Banu and her husband Sidarth moved to New Zealand 15 years ago. For the last four, the couple have hosted Indian cooking classes from their Te Atatu home in tribute to Banu’s late father, who made a name for himself as a celebrated caterer for more than 50 years in New Delhi, India. As part of teaching how to cook their delicious cuisine, Banu and Sidarth created a range of homemade spice blends that contain more than 15 individual ingredients, each one dry roasted and blended carefully to enhance the aromas and flavours in their recipes.

Banu’s Spices’ range includes Garam Masala and Curry Powder and is for foodies who want the authentic taste of Indian food without hours of preparation. The mixes add a genuine taste of India to dishes that simply can’t be bought in the supermarket.

Banu says the urge to bring her father’s name and achievements to life in New Zealand is what motivates her and her husband. “Food is in my DNA,” she says that her dream is to see “Banu’s Spices becoming a household name that stands for purity and quality.”

You can purchase Banu’s spices via her website: banus.co.nz