
Neha was two years old when she and her family moved from their Indian homeland to the island of Fiji where her father, who was Fijian Indian, sought to expand their horizons and reconnect with his roots. When Neha was 12, the family migrated to New Zealand. Eight years later, Neha moved to Australia independently to study law at the Australian National University in Canberra.
Neha grew up in a bilingual household, speaking fluent Hindi and English.
The fact her father was an English teacher, she says, came in handy. Neha can still speak Hindi comfortably-which she attributes in part to the influence of Bollywood-but says her reading and writing of the language is a little rusty.
Her friends joke about Neha’s attempts to ‘Indianise’ them, by giving regular updates of Indian news and celebrity gossip. But she doesn’t mind being ‘ribbed’ and says she takes full credit for introducing them to the pleasures of Indian food and culture!
Growing up in New Zealand, her school friends ‘lined up’ to visit her home so they could try her mother’s Indian cooking, which although was simple, everyday food to Neha, was considered exotic by her teenage friends. Two dishes they ate a lot include Rajma and Chawal, a simple recipe of kidney beans and rice and Chole Bhature, which is chick peas served with naan bread.
View more of Fast Ed’s photo series by clicking here.
Click here to learn more about A Taste of Harmony and how your workplace can register to get involved.
Related Posts
-
A workplace champion for harmony – Department of Human Services
-
Cristina – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Phoebe – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
William Ross
-
Melissa Leong – Learning more about my cultural heritage
-
How entrepreneurship enables economic independence for migrant women
-
Chung Jae Lee: My Korean heritage
-
Why cultural diversity is an important workplace conversation
-
Carly Day: Learning more about my cultural background
-
What is Australian cuisine?
-
Tammy – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Cultural cuisines you may never have tried (and should!)
-
What’s your favourite food?
-
Samantha – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Mckenzie – Yoghurt Digital
-
Krisztina – Reach Out
-
Junnan – Yoghurt Digital
-
4 reasons to introduce A Taste of Harmony to your workplace
-
How a garden in a Brighton backyard is connecting cultures
-
Tessa – Reach Out
-
Metro South Health
-
How many cuisines have you eaten in your life?
-
Newmont
-
A Taste of Harmony brings ‘Besties’ together – Best and Less
-
Maxine – Reach Out
-
What’s in your pantry?
-
Fast Ed’s A Taste of Harmony Photo Series
-
Mitchell – Reach Out
-
City of Whittlesea
-
Who makes the best desserts?
-
Arq Group
-
Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs, QLD
-
Sally – Blackbird PR
-
ASF Audit’s first A Taste of Harmony celebration
-
Ayca – Yoghurt Digital
-
What did you eat today?
-
Dominique Rizzo: What I learnt about my cultural heritage
-
Australia Post – 10 year participant and major supporter
-
What makes Australian food culture so diverse?
-
Emma – Blackbird PR
-
Gilad – Yoghurt Digital
-
Petra – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Dave – Reach Out
-
A Taste of Harmony at Harding Martin
-
Angel – Reach Out
-
Pride in Diversity for Major Hotel Group – Accor Hotels
-
Centre for Multicultural Youth
-
What does food mean to you?
-
Australian Taxation Office
-
Kristin – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Sukaina – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Caring about cultural diversity – AutoCare Services
-
Joe – Yoghurt Digital
-
How does your heritage affect what you eat?
-
Matthew – Yoghurt Digital
-
Multiculturalism a key ingredient of Melbourne’s ‘happy cafe’
-
Flourish Australia leads by example, and wins a visit by Celebrity Chef, Fast Ed!
-
Why your workplace should celebrate A Taste of Harmony



