The secret behind what makes food so good is that it must be cooked from the heart.
That is the belief that Heritage Cuisine of India founder Jaswinder Kaur stands by, and this is her guiding principle for the chefs she oversees.
“Like a mother cooking with love for her child, that is how I tell my chefs they have to do with their food, to cook from the heart.”
Kaur’s mission with Heritage is to take diners on a culinary passage through India with her food.
“We bring the classic Indian dishes like masala and butter chicken, but also dishes that people in New Zealand may not have heard of and we cook them in the traditional style like we would in India,” she said.
The menu has offerings from north to south India, specialities from her native Punjab, Indo-Chinese dishes and also some of their chefs’ own creations.
One of the signature dishes is the Heritage prawns, with the recipe for this crustacean dish coming from Kaur’s family. The prawn has a spicy crackly crunch and is a definite must-try.
The rich butter chicken at Heritage uses cashew nut as a base for the sauce and is cooked in unsalted butter. A perfect way to lap up the sauce of this dish is with a side order of its freshly cooked garlic naan.
For vegetarians, there is the DaDa mushrooms - a chef creation which bears some similarity to the chicken 65 dish that originated in Chennai, India. Then there is the palak paneer, which features chunks of cottage cheese cooked in blended spinach and onion gravy.
No meal is complete at Heritage without the store-made mango kulfi, a delicious dessert made with mango puree, condensed milk and pistachios. It will be a perfect sweet end to your Heritage culinary journey.
Kaur has been through challenging times since moving to New Zealand from Punjab. She recalls standing on a side street, pregnant and practically penniless, and wondering what she was going to do with her life.
But she believed that in her most desperate time, her prayers to her late father led her to meet a person she now regards as a “saviour” that gave her an opportunity to start her business.
With the person’s financial help, she first started a small Indian takeaway in Otahuhu before opening Heritage in Kingsland just before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.
“I come from a family of restaurateurs, in fact I am the third generation, and cooking is the only way I know how to survive and show my love,” Kaur said.
Private evenings can be specially booked at Heritage Cuisine of India for groups of 30-40 people, with set menu options available. It also does small and large catering for events and functions for up to 1000 people.
Get in touch with Jaswinder and her team to discuss any upcoming functions you may have.
EAT INDIAN!!!
Heritage Cuisine of India 501 New North Road, Kingsland, Auckland
Phone: 09 8151700
This article is brought to you in partnership with Heritage Cuisine of India.
