About Ashley

Hi, I’m Ashley!

I’m the writer and recipe maker here at My Heart Beets. Thanks for reading my blog!

These two little boys are my taste testers. These picky eaters help me decide which recipes are “blog-worthy.” I think you’ll love everything you make from my site, but if you don’t, you’ll have to take it up with them.

My story… I was born in the US to Indian immigrants. I grew up in a Punjabi family eating delicious North Indian Food and I was completely unaware of how varied Indian cuisine was until I started dating Rob. He introduced me to South Indian Cuisine, specifically Keralite food.

Soon after marriage, I felt the desire to learn our family’s recipes. The problem was that when I’d call to ask for measurements, my mom would tell me she cooks “andaz naal” which basically means she eyeballs everything. Anyone with Indian parents knows they don’t measure ingredients (ever) and so trying to recreate their recipes is tough.

My solution to this was… to pester my parents. 😂 Whenever I’d visit home, I’d follow them around the kitchen, taking notes and asking questions. I would sometimes “help” them as they cooked, measuring their ingredients before they threw them into the pot. I started paying close attention to ratios as well as how things were supposed to taste. I used this information, gathered over several years, to test and develop many of the recipes that I share here on my blog and in my books.

I continue to learn a lot about cooking from my mom, but it’s my dad who helps me perfect my recipes.

I’m convinced my dad is a supertaster (he has a powerful sense of smell, too) – he can try a dish once, tell you precisely what’s in it, and most importantly, tell you what to add to make it even better. I have my dad taste test a lot of my recipes, especially my traditional Punjabi Recipes. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to test certain recipes before getting my dad’s approval (Gajar Halwa, Chana Masala, Rajma – the last one he approved, and then a year later, he changed his mind and told me to try and “make it one level better.” Sometimes I think he likes to keep me on my toes 😂 ).

There’s one more thing I’d really like you to know about me, and that is my “why.” The reason I share my recipes here is because I want to help make Indian food accessible. If you’re Indian and are looking to feel more connected to your culture or to eat food reminiscent of the cooking that you grew up with, I hope to help. If you’re new to the cuisine, my hope is that you’ll embrace it, and introduce it to family and friends. I believe that food brings us closer, and I think when we’re all a bit closer, we’re all a bit happier.

I’m thrilled you’re here and excited for you to give my recipes a try. If you make a dish, please leave me a comment to let me know what you think!

If you’re new here and wondering where to start, give one of the recipes below a try. Also, be sure to check out my Onion Masala Series – it makes cooking Indian food a breeze!

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Comments

  1. Emma says

    I tried the lamb and mint curry, used jalapeno instead of your recommended serrano. I am glad I didn’t use serrano as it was hot enough with the jalapeno. I would make two suggestions: (1) give us a size for the onion and (2) the can of organic diced tomatoes, are they drained or with the juice. With the juice the recipe seemed a bit too watery. 14 oz can or the 28 oz ones?

    But it was delicious and I will try again.

  2. Emma says

    I tried the lamb and mint curry, used jalapeno instead of your recommended serrano. I am glad I didn’t use serrano as it was hot enough with the jalapeno. I would make two suggestions: (1) give us a size for the onion and (2) the can of organic diced tomatoes, are they drained or with the juice. With the juice the recipe seemed a bit too watery.

    But it was declious and I will try again.

  3. Jentjes says

    Love your recipes so much! They have taught me so much about cooking Indian food, and I have never had a fail with one of your recipes, they are consistently well written and lead to a great result! I also appreciate how easy and quick they are, meaning that your readers can whip up an authentic, tasty Indian dish in no time! Thank you so much!

    • DAN says

      Just wanted to say, after following your recipes for many years now…

      Thank you so much! I’m (non-Indian) married to an Indian and I find almost all recipes (including those taught to me by my mother-in-law) too intimidating to make on a regular basis. I love following recipes, and your website is the only one I know of that has authentic dishes that are very easy to make. My South Indian in-laws even approve of the ones that I’ve been brave enough to serve them 😉

      I hope you go back to adding more recipes soon! I would love some more veggie-heavy dishes like the everyday ones my mom-in-law serves for lunch 🙂

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