About

Hello And Welcome!
So please you stopped by! I am Diva. A lover of spices and good, wholesome food.

I am the writer, photographer, content creator and designer of home heart and happiness. It is a labor of love driven by a passion for good food and healthy living. I am aided and supported by my most amazing husband Tim and our little (big) fur baby, Babu.

Writing and good food have a lot in common, none of these two can be bland, for instance, if they they are to be appealing. They are good for the soul. They bring out the best in us as a society. Good writing and good food, bring us together. There is much to be celebrated in this!

I grew up in the small (not by Australian standards though) leafy town of Gandhinagar, with my little brother and a gaggle of street pups that we constantly adopted. Our mom is the wiz in the kitchen. She taught me how much of a science cooking is. The medicinal properties and behaviors of food and how to correctly incorporate it in our lives.

I learnt how to do everything from scratch. Including cleaning our own grain and  milling it to get flour and then make bread. How to store food for a year. How to make pickles and preserves and the amazing Gujarati and Indian cuisines. My dad enlightened me on ancient foods and their uses through his extensive reading. Also how to forage and gather. I owe a lot of what I am now to them.

Then in mid 2013, I moved to Perth, Western Australia. I finished my master of Architecture and met my now husband and then our dog.I have to say food did play a major role in our falling in love. Our mutual respect for good cooking, self reliance and respect for each others convictions has helped us grow. Though he is a meat eater, he remains the best advocate for my fully vegetarian soul (I don’t eat eggs – which is fun when we go out). Always being supremely mindful of contaminants and possible hazards when we eat out.

The learning has been ever present and ever fascinating. Tim taught me the laws of Western cookery. He introduced me to the world of proper Italian cooking too. Also the subtleties of  meat and cooking with meat. I may not cook it, but I still love to learn. Now you will find that my food is a mix of both Indian and western influences. I have, I like to think, taken the best and enhanced on it by putting them together. Food is ever evolving and so are we. He is also an awesome hand in the kitchen, and you will come across his recipes from time to time which he kindly and very lovingly develops to suit us both.

You will find delightful recipes that are developed with love and care in our home, which are flavorful and wholesome. Many made with minimal fuss and also clever little tips to nudge up the nutrition within them.

What you will not find on home heart and happiness is gimmicks and foods that only look good but taste boring. Bland/ unpleasant food and I just don’t work together!! Nor will you find repeated photos/recipes of muesli with berries decorated with flowers in a 100 different ways. Even beautifully lean dishes will be flavorful here. My food will be practical. I don’t believe in blindly following food trends and starving our bodies. (we all know you will snack after!) We must respect ourselves and the food we put inside us.

I believe the way to good health & a happy life on this beautiful planet of ours still remains in our kitchens. Here on home heart and happiness, you will find recipes that will help you slowly transition towards a more sustainable way of life. Admittedly, it is primarily a food blog, however over time, I plan to share everything that we need to run a healthy home from cleaning products to body butters. Living sustainably is healthy and frugal! so stay tuned! There is a revolution going on, and it starts in our home kitchens.

Any Questions?

Do you do any one on one classes?

Yes I do! within Western Australia, I am available to book cooking classes and can come to your home to help you out! If you have special dietary requirements – I am your girl. Hit me up and I can help you develop your cooking repertoire which includes amazing variety and makes you self sufficient. Also, kids classes can be arranged.  If you are a business and want to organize cooking seminars, please get in touch.

Can I use your photos or recipes on my website or blog?

I appreciate you asking! My work is copy righted and it takes a lot of work to produce it. Please respect that. If you would like to share, You can share one photo per recipe if you add a clear credit and link back to the recipe. Any other use of my photos is prohibited unless we have negotiated clear terms and compensation. Email me. You may not republish my recipes.

Do you do sponsoring, freelance recipe development, food photography/ writing?

Yes I do! Please get in touch!