Sharan Dhaliwal was born in London to Punjabi parents and spent most of her childhood rejecting her culture and trying to "whitewash" her identity. When Dhaliwal was a little older she resisted her mother's designs to teach her to make that perfect roti.
She deliberately burnt the rotis.
Today, Dhaliwal has finally come to terms with her identity and embraced her culture. The proof is Burnt Roti - a magazine she is about to launch for South Asians across the world. A magazine that aims to address similar issues of cultural assimilation. A magazine that aspires to become the voice of the many nameless, faceless talented from among the community.
Those for whom conventional doors are closed, because they belong to 'ethnic' communities who cannot find mainstream recognition.
"When I came up with the idea for a magazine, the first thing I considered was getting my mum to do the food section. I thought about all the food she creates and eventually my mind went to her teaching me how to make a perfect roti, bent over a hot tava," says Dhaliwal.
She also remembered how she would often deliberately overcook rotis in protest.
"I would burn it so often and my mother used to say 'you need to make the perfect roti', which I resented because it made me feel like my only worth was to (eventually) cook for my husband."
The magazine's title is, therefore, an "honest admission". Also, a way to help people connect with the person behind the magazine.
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