Finding Confidence in the Single-Parent Kitchen: Shelina Permalloo’s Culinary Revolution
For MasterChef winner Shelina Permalloo, the journey to embracing her identity as a single mother has been a gradual but ultimately empowering one. The 43-year-old, who famously became the first woman of colour to clinch the BBC One MasterChef title in 2012 by celebrating her Mauritian heritage, has found that her experiences resonate deeply with many.
As mum to eight-year-old Niyyah, Permalloo candidly admits that solo parenting can often feel “relentless and exhausting.” The demands are constant, leaving little room for respite. “I don’t want to have to cook a meal, then think about all the washing up,” she explains. “Because the minute I put her to bed and the house goes quiet, I still have work to do, so I don’t want to be in the kitchen.”
This sentiment highlights a common challenge for single parents: the sheer weight of responsibility. Permalloo elaborates, “When you’re in a 2.4 family, you assume someone’s going to take the bins out whilst you’re cooking dinner, hopefully someone’s bathing your child when you’re cleaning up in the kitchen. But when you are responsible for all of that, the onus is heavy.” It’s this understanding that has fuelled her latest venture.
A Cookbook for the Modern, Time-Strapped Household
After a decade-long hiatus from cookbook writing, following the success of her first two publications post-MasterChef, Permalloo is back with her third cookbook, aptly titled What To Make When Everyone’s Hungry. This new offering is designed to tackle the very issues she faces and that many others experience: a lack of time and mental energy for cooking, regardless of family structure.
“It’s a really relatable cookbook for people like me who are in situations like mine,” Permalloo states. “I think the world of parenting has changed, you know, it’s not always the 2.4 family. Our world is changing, and we need to reflect what that looks like.” This philosophy underpins her approach to recipe development, aiming to create dishes that are both achievable and enjoyable for busy individuals and families.
One of the “lonely aspects” of single parenting, Permalloo notes, is the mismatch between standard recipe yields and the needs of a single-person household. “When you’re cooking a meal, a lot of the recipes [are made to feed] four or six. You don’t want to eat that meal four times in one week.” Her cookbook addresses this by offering solutions that cater to smaller portions or provide delicious leftovers without the need for excessive repetition.
Bringing Restaurant Skills to the Home Kitchen
Permalloo’s culinary journey has been marked by significant milestones. She fell pregnant just three months after opening her first restaurant, Lakaz Maman Mauritian Street Kitchen, in Southampton, where she also served as head chef. This experience has informed her approach to home cooking, encouraging the adoption of restaurant-level efficiency and organisation.
“You don’t have to be a professional chef, but with all those skills that I know, being a little bit more prepared, cleaning up your kitchen a little bit, not having to go through 50 different pots…” she advises. The key, she believes, lies in an organised kitchen. “There’s something about having an organised kitchen that allows you to make quick decisions, and it allows you to free up the space for all the other stuff that you have to get on with.”
For anyone navigating the complexities of solo cooking, Permalloo hopes to instil a sense of “pride” in their culinary creations, alongside “joy and a little bit of calm without it feeling frenetic.” The ability to rely on a core set of go-to recipes, those that consistently deliver “clean bowls” with “no fuss, not too much mess, a bit of leftovers and some peace and quiet,” can be a game-changer for single parents.
Navigating Culinary Identity and Taste Buds
Even a seasoned chef like Permalloo faces the universal challenge of picky eaters. As a Mauritian parent, she cherishes the desire for her daughter to embrace her cultural culinary heritage. “For example, plantain, she didn’t like it. And I was like, ‘What? Sorry, what did you say?’ She said, ‘I don’t like this mummy’ and pushed it away – it was a proper dagger to my heart!”
However, Permalloo is adept at adapting. By seasoning the plantain with cumin and salt – a nod to Niyyah’s dual Moroccan heritage – it was met with enthusiastic approval. Similarly, she continues to introduce okra, despite initial resistance to its texture, understanding the importance of introducing diverse flavours from a young age.
A Melting Pot of Flavours: Mauritian Cuisine and Family Heritage
While the cookbook features familiar favourites like spaghetti bolognese and chicken peri peri traybake, Permalloo’s Mauritian roots are a constant inspiration. “You’ll see a whole array of different inspirations from Thailand, from Ghana, from Mauritius, from Jamaica, because that’s naturally what I’ve been exposed to,” she explains. These recipes are deeply integrated into her daily life and are designed to appeal to a wide range of tastes and preferences.
