By Jacob Moseley
Leicester is already an extremely competitive market when it comes to Indian cuisine and with curry houses not far from most homes it can be hard to encourage the community towards a new addition.
Hajra Hafejee – a food blogger from Leicester who specialises in sweet treats and classic Indian cuisine – is just one person hoping to one day make her passion for food into a fully-fledged business.
The mum of two’s blog, Hajra’s Kitchen, has been gaining in popularity since it was first set up in 2012 and it now boasts more than 10,000 followers reading her recipes.
Last November she was involved in a charity event called The Great Highfields Bake Off.
She said: “The money made from selling the cakes after the competition was given to charity, we raised £145 for Alzheimer’s Society.”
The introduction of the Leicester Curry Awards in 2017 by Romail Gulzar has made the standard of curry houses around Leicester rise – with the final five in this year’s event being made up of the Mumbai Inn, Chutney Ivy, Empress of India, Indian Fusion, and Raj Mahal Restaurant.
With 30 new restaurants having entered the competition this year, Hajra has a lot to learn from already established businesses.
She said: “I hope to one day bring my recipes to more of Leicester whilst keeping the tradition of passing down classic Indian recipes. I just blog my own recipes, but I would love to make it into a business one day.”
Lamb chops with masala potatoes, spicy beans and tomato pasta
Hajra added: “For people who may bake as a hobby or cook at home, the main reason for the blog is for people to have a general fun time.”
Hajra’s recipes can be found on her blog Hajra’s Kitchen, as well as her Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages which she regularly posts on.
Leave a Reply