{"product_id":"the-business-of-recipes-story-cookbook","title":"The Business of Recipes Story Cookbook","description":"\u003ch1\u003eThe Business of Recipes\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMore than a cookbook — a story of food, family, heritage and entrepreneurship\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Business of Recipes\u003c\/strong\u003e is far more than a traditional Indian cookbook.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is the story of a Punjabi family, a daughter's journey, and traditional culinary knowledge passed from mother to daughter across generations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt brings together \u003cstrong\u003e40+ traditional Punjabi recipes, cooking techniques, family stories, immigrant experiences and entrepreneurial insights\u003c\/strong\u003e, creating a book that can be cooked from, read as a story and returned to for ideas and reflection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"cf-text cf-text--body cf-text--thin cf-text--spacer1\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0506\/3566\/9695\/files\/IMG_66032.jpg?v=1791227484\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom mother to daughter\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTraditionally, Punjabi daughters learned to cook at their mother's side — first by watching and helping, then by working alongside her, and eventually by being entrusted with preparing the family's meals.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurinder Hothi began learning this way at just \u003cstrong\u003eseven years old\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the age of eleven, alongside the responsibilities of grammar school, she was also responsible for preparing her family's evening meal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was not simply a matter of following written recipes. Knowledge was learned through \u003cstrong\u003ewatching, doing, tasting, correcting and sharing food together\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Business of Recipes documents that way of learning.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt records the recipes, techniques, methods, memories and stories behind the food that formed the heart of a Punjabi family growing up in Britain — preserving knowledge that was traditionally passed on through generations rather than written down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0917\/5026\/9310\/files\/Seso_Surinder_Safia.png?v=1772379055\" alt=\"Pure Punjabi Indian cookery classes Somerset, Dorset, Devon, Wiltshire, Hampshire, London  UK\"\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eMore than recipes\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recipes are at the heart of the book, but they are only part of the story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough food, Surinder explores how immigrant families used \u003cstrong\u003efood, property and entrepreneurship to create sustainable livelihoods\u003c\/strong\u003e — from homes and shops to guest houses, hotels, bed \u0026amp; breakfasts, food stalls and markets.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe book offers practical observations and lived experience around:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTraditional Punjabi and Indian cooking\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFood and hospitality businesses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProperty and building financial security\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSelf-employment and entrepreneurship\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFamily businesses\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWomen and their often-overlooked contribution to family life and business\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParenting and family relationships\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eImmigration and adapting to life in Britain\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe contrasts between Eastern and Western perspectives\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCulture, identity and changing generations\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNutrition and the role of food in family life\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result is a book about \u003cstrong\u003ewhat food can teach us about business, family, culture and life\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTraditional Punjabi cooking — and the stories behind it\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe recipes are not presented simply as a list of ingredients and instructions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey sit within the context in which the food was cooked, learned and enjoyed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom dishes such as \u003cstrong\u003eChana Dhal, Aloo Gobi and Saag\u003c\/strong\u003e to other traditional family recipes, Surinder shares the methods, techniques and experiences behind the food.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe result is an authentic Punjabi cookbook for people who want to cook traditional food — while also offering the history, memories and personal stories that make those recipes meaningful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eGrowing up between two worlds\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBorn into a Punjabi Sikh immigrant family, Surinder grew up carrying the traditions and expectations of her Eastern heritage while building a life in Britain.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHer story takes the reader from childhood and family life into work, self-employment, marriage, motherhood and business.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom growing up in a guest house and working in the family supermarket, to eventually founding \u003cstrong\u003ePure Punjabi\u003c\/strong\u003e, the multi-award-winning food business she runs with her daughter, the book follows the determination, resilience and resourcefulness involved in building a life and business between two cultures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom family food to Pure Punjabi\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe knowledge that began in Surinder's mother's kitchen eventually became part of a much wider journey.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, Pure Punjabi shares Punjabi food and culture through cookery experiences, food products and events.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Indian Experience Cookery Workshop\u003c\/strong\u003e brings some of those traditional lessons into a modern hands-on setting, giving participants the opportunity to learn through doing — much as Surinder herself learned from her mother.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut one workshop can only offer a glimpse of a learning process that traditionally developed over years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Business of Recipes preserves that knowledge on the page.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt allows the recipes, techniques, stories and observations to be passed on to another generation — and to readers who may never have had the opportunity to learn them at a mother's side.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFood for Thought\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt the end of each chapter, Surinder invites the reader to look beyond the story and consider different perspectives.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEach chapter includes four \u003cstrong\u003eFood for Thought\u003c\/strong\u003e sections:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBusiness \u0026amp; Money\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eObservations and lessons from real-life experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImmigrant \u0026amp; British Perspectives\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDifferent ways of looking at culture, opportunity, responsibility and belonging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCulture, Family \u0026amp; Parenting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eQuestions and observations about family life, changing generations and cultural expectations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNutrition \u0026amp; Health\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThoughts about food, nourishment and the role food plays in everyday life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese sections encourage the reader to consider \u003cstrong\u003edifferent — and sometimes opposing — Eastern and Western perspectives\u003c\/strong\u003e, rather than simply presenting one point of view.