“One of the greatest gifts you can give people is to cook for them.”
— Ina Garten.
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Food has always been my way of connecting with people, with culture, and with myself.
Some of my earliest memories are of cooking late into the night with my cousins during school holidays in India. Ready-made snacks weren’t easily available then, so we learnt to make the most of whatever we could find in the pantry. Long before recipes became part of my vocabulary, those nights taught me how flavours actually work together.
That instinct came from somewhere. My greatest influence has always been my mother. She introduced me to the magic of spices, encouraged experimentation, and taught me that cooking is guided as much by intuition as by technique. Many of the Indian recipes you’ll find here are rooted in her kitchen, shaped over the years by my own experiences, tastes, and the realities of modern, busy life.
It helped that I grew up in a large vegetarian family, where food was never an afterthought. Meals needed to be fresh, varied, and genuinely satisfying, something to look forward to rather than simply nourishment. That belief still underpins everything I create, and it’s part of why presentation matters to me just as much as flavour. A dish’s first impression, the moment it arrives at the table, sets the tone for everything that follows.
Indian cuisine will always be my comfort food, but I draw inspiration from many cultures, particularly Lebanese, Southeast Asian, and Italian cooking. Exploring global flavours keeps my own cooking curious, evolving, and grounded.
None of it happens alone, either. My family remains my greatest support system, and my most honest critics. They’ve willingly tasted every experiment, offering feedback that isn’t always gentle, but is always sincere. I’m fortunate to be surrounded by people who value good food and open minds.
After living in London for over two decades, cooking is no longer a necessity. It’s therapy. On stressful days, I return to the kitchen to reset. The result is always the same: calm for me, and a table filled with new dishes for the three wonderful men in my life to enjoy.
This is what Poetry of Spices grew out of. It’s where I share the recipes I cook at home, the flavours that inspire me, and the ideas that have shaped the way I cook over the years, with the hope of encouraging more people to discover just how exciting and satisfying vegetarian cooking can be. Over time, that’s grown to include bespoke catering for events across the UK and small batches of perishable food, always made with the same care and principles you’ll find throughout this site.
I believe some of life’s best moments happen around the table. There is nothing quite like sharing a well-made meal with the people you love, even if it’s only for a short moment of calm in a busy day. My aim has always been simple: to show that anyone, regardless of time, skill, or equipment, can put together something worth sitting down for.
None of this would exist without my greatest teachers: my mother, who introduced me to the culinary world, and my mother-in-law, whose encouragement never wavered. Without their guidance, support, and occasional scolding, this journey would not exist.
Thank you for being here. I hope these recipes bring as much joy to your table as they have brought to mine.
