounts and signed up for a 75-hour cooking marathon challenge in 2019, where she cooked 400 recipes.
Ms Mohammed, who attended Alibhai Panju Jaffery Primary School from 1990 to 1994 before moving to Nairobi to complete her primary education, says she never pursued a career as a cook.
Chef Maliha Mohamed smiles after breaking the Guinness World Record for cooking for 75 hours at Kenya Bay Resort in this picture taken on 18 August 2019.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
She then went to Jaffery Academy for secondary school.
Ms Mohammed will today (Friday) undertake her second attempt before her main challenge in August and November this year.
She is expected to cook non-stop for 55 hours and make 100 recipes.
“When people ask me why I am doing this, I say for me and my two daughters and everyone who has had a setback in life, this is our comeback year. For all the tears, humiliations, struggles, sleepless nights, prayers and small victories, I am destined for greatness and I will fight for my dreams because they have no expiration date,” she said in an interview with Nation.
The famous chef will be cooking some of the Swahili cuisine such as biriyani wa kuku, biriyani wa nyama, bhajia and chicken masala among others.
“This time I will also be trying international cuisines such as the Nigerian staple jollof rice. The food will then be donated to various local orphanages, rehabilitation centres and street families under Empowering Africa Woman, an organisation that is spearheading the donations,” said Ms Mohammed.
In May, Ms Mohammed cooked for 45 hours in what she described as her first training session, working on 54 recipes.
She currently has no sponsors as she trains her team, which includes two chefs.
“I am building a team from scratch. I have to see their strengths and weaknesses. Today, I will cook for 55 hours, producing 100 recipes, and next month, on the 14th of April, I will cook for 65 hours, producing 200 recipes. This training is a must because we cannot afford any hiccups when it comes to providing photographic and video evidence,” said Ms Mohammed.
The famous chef came into the limelight in 2018 after cooking for 72 hours in her home kitchen.
“I was short of funds at the time and my close friends and family supported me,” she said.
In August 2019, she cooked for 75 hours at the Kenya Bay Beach Hotel with Pwani Oil as her sponsor.
However, in September that year, Indian chef Lata Tondon broke Ms Mohamed’s record after completing a cooking marathon of 87 hours and 45 minutes. That record was then broken by Ms Baci, who cooked for 100 hours.
Ms Mohamed told of how she lost an uncle and an aunt during the pandemic year of 2020.
“I was devastated, emotional and sad. I had lost my job of five years. I was depressed and did not know what to do or how to cope. People laughed, mocked and insulted me, saying I had done it all for nothing,” she said.
She gained 150kg and was diagnosed with high blood pressure.
“I still take the medicine every morning. That is why I am determined to prove the critics wrong,” said Ms Mohammed.
In August, Ms Mohammed will take part in the Longest Home Kitchen Cooking Marathon, aiming to break the US record, and on November 15, she will compete as an individual for the title of Longest Cooking Marathon, currently held by Ms Baci.
But it is not easy, she says, there are obstacles to overcome.
“It has not been easy, especially getting sponsors. It is a lot of work, there is the money aspect, ingredients and other things,” said Ms Mohammed.
She was named Woman of the Year in 2021 as part of the Kenya Women Tourism Awards and was honoured to be among the 100 most influential Kenyan Muslims, an award given by the Muslim Media Company.
“I urge my fellow women and Kenyans in general to never give up. Follow your dreams. If you are going to do something, do it 100 per cent. Start now and do not regret later for not taking the opportunity you had,” said Ms Mohammed.