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eA book to cook from — and a story to read\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you come to the book for the recipes, the family story, the business experience or the cultural history, \u003cstrong\u003eThe Business of Recipes\u003c\/strong\u003e offers several ways into the same story.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is for:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLovers of Punjabi and Indian food\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone interested in traditional cooking and family recipes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBritish Asians exploring their own heritage or that of their parents and grandparents\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eYounger generations wanting to understand the experiences of those who came before them\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReaders interested in immigration and British Asian history\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWomen interested in business, self-employment and entrepreneurship\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReaders interested in family history, culture and identity\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnyone fascinated by the connection between food, family and business\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCookbook collectors and those looking for something beyond a conventional recipe book\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePart Punjabi cookbook. Part family memoir. Part entrepreneurial journey. Part cultural history.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eWhat readers are saying\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003eAmazon reader, 5-star review\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e“An explosion of flavours jump out of the pages at you!”\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This book guides the reader into a world so much further beyond a typical Indian cookery recipe book. You get to understand the reasons and history behind dishes, the photos are top quality so you want to taste and\/or make the food and you engage with the authors personal ambitions and resilience as she eloquently tells her story.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e— \u003cstrong\u003eAmazon reader, 5-star review\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e“Highly recommended”\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This book is striking in its originality as I’ve never read anything similar. It explains her ambition and hard work - Indian\/English family life - good and bad in both cases. The pictures of the food just make you hungry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e------------------------------\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBeta reader feedback:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003e\"...this is a stunning idea - an autobiography and cook book combined - unique - so you arouse the reader’s curiosity on two or rather three counts, basic things - food and life and business. The recipes and the photos are stunning - mouth-watering. And the essential simplicity plus depth of the recipes, which you emphasise, is a real selling point as well as really authentic. And actually it is the authenticity of these recipes that is a winner … it is frankly business  orientated - as your culture makes you - and this is a new angle. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eI loved the way that your family life and culture emerges slowly  as you read - never being hit (wonderful  - and I bet you didn’t hit your own children either - goodness gets handed on) - your father’s character - the intensity of the love. How lucky you were.  \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eThe written style. it is lively and intense and very alive. I love it. I think your English is very vivid and very you. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eThis is such an original VIVID book\". \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eProfessor \u003cspan class=\"gmail-il\"\u003eIsobel\u003c\/span\u003e Armstrong, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eEmeritus Professor of English, Birkbeck, University of London, a Fellow of the British Academy and International Scholar of the American Academy.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e------------------------------\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003e\"This is far more than a cookbook.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Business of Recipes blends stunning food photography, deeply authentic Punjabi recipes, and a powerful family story into something genuinely memorable. Yes, the recipes are exceptional: rich, generous, and rooted in tradition. But it’s the story behind them that gives this book weight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSurinder Hothi tells the journey of her immigrant family with honesty, humour, and heart. What unfolds is a story of resilience, entrepreneurship, identity, and love shaped by the influence of her remarkable mother and her formidable father. The dynamics, struggles, and small victories are shared in a way that feels both personal and universal.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere’s a warmth to Surinder's writing that draws you in. You’re not just learning recipes, you’re being invited into a kitchen, a culture, and a life. Surinder's humour softens the harder edges of her story, but never undermines the depth of what’s been built and overcome.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat I loved most is that beneath the food and storytelling are deeper lessons about building something from very little, about values, about legacy, and about what it really means to create a life and a business.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIf you’re expecting a traditional cookbook, The Business of Recipes will surprise you. If you’re interested in stories of family, culture, and entrepreneurial spirit, it will stay with you\".\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eJoe Gregory, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 8pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003eEntrepreneur, Author and Publisher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e------------------------------\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the book\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Business of Recipes\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy \u003cstrong\u003eSurinder Hothi\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHardback\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e336 pages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e40+ traditional recipes\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBeautiful food photography and family imagery\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublished by Hothi Publishing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e£32.99\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA story of \u003cstrong\u003efood, heritage, resilience, entrepreneurship and the generations who carry them forward.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pure Punjabi","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67554705965247,"sku":null,"price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0506\/3566\/9695\/files\/The_Business_of_Recipes_-a_story_cookbook_by_Surinder_Hothi_-front_and_back_cover.png?v=1791228364","url":"https:\/\/indianmealkits.co.uk\/products\/the-business-of-recipes-story-cookbook","provider":"Indian Meal Kits","version":"1.0","type":"link"}