Originally from New Delhi, Bharadhwaj moved to Shanghai in 2010 with her husband and her two sons (ages 12 and 10). Familiar with the expat lifestyle, she and her family have been living abroad for nearly 17 years now, with her husband’s job taking them to Egypt, Mexico and, now, China.
Despite having lived abroad for so long, Bharadhwaj is dedicated to her Indian roots and traditions. She grew up cooking with her family and discovered her passion and talent for it when she was only 7 years old. As she travels the world with her family, she teaches Indian cooking classes wherever she goes.
“I am extremely happy with the response that I’ve received… One just needs passion, honesty, devotion and sincerity in anything that they do. Once you have all these, the sky is the limit”
It wasn’t until she got to Shanghai that she started her catering business Shiva’s Kitchen. She was inspired positive feedback on her cooking from friends and their kids. “These compliments touched my heart and I decided to explore my kitchen in a totally new way where I could cook for my friends and their families,” she says.
One small twist to Bharadhwaj’s food is that everything she makes is entirely vegetarian, and she incorporates authentic Indian spices in her creations. Some of her favorites are cauliflower and potato wraps, hummus and veggie biryani, and all the add-ons such as yogurt, cottage cheese and sour cream, are homemade to perfection as well.
Each week, she sends out a new menu on her WeChat group. After receiving orders, Bharadhwaj prepares the food, and then sends the orders out to pick-up spots in the city, where her customers can collect their delicious goods for the week.
Although she isn’t entirely sure what the future holds for her business, she is certainly enjoying it for what it is now. “I am extremely happy with the response that I’ve received…One just needs passion, honesty, devotion and sincerity in anything that they do and once you have all these, the sky is the limit.”
WeChat ID: mylordshiva
