My Story
"MAA" - An all encompassing, universal invocation....beyond boundaries, borders and cultures....
more often than not, the first word a baby utters.
My Grandmother - was my Maa!
At the time of my birth, my own biological Mom was but a child herself,
as a consequence I was then raised by Maa!
My Maa looked after everyone around her. She was THE Mother of all Mothers. She loved everyone. And for her, feeding those she loved was a divine act of love, comfort, and healing and belonging.
Until the time of her untimely passing, nary was there an evening at the
Ranjit Vilas Palace, Rajkot, without festivity and togetherness.
Maa's apartment was on the top floor of the Palace - the 3rd floor -
which opened up to a huge Terrace. This Terrace or "Agasi" (as we called it)
was an informal Banquet every evening and especially on Auspicious days...
Maa is and has always been my inspiration.
In her lap was where I mumbled my first words, holding her hands I first learned to walk,
and in her Prayer room I memorized the Gayatri Mantra.
Maa - was the beginning and the end.
Her daily "Banquets" showed me how connections are made and nurtured over a shared meal.
Everything about Maa and her food - was like a warm long lasting hug - a kind only Maa could give.
Through Maa's Indian Kitchen, I invite you and your family to share dishes inspired by my memories of those bygone years with MAA, at the Palace in Rajkot and my travels with her across India - from Kedarnath & Badrinath (Uttarakhand) in the North down to Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) in the South, from the sleepy desert village of Pushkar (Rajasthan) in the west to Jagannath Puri (Odisha) in the east.
These dishes you may find to be both familiar and unfamiliar,
however, always made with love and with the best ingredients.
Together, let's break bread.
more often than not, the first word a baby utters.
My Grandmother - was my Maa!
At the time of my birth, my own biological Mom was but a child herself,
as a consequence I was then raised by Maa!
My Maa looked after everyone around her. She was THE Mother of all Mothers. She loved everyone. And for her, feeding those she loved was a divine act of love, comfort, and healing and belonging.
Until the time of her untimely passing, nary was there an evening at the
Ranjit Vilas Palace, Rajkot, without festivity and togetherness.
Maa's apartment was on the top floor of the Palace - the 3rd floor -
which opened up to a huge Terrace. This Terrace or "Agasi" (as we called it)
was an informal Banquet every evening and especially on Auspicious days...
Maa is and has always been my inspiration.
In her lap was where I mumbled my first words, holding her hands I first learned to walk,
and in her Prayer room I memorized the Gayatri Mantra.
Maa - was the beginning and the end.
Her daily "Banquets" showed me how connections are made and nurtured over a shared meal.
Everything about Maa and her food - was like a warm long lasting hug - a kind only Maa could give.
Through Maa's Indian Kitchen, I invite you and your family to share dishes inspired by my memories of those bygone years with MAA, at the Palace in Rajkot and my travels with her across India - from Kedarnath & Badrinath (Uttarakhand) in the North down to Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) in the South, from the sleepy desert village of Pushkar (Rajasthan) in the west to Jagannath Puri (Odisha) in the east.
These dishes you may find to be both familiar and unfamiliar,
however, always made with love and with the best ingredients.
Together, let's break bread.
Much love
Jay
Jay
