My story

Both my parents are absolutely fantastic cooks, my father was born in Kenya and my mother was born in India. They both came to the UK like many Punjabis in the 1960’s. Food is the staple in most Punjabi families.. and it absolutely runs through the core of mine.

Anyone who knows my wonderful papa knows and admires his passion for cooking. He has not only cooked for family and friends his whole life but has also taught and shared so many of his wonderful recipes with love and patience. I always tell him that he should have written a cookbook as it would have literally flown off the shelves. Then there is my beautiful mama, her knowledge of spices and herbs and how each one has a unique benefit for our bodies and health just amazes me- she is our family doctor- she has a good food/herbal remedy for literally everything!

Their heritage and pure love for cooking has naturally been passed onto me and will be passed onto my children and I’m sure future generations as well. I’m still cooking the same recipes that have been passed down from my great grandparents and that’s just absolute magic. I wish to share what my parents have taught me and passed down from many generations not only to my own two boys, but to those who want to also learn true, pure and authentic Punjabi North Indian cooking.

I spent lockdown writing recipes, reading my fathers hand written recipe notes, cooking traditional and new dishes as well as cooking for local homeless shelters.

I have grown up in the Sikh faith and one of the ten Sikh commandments is community service. One of the easiest ways to do community service is to feed people, cooking for homeless shelters has really stuck with me and has made me fall in love with food even more.

So here we go, my new venture...

...the first step is for me to pass on the 2 golden rules that my parents installed in me- and these are the key principles of Punjabi Kitchen The Cookery School...

Firstly, always cook with love and patience, cooking is definitely not a chore. I was raised to never think or let cooking become a chore. I truly believe and teach that if food is cooked with patience and love, the people who eat what you cook will enjoy all the benefits, emotionally and physically.

Secondly, the masala is the true foundation of most Punjabi dishes. When cooked authentically with all the fundamental principles you can use it as the base for a vast number of Punjabi dishes (there are so many I couldn’t put a number to it). Nearly all of the daily Punjabi cookery are based on a few fundamental principles, from which you can build an empire of dishes.

So here I am, launching my cookery school, with love and desire to share generations of notes, tips and recipes that my wonderful parents and grandparents have shared with me. I am embarking on this journey to teach those who wish to learn, enjoy and eat Punjabi Kitchen authentic food.