Not Your Butter Chicken: Exploring Cultural Heritage with Shiva Reddy

What if the immigrant story you’ve heard is only half the truth?In this heartfelt episode, I sit down with Shiva Reddy—sommelier, food columnist for CBC Vancouver, and host of the acclaimed docuseries Not Your Butter Chicken. We talk about identity, heritage, and the power of food to connect us to our culture and the women who shaped it.Shiva shares the deeply personal story behind the series, inspired by her mother’s dementia and her own journey to reclaim the flavors and traditions of her Indo-Fijian roots. From hustling samosas as a teen to becoming a celebrated wine expert, Shiva’s story is full of resilience, tenderness, and a lot of flavor.You’ll hear about:🍛 The role of sewa and community in South Asian culture 🧵 Why the stories of immigrant women often go untold 🍷 Her unique philosophy on wineThis conversation left me thinking about the women in my own family—the ones who passed down recipes, love, and history through food. I hope it does the same for you.HELPFUL LINKSWatch Shiva's new docuseries, Not Your Butter Chicken, now on CBC Gem and TelusTry Shiva’s dal recipe at exploreinmykitchen.comSUBSCRIBE, RATE & REVIEWIf you love this podcast and want to give me your support, please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. This goes a long way in helping me get in front of other culinary adventurers like you. Just open up the Apple Podcasts app and go to “In My Kitchen with Paula”. Or, in this episode, click on the 3 dots in the right corner and click on “Go To Show”. At the bottom of the show page, you can rate and review.SAY HELLOIn My Kitchen creates connections one dish, one story, one journey at a time, by exploring culture through food.  We do this through unique culinary workshops, speaking engagements, and of course, this podcast.I'd love to hear from you! Connect with me in one of three ways:Visit www.exploreinmykitchen.com to join our IMK Community of culinary adventurers.  More recipes, stories and fabulous podcast episodes.DM me on Instagram at @inmykitchenpaula Email me at [email protected]