About Monica

Hi, my name is Monica.  I am a mother of two beautiful girls, a wife and an absolute foodie.  My parents are originally from Amritsar in North India.  Having been born and bought up in Britain, my childhood memories comprise of lots of events surrounded by delicious food, helping my mum prepare mouth watering dishes for guests at home and learning all about the different spices and aromas that added flavour to food.

I love cooking and experimenting with spices to create new flavours.  I also love to entertain and truly believe that food is the most important component at any occasion or event.

Growing up I studied and trained to become a Solicitor.  I worked as a commercial property solicitor both in-house and in private practice for many years.  It was only after I got married and when I took a career break to start my family that I discovered my true passion to cook.  At the same time I set up an events business with one of the most talented suppliers in the UK industry where I began to work very closely with some of the best indian caterers in and around London.

With a young family I was keen to ensure that my girls ate healthy nutritious food.  I also wanted to make sure that they became familiar with Indian food, as this is a big part of our culture.  Cooking fresh authentic Indian food means a lot to me and watching my children enjoy their food gives me the greatest pleasure.

For generations, cooking has been a big part of my family for as long as I can remember.  My mother learnt off my grandmother before leaving India and in turn I learnt off my mother by watching, participating and cooking under her supervision ever since I was a young girl.  Now that I am a mother myself it brings me great joy when I hear my daughters ask me how I made a particular curry and whether I could teach them how to make it.

Food for me is always an event and I believe it is not just knowing which ingredients to use in a dish but actually knowing how to cook it, what to look out for, knowing when to add which ingredients and how to add that little bit of magic and spice to really enhance the flavours of any dish.  It’s about tender, love and care and cooking with love and passion.  The old saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’, was truly the case when I met my husband many years ago now.  Cooking and eating Indian food is a really social affair, whether it be with friends or family because we all sit around together and share our dishes.  It therefore brings people together and is a great way to socialise and catch up with each other.

I believe anyone can cook an amazing curry if they know how to.  There is a tremendous difference between home cooked indian food and that which is eaten at a restaurant.  So whether it is a one to one session or a small group session I will teach you how to cook an authentic curry.  You will have an amazing time learning about the different spices that are used to cook a curry and how to make scrumptious Indian dishes, a skill which hopefully you will enjoy time and time again with friends and family.