About Me

Maunika Gowardhan is an Indian chef and author. Born and raised in Mumbai, India she is now based in the UK. Through her work in food she creates and shares traditional Indian dishes with exciting flavours and ingredients that are reflective of her upbringing and heritage. Her approach to cooking is simple and enticing with the use of earthy spices, fresh herbs & blends that are synonymous with India, based around dishes that are accessible and recipes are cooked from communities across India; many of which have been part of her own family for generations.

Maunika’s career in Indian food, spanning over a decade has stemmed from her love for authentic flavours, techniques of cooking and being able to share a fresh perspective on the cuisine. She strives to bridge cultural understanding between the East and the West working tirelessly via her cookery events, books, features, TV appearances and social media presence.

Maunika’s new cookbook ‘Thali’ explores the regional diversity of Thalis across communities of India with family recipes, history of spices and how they are eaten. She is celebrating the variety of Indian cuisine by sharing these recipes you can recreate in your own home. “THALI” her new cookbook out in 2021 has been featured in the Telegraph, Olive Magazine and the Mail on Sunday’s You magazine. Thali has also been chosen as the Book of the month in March 2022 for the Waterstones Jamie Oliver Cookbook Club. Maunika is also the author of ‘Indian Kitchen’.

Authentic but achievable
Indian recipes

SUNDAY TIMES

She regularly contributes to a number of publications including the Telegraph, BBC Olive Magazine and is the contributing editor for Vogue India where she shares all the latest on the global Indian food scene.

Maunika has cooked curries with TV chef Jamie Oliver and Heston Blumenthal. She also teaches Indian cookery at Jamie’s Cook School in London and River Cottage in Dorset. Maunika has been on BBC Morning Live and Saturday Kitchen.

She firmly believe that to really develop skills and knowledge in a particular style of cooking you need to immerse yourself in it. With family roots in India, she spends a lot of her time extensively travelling across the Indian sub continent  exploring spices, recipes and cooking in her family homes. She also regularly meets with restaurateurs, food traders and friends in cities across India who share her passion for authentic Indian cooking.

Lifestyle

IKKIS X Maunika Gowardhan

This month I am excited to be working alongside Ikkis a female owned Indian design brand that is celebrating age old craftsmanship, aesthetics and bringing to life truly unique styles that are traditional yet contemporary. Each of their styles evoke memories […]

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