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Nisha Riat enrolled on Leiths Online’s Essential Cooking in order to broaden her skillset. Her online studies reignited a passion for cooking that she has parlayed into her brand-new street food business Bollywood Bites. This is her story.
Nisha Riat grew up in an Indian family surrounded by good food. She’d always loved to cook but wanted to learn new skills, including how to cook meat and fish (she’s vegetarian). Her Leiths Online course reignited her passion and Nisha is now the proud owner of a brand-new street food business called Bollywood Bites based in Watford. Here’s her story.
What made you decide to do a course with Leiths Online?
“Ever since I was really young, I’ve always been passionate about cooking. Growing up in an Indian family, you’re surrounded by food. Before, I would cook because I had to cook, but I had always wanted to develop my skills and my passion, to find out how things work, what works together and what doesn’t. That’s why I did the Leiths Online cookery course.
I’m vegetarian myself and so is my mum but my dad cooked meat and is a very good cook; and my husband eats meat. I was just never into cooking it. Then once I got married, my in-laws and my husband all ate meat, and my children like lots of different fish and things like mussels too, so I thought “I think I’m going to have to figure this one out”. I started doing frozen fish, frozen chicken, and bits and pieces like that, but for me it was always about developing my skills. Regardless of whether I ate it, I just always wanted to try cooking it. My husband would be the taste-tester. With the course, obviously I learned all [those skills] which benefited my family because they loved all of the food! I really enjoyed doing mussels; I absolutely enjoyed doing the squid; scaling a fish…I’m not sure I enjoyed that the most, but it was fun. I don’t think I’ll ever make chicken stock again in my life. It’s just too long!”
Which course did you do? And how did you find it?
I did the Essential Cooking course. I really enjoyed the online tutorials, the videos, and learning as you go. It was something different for me, a challenge. I didn’t have knife skills before but now I really enjoy that sort of stuff. It makes things a lot quicker.
In the past, I’ve done other courses. I’ve done photography; I’ve done a diploma in health and wellbeing, but I’ve never actually done anything with them because I’ve not been passionate. Whereas this, I was really passionate about. My husband has been pushing me, saying “You clearly really enjoy it, let’s do something with it.” So I explored opportunities around starting up my own supper club or doing high-end food from home, given that I’d learned quite a few different skills, but I realised I didn’t want to be stuck at home. I wanted to get out and about, to meet people, so this is why we decided on the mobile food van.”
You launched Bollywood Bites in June this year. Can you tell us about the business?
“As much as I loved the Leiths course, I wanted to stick to a cuisine that I know really well, that I can produce in quantity and quality. This is why I’ve stuck with Indian food because I’ve grown up around it. I know what works, what spices work well, and what does and doesn’t go together. I know I can produce it well because I’ve done it multiple times. So this is how Bollywood Bites came about.
We do Indian street food. There are three main dishes to choose from: tandoori chicken, paneer masala, and chana masala, a chickpea curry. They’re all offered as a wrap or in a rice box. We do masala fries and samosas as well and our own chilli and garlic sauce and coriander chutney. We bought the van at the end of April and we’re already up and running. I give my husband the credit for pushing me. He used to work at Just Eat so he’s got a lot of experience around the food industry and he’s very hands on with business matters whereas I am the creative brain. I’ve definitely not been the businesswoman but I am becoming that.
Had you had any prior experience?
No, actually not! I’m still working full time for a university but I’m looking at reducing those hours and transitioning full time to business. Food interests me more.
Do you use any of your skills?
Knife skills for sure. I’d like to think my presentation skills as well when we put everything together though obviously coming out of a food van, it’s not high-end presentation. One thing I really enjoyed from Leiths was baking. Prior to the course, I don’t know if I hated baking but I was just awful at it. But after doing the course, I love it. I did my little boy’s birthday cake and my daughter’s. It’s been great.
[Growing up with Indian food] I was more used to curries or kebabs or barbecued stuff. The way ingredients are cooked is totally different. The chicken supreme, the rack of lamb…I’ve never done that before. I’ve never had to figure out the cooking times and temperatures before. I’m more conscious of it now. When I’m doing the chicken in the van, I’m very conscious of whether it’s been cooked enough but equally, historically, we would have overcooked chicken, and actually it doesn’t need as long as we think it does.
What’s next for you?
“We’re trying to grow the business. We’re looking at getting some staff in so I can teach them the cooking and prepping side of things so I don’t have to be the chef all the time. I can do quality control and grow the business more. My husband is involved quite heavily at the minute and is now looking at buying a catering business as well, so all of this experience with Bollywood Bites really helps.”
