Becoming a Bhabi on Meal — Verification, Photos, and Getting Your First Order
April 11, 2026
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bhabi-guide
getting-started
verification
kitchen
first-order
You cook well. Your family tells you. Your neighbors request your special items during Eid. You have thought about selling food but never knew where to start. This guide walks you through exactly how to become a bhabi on Meal — from downloading the app to getting your first five-star review.
**Step 1: Download and register**
Download the Meal app and select "I want to cook." You will need your NID (National ID card) number, a phone number, and a recent photo of yourself. The NID verification takes 24-48 hours. We cross-check with the Election Commission database. This is not optional — every cook on Meal is identity-verified, which is how customers trust the platform.
During registration, you will also fill out a brief profile: your name (or the name you want customers to see), your area, and 2-3 sentences about your cooking. Keep it personal. "আমি সিলেটের মেয়ে, ১৫ বছর ধরে রান্না করি, সরষে দিয়ে মাছ আমার স্পেশাল" works much better than generic marketing language.
**Step 2: Kitchen photos**
This is the step most new bhabis worry about. You do not need a commercial kitchen. You need a clean, well-organized home kitchen. Here is what we look for in photos:
Your cooking area: stove, counter space, and the immediate area around it. It should be clean and uncluttered. We are not looking for granite countertops — a simple, clean surface works fine.
Your storage: where you keep spices, oils, rice, and dal. Show that dry goods are in covered containers and perishables are refrigerated. If you have a dedicated shelf or cabinet for cooking supplies, photograph it.
Your utensils: pots, pans, serving containers. They should be clean and in good condition. Dented old pots are fine — dirty pots are not.
Water source: your kitchen tap or filter. If you use a water purifier, include it in the photo.
Take these photos in natural daylight if possible. Do not stage or over-clean — we want to see your real working kitchen, not a showroom.
**Step 3: Menu setup**
Start small. New bhabis who try to offer 15 items on day one usually struggle with quality and timing. We recommend starting with 3-5 items you are genuinely confident about.
For each menu item, you will set: the item name (in both Bangla and English), a brief description, price, and available quantity per day. Be honest about quantity — if you can comfortably make 10 plates of biryani, do not list 30.
Price your food fairly. Check what nearby bhabis charge for similar items. Typical ranges on Meal: rice with one curry 80-100 taka, rice with two curries and dal 100-140 taka, biryani 120-160 taka, special items (kacchi, tehari) 140-200 taka. You can adjust prices anytime.
**Step 4: Your first week**
The first few orders feel nerve-wracking. Some practical advice from experienced bhabis:
Cook your order items at the same time you cook for your family. This is the most efficient approach and ensures the food is genuinely home-cooked, not a separate commercial batch.
Package carefully. Use clean, food-safe containers. Label each order. Double-check the contents against the order slip. A missing item in the first week can mean a bad review that takes weeks to recover from.
Photograph every order before handoff. This protects you if a customer claims something was missing or different from what was ordered.
Respond to customer messages quickly. Most questions are simple — "Is the fish boneless?" or "Can you make it less spicy?" Quick, friendly responses build trust.
**Step 5: Building your reputation**
Your first 10 reviews determine your trajectory on Meal. New bhabis with five consecutive five-star reviews get featured in the "New on Meal" section, which significantly increases visibility.
Ask satisfied customers to leave a review — most people forget unless reminded. A gentle message after delivery ("আশা করি খাবার ভালো লেগেছে, একটু রিভিউ দিলে খুব উপকার হতো") works well without being pushy.
Do not chase volume early. It is better to serve 8 perfect plates than 15 mediocre ones. Quality builds reputation. Reputation builds demand. Demand lets you gradually increase quantity and prices.
**Common early mistakes**
Accepting too many orders before understanding your capacity. You end up rushing, quality drops, reviews suffer.
Underpricing to attract customers. This is unsustainable and attracts price-sensitive customers who are harder to retain.
Not accounting for packaging costs in your pricing. Containers, bags, and labels cost money — factor them in.
Inconsistent availability. If you list items but frequently mark them as unavailable, customers stop checking your profile.
**The long game**
The most successful bhabis on Meal started exactly where you are now — cooking for their family and wondering if anyone else would pay for it. Within 3-6 months, many earn 15,000-25,000 taka monthly from consistent daily orders. Some have turned it into their primary income.
