As a single girl immersed in academia, cooking was virtually nonexistent. It wasn’t until marriage that I reluctantly ventured into the kitchen and despite my cooking skills being honed out of necessity, cooking blossomed into a passion. Today, I stand before you, a die-hard cook and foodie.
Whenever I questioned an elder about a recipe, I was invariably met with the same response: ‘it’s all andaza.’ How was I ever going to master these age-old Indian dishes? Andaza translates to instinctive cooking. There’s no penned recipe, no meticulously measured list of ingredients, it’s handed down by word of mouth, entrenched in feeling and experience. It was at this juncture that my own culinary journey began.
I pored over cookbooks attempting to learn traditional methods, but the maverick in me couldn’t resist reinterpreting these recipes to suit the tastes and trends of a contemporary generation.
Over the last thirty-nine years, I have been a wife, a Mum to my three boys and now a Grandma. I cook anything and everything, but my primary love will always be Indian cuisine, the food I grew up with. I adore cooking for my family and I’m fortunate to have such an appreciative and receptive audience.
There is something very profound about cooking for those you love, something very significant, something very wholesome. Nurturing your family through food strengthens bonds, especially when everyone gathers to savour the fruits of this labour. We all recall special moments in our lives related to food, usually rooted at our family’s kitchen table. As adults, we yearn for our parents to recreate the nostalgic foods we crave and as parents, cooking allows us to connect to a deeper part within ourselves. For me, my cooking is an offering of love to my family and friends, pure and simple.
Dining out has always been a true passion of mine. As a child, my parents established a cherished tradition of weekly restaurant visits, where we would dress up in our glad rags and I eagerly embraced the role of an amateur restaurant critic. Whilst those childhood rituals are a treasured memory, my love for the restaurant experience has never diminished. I still fondly recall the anticipation and delight as beautifully presented dishes arrived at our table. Even today, I dedicate considerable time to researching restaurants, particularly when travelling. Upon returning home I’m eager to experiment in my kitchen, drawing inspiration from the cuisines I’ve experienced abroad.
This lifelong love for food and family has led to the creation of Cardamum. My own food blog where I document all my favourite recipes for posterity. My aim has always been to share what I’ve learned over the years and family and friends are thrilled when I direct them to my blog or Instagram for a particular recipe. In my culture, traditionally the cook of the house would always remain tight-lipped about sharing family recipes. I believe it’s time to dispel these culinary secrets and share my food blog with everyone.
