Meet Padma Kumar

Namaste, I'm Padma Kumar, the founder, writer, photographer, and videographer of MyGoodFoodWorld. I'm so glad you're here!

For over a decade, I ran an early learning center where I worked closely with children and families navigating all kinds of dietary requirements, food allergies, intolerances, and mealtime struggles. That experience taught me something important: good food does not have to be complicated, and it certainly does not have to feel like a compromise.

That belief is at the heart of everything you will find on this blog.

I am also a wife and a mum to two lovely daughters, and I divide my time between England and India. Home is Chennai (Madras) when I am in India, and Manchester when I am in England 🏡.

Cooking has always been my passion, and that passion deepened when I became a mother. I have taught my daughters to appreciate good food from an early age (although they do have a soft spot for instant noodles; some battles are not worth fighting😄).

My cooking philosophy is simple: everyday food should be effortless, nourishing, and, above all, delicious. I achieve this through spices, herbs, and pantry staples that are, quietly and without any fuss, superfoods in disguise. Something like this mung bean curry is a perfect example of that.

What you will find here

In this blog, you will find E-A-S-Y, vegetarian and vegan recipes with a good mix of grain-free, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly food from India and around the world.

All the recipes here are egg-free and with clear labels of the most common allergens that they are free of. This will straightaway help you know if this recipe suits your dietary requirements. Wherever possible, I also mention easy swaps and variations for you to customize the recipe to your liking.

My recipes prioritize wholesome, nutritious ingredients, yet rest assured, healthy doesn't equate to dull here. Even something as seemingly simple as my raw carrot salad is bursting with flavor!

I firmly believe that everyday cooking should be effortless, nourishing, and, above all, delicious. These principles resonate throughout all my recipes. Dishes like vegetable pulao and this mild bottle gourd recipe, exemplify my idea of straightforward, delectable food.

While I have a passion for cooking and preparing fresh meals nearly every day, I prefer to minimize time spent in the kitchen to no more than 45 minutes, ideally!

Consequently, I've honed various time-saving hacks and clever shortcuts over the years, streamlining processes without sacrificing flavor, texture, or taste. Take, for instance, my palak paneer recipe.

Through my blog, you will find such tips and hacks, enabling you to whip up exceptional dishes in less time! My instructions are simple and detailed enough even for a beginner cook.

What do I cook and eat?

If you had asked me this twenty years ago, I would have unequivocally declared, "Indian and only Indian!" However, I have evolved with time.

In essence, I'd describe my culinary approach as 80:10:10; 80% Indian cuisine, 10% international dishes, and 10% fusion cooking.

As a vegetarian by choice, a significant portion of my diet consists of plant-based foods. Occasionally, I like to have gluten-free or grain-free meals.

Firmly rooted in the belief that "you are what you eat," my cooking is also all about good food made with a good heart!

What is Indian Food?

I often wonder what people mean when they say "I love Indian" because there is so much more to it than that! It is not a single cuisine, but a collection of many regional and sub-regional cuisines.

Indian food is a broad term that reflects the diversity and variety of the 1.4 billion people and covers a vast range of cuisines and dishes!

India has 28 states and 8 union territories, each with its own unique food culture and traditions. Shaped by history, geography, climate, and culture, Indian cuisine is a rich melting pot of regional traditions and diverse culinary influences.

It is almost like having many different countries within one nation. Even within a single state, cooking styles, ingredients, and flavors can vary widely.

More about my 80:10:10 cooking

My family comes from Andhra Pradesh in South India, where rice and spice are at the heart of everyday cooking.

I grew up in Jamshedpur, an industrial city in Eastern India, where people from all over the country came to live and work. Growing up there gave me an appreciation for the incredible diversity of Indian food.

My cooking today reflects the flavors I grew up with and continue to love: aloo posto from Bengal, bold and flavorful bhindi masala, and smoky eggplant curry from Punjab.

Dishes such as cabbage poriyal, zucchini kootu, and sauteed chickpeas from Tamil Nadu, along with bitter melon curry and mint coconut chutney from my home state of Andhra Pradesh, are regular favorites at our dinner table 😊

World food

As a family of food lovers, we also enjoy exploring flavors from around the world. This Moroccan-inspired spiced vegan couscous salad is one I make often.