The platform does the marketing, the payment processing, and the customer acquisition. You just need to cook what you cook best.
**Step 1: Download and register**
Download the Meal app and select "I want to cook." You will need your NID (National ID card) number, a phone number, and a recent photo of yourself. The NID verification takes 24-48 hours. We cross-check with the Election Commission database. This is not optional — every cook on Meal is identity-verified, which is how customers trust the platform.
During registration, you will also fill out a brief profile: your name (or the name you want customers to see), your area, and 2-3 sentences about your cooking. Keep it personal. "আমি সিলেটের মেয়ে, ১৫ বছর ধরে রান্না করি, সরষে দিয়ে মাছ আমার স্পেশাল" works much better than generic marketing language.
**Step 2: Kitchen photos**
This is the step most new bhabis worry about. You do not need a commercial kitchen. You need a clean, well-organized home kitchen. Here is what we look for in photos:
Your cooking area: stove, counter space, and the immediate area around it. It should be clean and uncluttered. We are not looking for granite countertops — a simple, clean surface works fine.
Your storage: where you keep spices, oils, rice, and dal. Show that dry goods are in covered containers and perishables are refrigerated. If you have a dedicated shelf or cabinet for cooking supplies, photograph it.
Your utensils: pots, pans, serving containers. They should be clean and in good condition. Dented old pots are fine — dirty pots are not.
Water source: your kitchen tap or filter. If you use a water purifier, include it in the photo.
Take these photos in natural daylight if possible. Do not stage or over-clean — we want to see your real working kitchen, not a showroom.
**Step 3: Menu setup**
Start small. New bhabis who try to offer 15 items on day one usually struggle with quality and timing. We recommend starting with 3-5 items you are genuinely confident about.
For each menu item, you will set: the item name (in both Bangla and English), a brief description, price, and available quantity per day. Be honest about quantity — if you can comfortably make 10 plates of biryani, do not list 30.
Price your food fairly. Check what nearby bhabis charge for similar items. Typical ranges on Meal: rice with one curry 80-100 taka, rice with two curries and dal 100-140 taka, biryani 120-160 taka, special items (kacchi, tehari) 140-200 taka. You can adjust prices anytime.
**Step 4: Your first week**
The first few orders feel nerve-wracking. Some practical advice from experienced bhabis:
Cook your order items at the same time you cook for your family. This is the most efficient approach and ensures the food is genuinely home-cooked, not a separate commercial batch.
Package carefully. Use clean, food-safe containers. Label each order. Double-check the contents against the order slip. A missing item in the first week can mean a bad review that takes weeks to recover from.
Photograph every order before handoff. This protects you if a customer claims something was missing or different from what was ordered.
Respond to customer messages quickly. Most questions are simple — "Is the fish boneless?" or "Can you make it less spicy?" Quick, friendly responses build trust.
**Step 5: Building your reputation**
Your first 10 reviews determine your trajectory on Meal. New bhabis with five consecutive five-star reviews get featured in the "New on Meal" section, which significantly increases visibility.
Ask satisfied customers to leave a review — most people forget unless reminded. A gentle message after delivery ("আশা করি খাবার ভালো লেগেছে, একটু রিভিউ দিলে খুব উপকার হতো") works well without being pushy.
Do not chase volume early. It is better to serve 8 perfect plates than 15 mediocre ones. Quality builds reputation. Reputation builds demand. Demand lets you gradually increase quantity and prices.
**Common early mistakes**
Accepting too many orders before understanding your capacity. You end up rushing, quality drops, reviews suffer.
Underpricing to attract customers. This is unsustainable and attracts price-sensitive customers who are harder to retain.
Not accounting for packaging costs in your pricing. Containers, bags, and labels cost money — factor them in.
Inconsistent availability. If you list items but frequently mark them as unavailable, customers stop checking your profile.
**The long game**
The most successful bhabis on Meal started exactly where you are now — cooking for their family and wondering if anyone else would pay for it. Within 3-6 months, many earn 15,000-25,000 taka monthly from consistent daily orders. Some have turned it into their primary income.
The platform does the marketing, the payment processing, and the customer acquisition. You just need to cook what you cook best.
