My Story…

Growing up in the suburbs of west London I was surrounded by the exotic and intoxicating smells of my parents cooking. 

I remember the fragrant spices, the delicious scent of masala slowly simmering and the aroma of delectable home cooked Punjabi food delicately wafting into every room 

of our home. If I needed to enter our kitchen for any reason, I would usually leave with my eyes watering from the abundance of juicy, raw onions being chopped and cooked as several dishes were usually cooking simultaneously. My dad’s chicken curry, warm vegetable subjis, fresh naan and rotis - there was an abundance of yummy, explosive tastes. When I was a little older my mum encouraged me to help her. I would add spoonfuls of mysterious, aromatic spices into the various dishes that were cooking. I would stir, add potatoes, peas, more spices, stir and stir again. It felt like a fine art that I would never be able to replicate or perfect. Ingredients for Indian cooking weren’t as readily available as they are now, my mum diligently made her own paneer - a complicated and lengthy task! As a child, I was fascinated by Indian grocery shops, the aromas of incense and warm spices, fresh succulent vegetables that I hadn’t seen before, like okra. Sometimes my mum would return home with huge bags full of spinach for tasty home made saag. She would carefully wash the copious amounts of spinach lay them out on a massive cotton sheet to dry and then would sit on the floor and use a large guillotine to chop the spinach and other greens giving it a unique burst of flavour. It was absolutely fascinating to watch.That’s what I remember - the preparation, the diligence, unique flavours and exotic aromas. The traditions of cooking that were passed from previous generations to my mum and then to me. Living in Greece for 15 years has become another massive influence on my cooking and I still use olive oil as a base for all of my dishes today. The delicious tangy aroma of onion and garlic pan frying, juicy ripe tomatoes bursting with amazing sweetness. Plump, succulent aubergines ready to be roasted. Fresh golden olive oil locally harvested. My passion for cooking was reignited. Those years in Greece, the influence of my mums fantastic dishes, cooking for family and friends over the years and the encouragement from my husband Mathew, has brought me to this new exciting adventure -  Simi’s Secret Kitchen.I hope you relish the experience of my home cooked Punjabi food.