Hello! Let me introduce myself.

I’m Lorraine, the cook behind all the delicious recipes on Tamarind and Thyme. If you ever doubted you can cook then you’re at the right place.My recipes are easy and delicious and even the most novice cooks can look like a pro in the kitchen.

I live a simple, unpretentious life in the city of Gold, Johannesburg South Africa. I was born and raised in Durban, where food and family where synonymous with each other. It’s where I learnt to cook and all the secrets to making good Indian food.

For a long time, I worked in corporate but I can’t say it was my passion. When I quit my job, after a few years I decided to start my blog as a hobby. In 2019 I became serious about blogging and it is my absolute passion. I am so grateful for this opportunity and to wake up everyday to something I truly love.

My blog is more than just a food blog. I have a vulnerable side and I am human so I love sharing bits about my life, the good and the bad. I love inspiring people though my own life experiences. I have survived an abusive relationship and suffered with a low self-esteem my whole life. I also have two auto-immune conditions but I am thankful and filled with gratitude for the life I have. My blog has opened up a whole new world for me. It has helped grow my confidence and allowed me the opportunity to inspire others through my own struggles. 

Sharing my life experiences, it’s not to gain sympathy or attention. It is to give women hope, despite our struggles we can still keep our heads up high and focus on being the best version of ourselves. There is so much abuse against women and children and I hope to use my voice to make a difference to women in abusive relationships.

The best days of my life are spent in the kitchen cooking the foods I love. I am constantly fatigued due to my autoimmune conditions, keeping active in the kitchen helps with my fatigue. It is also my greatest stress reliever and my happy place.

I don’t follow any specific diet as I do believe we can eat anything as long as it is in moderation so here you will find a little bit of everything. You will find loads of Indian spicy dishes on my blog, it’s what I love cooking the most. My aim is share recipes, when the nostalgia sets in, this will be that place called home. Here you are guaranteed to get a taste of home. My blog is not a healthy blog, it is a blog where you make “healthy”, happy memories. I want my recipes to evoke happy memories and a feeling of nostalgia.

My recipes are usually quick and easy to prepare with simple ingredients. I am a lazy cook so I always find ways to simplify my cooking without compromising on flavor. I love cooking with fresh ingredients, freshly ground spices and fresh herbs, my favorite herb is thyme and my favorite spice definitely cumin. On my lazy days I will take shortcuts so you will find the odd canned food, ready to cook veggies, and store-bought pastries, because we all deserve a break every once in a while.

The recipes I share are inspired by my Indian culture and our love of food; I have fond memories of growing up in a home where nobody left without sharing a meal. It’s the tradition I still follow to this day, sharing my food gives me that warm fuzzy feeling. I love people and I receive so much joy making people happy through my food and kindness. I do keep my South African Indian food traditional and authentic, it’s what keeps our food real and unique.

There are times when I do venture out of my comfort zone and try new dishes. I have loads of adventures in the kitchen with some epic fails too. But we keep trying, as Julia Child said “nobody is born a great cook, one learns by doing”.

Indian dishes are quite simple, sometimes they just require a whole lot of spices but not much effort. My motto is to “COOK WITH LOVE”. A sprinkle of Love is that extra “ingredient” that makes food delectable.

I do hope you enjoy my blog and don’t forget that magic ingredient, LOVE. If you do try a recipe, please feel free to share your thoughts, good or bad but please be nice! I love hearing from you so do drop me a mail.

Finally thank you to all my followers and readers for all your support, without you this blog will not be a success. For that I am truly grateful.