Mauritius, an island nation east of Madagascar, is described as “religiously and ethically diverse,” with a cuisine that is a “true melting pot of identity.” This rich culinary tapestry is a direct result of historical migration from Africa, China, India, and France, each contributing their unique food traditions. Permalloo paints a vivid picture of a traditional Mauritian Sunday spread, featuring Mauritian noodles, curry, roti, fiery African chilli paste, and French stew with baguettes – a harmonious blend of flavours and cultures in a single meal.
Permalloo’s own story is deeply intertwined with this cultural heritage. Born and raised in Southampton, her parents emigrated from Mauritius in the 1970s. Their move to the UK was met with significant challenges, including “rife racism, challenges of integration, difficulties of understanding the language, and connecting with people.” To foster a sense of community, her parents became actively involved in the Mauritian community, with their home often filled with the lively sounds of friends and family gathering.
The early loss of her father when Permalloo was just 12 instilled a profound sense of independence. With her mother working as a nurse, she and her siblings took on significant responsibilities, including cooking and household chores. During this period, the family lived frugally, relying on staples like lentils, rice, and tinned meats, often eating vegan meals five days a week. This upbringing, however, instilled in Permalloo a deep appreciation for resourcefulness and making the most of available ingredients.
“I’m really frugal,” she admits. “The way that I cook at home is not dissimilar to the way that I was brought up.” The key difference now, she notes, is the privilege of accessing a wider variety of ingredients and more expensive cuts of meat.
Embracing a Dual Identity: British-Mauritian Pride
Permalloo’s first visit to Mauritius at the age of 11 sparked a profound exploration of her identity. She realised she was neither entirely Mauritian nor entirely British, but occupied a unique space between the two. This experience led her to confidently embrace her identity as “British Mauritian,” a label she wears with pride, acknowledging that her life and experiences are rooted in Britain, while her soul and heritage extend to Mauritius.
Recipes from What To Make When Everyone’s Hungry
Here are a few tantalising recipes from Shelina Permalloo’s new cookbook:
Cheesy Naan
These quick and easy cheesy naans are a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, boasting a soft, fluffy texture and a gooey, melty mozzarella centre. The secret lies in a simple combination of self-raising flour and yoghurt, eliminating the need for kneading and resting.
- Serves: 6
- Ingredients: 50g self-raising flour, 200g Greek-style full-fat yoghurt, ½ tsp salt, 150g mozzarella cheese, grated, 75g butter.
- Method: Combine flour, yoghurt, and salt to form a dough. Divide into six, flatten, fill with mozzarella, and seal. Roll out and cook in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Butter generously immediately after cooking and keep warm.
Chicken Peri Peri Traybake
This vibrant, Nando’s-inspired traybake offers a fuss-free way to enjoy spicy rice and flavour-packed chicken wings, all cooked in one dish for minimal washing up. It’s a perfect midweek meal that’s both comforting and easy to prepare.
- Serves: 4-6
- Ingredients: 6 chicken wings, 2 tbsp peri peri seasoning, 300g basmati rice, 1 tbsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp garlic granules, 3 tbsp Turkish tomato paste, 500ml vegetable stock, ½ red pepper, sliced, ½ yellow pepper, sliced.
- Method: Coat chicken wings in peri peri seasoning. Combine rice, spices, tomato paste, and stock in an ovenproof pan. Arrange chicken on top, cover, and cook. Uncover, add peppers, and bake until wings are crispy. Garnish with coriander and serve with lemon wedges.
Pistachio Barfi
These incredibly simple and addictive pistachio barfi bites are a testament to Shelina’s knack for creating delightful treats with minimal effort. They’re perfect for a sweet indulgence.
- Makes: 18-20 pieces
- Ingredients: 97g tin of sweetened condensed milk, 150g milk powder, 100g pistachios, shelled and blended, ½ tsp ground cardamom, pinch of salt.
- Method: Gently heat condensed milk. Stir in milk powder, ground pistachios, cardamom, and salt until a thick dough forms. Press into a lined tray, top with chopped pistachios and gold leaf. Chill until firm, then cut into pieces.
