I come from a very big family and am used to cooking for a large number of people always. I don’t know how to make small quantities. That I think is where my journey started.

When I got married at 18, I did not know any cooking, then once my mother-in-law asked me to make appalam and I burnt myself quite badly with the oil.

After that I decided that this is a skill I want to learn. I have learnt recipes from my mother, grandmother and my mother-in-law.

Most of the recipes are very old, handed down from my great grandmother to her
daughter to my mother and then to me.

Some of them I have invented on my own over the last 50 years like Milagai curry (for my father-in-law) and Sev Murukku, which I made one day out of the ingredients available in the kitchen when my grandchildren were all here and there was no snack to eat.

My testers are my family and then samples sent to regular customers. Both of which are ever-growing, by God’s grace.

I believe that eating food made at home is the safest and best for health but as I see my children’s and grandchildren’s generation growing, I realized that they are doing so much and achieving in so many fields and carry so many responsibilities that life has become complex, so they may need help to have access to good quality food that is safe and healthy for them to eat every day. Time is very tight for them with all the running around they do. So, that is my aim, to bring food that I make for my grandchildren to all homes were the parents and elders have too much work and responsibility, to help them a bit and give that home comfort.

I think that women are very good at handling multiple things, but they don’t get much opportunity as they need a little flexibility to handle family demands and work at the same time. If you give them that chance then they can achieve amazing things.

During the COVID period, lots of families were suffering as husbands lost their jobs and at that time, we were able to give safe work opportunities for women who were able to support their families through tough times.

The most important ingredient in my food is love and care. I always make sure my team is well-fed and happy because positivity makes a difference to food. Many of my employees say that coming here is like meeting their friends and having a break from their troubles in life.

We have had an amazing response from people who buy our products. They say it reminds them of going to their grandmother’s house and being pampered by her.

Some people have sent me voice messages almost in tears after tasting something that that reminded them of their childhood. It makes me so happy and gives me motivation to keep doing this.

We think of our customers as family and their positive feedback and constructive criticism are equally importantly. This helps us grow
better and better.

My grand daughter is good at English. She says, "Paati, the woods are lovely, dark and deep, but you have promises to keep, and miles to go before you sleep!"

So, I'll just keep going.