Masala Memoirs
From Pune to the U.S.
Jigna Patel was born and raised in Pune, Maharashtra — a city famous for its street food, especially the beloved vada pav. In 2016, at the age of 29, she moved to the United States after marriage. She recalls her first day clearly: stepping out of the airport after a 30-hour journey, only to find herself stuck in traffic that stretched a 40-minute ride into two hours. That small but memorable detail was her first glimpse into her new life.
Motherhood and Early Years
Jigna and her husband are now parents to two daughters, ages five and three — both born in the U.S. During her pregnancies, she was fortunate to have the support of her mother and in-laws. Unlike many mothers who experience intense cravings, Jigna remembers the opposite: foods she once loved suddenly lost their appeal, especially during her first pregnancy.
Family Support and Balance
Balancing work and motherhood can be overwhelming, but Jigna acknowledges that family support made all the difference. With help at home, she could manage her job alongside raising two young children without feeling overburdened.
Food Philosophy at Home
At the heart of her parenting lies food. Jigna and her family emphasize home-cooked, healthy meals. While there were no dietary restrictions for her daughters, she preferred they grow up eating traditional Indian food. She focuses less on rigid nutritional calculations and more on providing balanced meals. To ensure their overall health, she also includes multivitamin and iron supplements.
Shared Meals and Eating Out
The Patel family enjoys their traditional Indian meals most days, but they occasionally experiment with homemade vegetarian Mexican dishes. Eating out is reserved for just two to three times a month. For Jigna, the reasoning is simple: children’s meals at restaurants often lack nutritional balance, so homemade food remains the priority.
Teaching the Next Generation
Cooking at home is usually a shared responsibility among family members, but Jigna also hopes her daughters will grow up knowing how to cook. Though still too young for the kitchen, the girls have already shown curiosity and enthusiasm for helping. For Jigna, those small steps matter — cooking is both a life skill and a way to carry culture forward.
Choices Around Vegetarianism
Interestingly, Jigna’s household is not strictly vegetarian. Each family member has the freedom to make their own dietary choices. Her daughters started out eating meat but eventually decided on their own to be vegetarian. For Jigna, this blend of cultural roots and modern independence defines her family’s approach to food.