Padma Lakshmi’s teen daughter gave her mom a night off from her cooking duties.
In a video uploaded to Lakshmi’s Instagram page on Thursday, the celebrity chef, 53, notes that it’s been a “really busy week here in New York,” so her daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell will be taking over the kitchen to cook dinner.
The 13-year-old — nicknamed “Little Hands” by her famous mom, the former host of “Top Chef” — then shares that she’ll be making butter sriracha couscous.
— Photo: Instagram/ @PadmaLakshmi
“I made it up when I was, like, 11. And then my mom really liked it, so she wants me to cook it today,” Krishna explains.
She proceeds to add one cup of couscous to the pot while preparing it per the package instructions, then sautés the vegetables because “that is a good thing to do,” she quips.
When the camera person asks Krishna if she “likes cooking,” she coincidentally drops the pat of butter in a comedic moment.
— Photo: Instagram/ @PadmaLakshmi
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“I like cooking,” she replies after properly placing the butter in the pan. “I don’t know if it’s a generational thing but most of my food that I cook independently is done in the microwave and in a mug.
“So when [my mom] cooks, she’s like, ‘Oh yeah, let’s bake it, let’s put it in the oven, let’s do a washed egg white glaze.’ And I’m like, ‘Can I just make instant ramen, please?’” she continued.
After nearly forgetting to add chopped onions to the pan, Krishna — who’s appeared on Lakshmi’s various cooking series — then adds butter, milk and sriracha to the couscous, revealing that she likes a little heat to the dish.
— Photo: Instagram/ @PadmaLakshmi
“I like spice but it can’t be too much,” she explained, recalling two instances of trying really spice food. “I remember me and my friends had a Carolina Reaper and we did the Death Nut.”
Finally, Krishna stirred in the sautéed veggies, then took a bite from her “beautiful” dish.
— Photo: Instagram/ @PadmaLakshmi
“As chaotic as that was, it is really good,” she revealed.
Check out the cooking video below.