Italian food is something we all love the most (next to Indian food, of course!). Italian food is a close second to Indian food in our home! Easy dishes such as hearty marinara sauce, versatile vegan pesto, and our favorite macaroni and tomatoes come to the rescue on busy days when cooking feels like a chore.

This Asian noodle soup is a Sunday favorite, while vegetarian zucchini boats stuffed with crumbled paneer and spices are our go-to for movie nights.

Every one of these dishes has earned a permanent place on our table and in our hearts.

Fusion cooking

As a recipe developer, I love to experiment with flavors and spices and create new recipes. I rarely follow a recipe without adding my own twist to it 😆.

This vegan potato soup, vegan pumpkin banana bread, and this one-pot spicy pasta recipe are some recipes that are much loved by us. I have a box of these gluten-free, eggless veggie muffins on my kitchen counter, and are the perfect on-the-go snack!

That is the story of my 80:10:10 cooking 😎

The food scene at home when I was growing up

I grew up in a big family, with 13 people, including family members and staff. We also had at least 2 uninvited guests every day!

My grandfather, a devout, pious man, believed that the Lord visits us in the form of unexpected guests to test our sense of charity and compassion. So we never let any guests leave without offering them something to eat.

As you can imagine, there was always plenty of food and variety around us! Yum!!

The staff at home were mostly from Northern India. They cooked dishes like this nourishing chana dal fry with the goodness of chickpea lentils and spices, and this simple and supremely delicious aloo palak.

The elders of the family enjoyed their traditional Andhra food such as this dosakaya pachadi, and this vegan stew with steaming hot rice, pickles, and homemade curd.

And then there was the 'fancy food' (as my dad called it!) for us kids, which was anything but traditional Andhra food such as this street-style corn and peas salad, bullet naan, and vegan tortillas with herbs and spices.

That was the normal food scene in our household. And you can guess how it was during festivals and celebrations! 10x 😆.

The head chef - mum

I have to thank my mother for inspiring me. She is a wonderful lady with amazing culinary skills. She can make any dish delicious with simple ingredients 😍.

Like most ladies of her generation, she has spent most of her life in the kitchen, catering to all our food needs and demands (tantrums!) with tireless dedication, creativity, and joy.

She always had something new and exciting for us to try! Growing up, every meal was a treat, thanks to her passion and enthusiasm!❤️

Although she had some help in the kitchen for the pre and post-cooking chores, she was the master of cooking and she liked it that way.

What I admire most is that after years and years of cooking for so many people, every day, she loves cooking and creating new dishes, even to this day!

When my daughters were born, this is what she told me - "no matter how busy you are, make sure you cook fresh, even if simple, food for your kids".

I have followed her advice and I cook simple, fresh food for my family, almost every day (although I have picked up some handy batch cooking and ingredients prepping tricks along the way 😃)

P.S.: I have a confession to make - I love cooking, but I hate chopping veggies! 🤷 Remember this sauteed okra recipe?

My entry into the world of cooking

Cooking has been my passion since I was a kid.

I remember making my first dish by myself when I was 14 years old. I wanted to impress my family, so I chose a complex recipe that involved stuffing and deep frying tomatoes (not very healthy, I know!).

During my school and college years, my love for cooking grew stronger. I used to cook for my family, my friends, my teachers, and anyone else who would try my food!

The internet was not around then, and recipes were not as easy to find as they are now. I used to look for recipes and ideas in cookbooks, magazines, and newspapers. My mum was (and still is) my reliable guide and mentor.

I remember the first recipe that I created. It was an Indo-Chinese dish: vegetable dumplings in a yummy, sweet and sour sauce. I served it with buttered rice. That day is still clear in my mind. I had some friends over for a meal, and I wanted to make something special for them. They loved it, and I was so proud of myself!

Note to self: Find that recipe and make it again.

Even today, every new recipe that I create gives me the same excitement as that first one! I enjoy the whole process - from the idea to the final dish and the many trials and tweaks in between. In a way, every recipe that I create is my baby!

Contacting Me

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See you in my posts. Thanks for reading! 🤗