
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
-
Cultural cuisines you may never have tried (and should!)
-
Sally – Blackbird PR
-
Australia Post – 10 year participant and major supporter
-
Fast Ed’s A Taste of Harmony Photo Series
-
A Taste of Harmony brings ‘Besties’ together – Best and Less
-
Melissa Leong – Learning more about my cultural heritage
-
Junnan – Yoghurt Digital
-
How does your heritage affect what you eat?
-
A Taste of Harmony at Harding Martin
-
Kristin – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
What’s your favourite food?
-
How a garden in a Brighton backyard is connecting cultures
-
Pride in Diversity for Major Hotel Group – Accor Hotels
-
Ayca – Yoghurt Digital
-
What makes Australian food culture so diverse?
-
William Ross
-
City of Whittlesea
-
Tessa – Reach Out
-
Flourish Australia leads by example, and wins a visit by Celebrity Chef, Fast Ed!
-
Emma – Blackbird PR
-
ASF Audit’s first A Taste of Harmony celebration
-
Chung Jae Lee: My Korean heritage
-
A workplace champion for harmony – Department of Human Services
-
Centre for Multicultural Youth
-
A Taste of Harmony Registration Competition 2026
-
Who makes the best desserts?
-
Multiculturalism a key ingredient of Melbourne’s ‘happy cafe’
-
What does food mean to you?
-
Carly Day: Learning more about my cultural background
-
Angel – Reach Out
-
Gilad – Yoghurt Digital
-
Sukaina – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Tammy – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Why your workplace should celebrate A Taste of Harmony
-
Matthew – Yoghurt Digital
-
Mitchell – Reach Out
-
Caring about cultural diversity – AutoCare Services
-
Why cultural diversity is an important workplace conversation
-
How entrepreneurship enables economic independence for migrant women
-
Australian Taxation Office
-
Cristina – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
How many cuisines have you eaten in your life?
-
What’s in your pantry?
-
4 reasons to introduce A Taste of Harmony to your workplace
-
Joe – Yoghurt Digital
-
Krisztina – Reach Out
-
Metro South Health
-
Samantha – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Dominique Rizzo: What I learnt about my cultural heritage
-
What did you eat today?
-
What is Australian cuisine?
-
Petra – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Maxine – Reach Out
-
Phoebe – Playfair Visa and Migration Services
-
Dave – Reach Out
-
Department of Local Government, Racing and Multicultural Affairs, QLD
-
Mckenzie – Yoghurt Digital
-
Newmont
-
Arq Group



