Cooking up Culture: Discovering Dal Bati - from Rajasthan, India

When most of his friends are looking forward to turkey for Thanksgiving, Kishyn discovers his family's table will be filled with the flavors of Rajasthan, India - fragrant dal, warm ghee-soaked batis, and sweet churma.

At first, he's not sure if he'll like it. But as the day unfolds, from watching his Mama sort food for donation, to listening to Dadi's stories about Rajasthan, to cooking side-by-side with his grandparents, Kishyn learns that Thanksgiving isn't about what's on the table, but about the love, history, and traditions that bring people together.

Blending the spirit of an American holiday with the heritage of an Indian kitchen, Cooking up Culture is a warm, colorful tale about family, gratitude, and the joy of sharing culture across generations.

Parul L. Bhandari is a woman born in the U.S. to first generation immigrants from India. Growing up, culture and rituals, especially around Diwali and Holi, were anticipated and celebrated with the community. When Parul started visiting her children's classrooms as an adult, it was to share this culture beyond her family walls. Her first book, "Shine a Light on Diwali" was published in 2024, and shares stories of their American-heritage experience during Diwali season. Her books explore vairous elements of her identity as it represents in culture, food, practice and her life.Parul is also a Customer Success consultant for technology firms, a South Asian professional community leader, and a columnist for Inc.com. Her love of writing started at a young age, and has touched many forms such as poetry, fiction, and business writing.Parul lives in Chicago with her husband and is "Mama" to her own Jaiyen and Kishyn.Follow all of her work at: www.parullbhandari.com