dhara topiwala

Born in India, Dhara moved to New Zealand with her family in the late 80s and was brought up in Auckland.  Discovering a passion for cooking at a young age, Dhara spent many happy hours learning to cook traditional dishes from her Mum. With 28 different states in India, Dhara is from Navsari, in Gujarat, people from this region are colloquially known as Gujju’s, and Gujju’s love to eat with many well-known Indian dishes coming from this region.

When Dhara started creating her family meals and sharing these with friends and colleagues, everyone was quick to encourage her to start selling her food. With the help of her husband and three sons, Dhara created Dhara’s Paratha’s, focusing on sharing her amazing stuffed flatbreads – a family favourite – with all Aucklanders. Paratha’s are a common street food in India, eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, although in Auckland there are no businesses that focus solely on the humble paratha.

Currently Dhara creates 3 traditional paratha flavours, Potato, paneer, and cabbage, which she serves these with her handmade pickle and raita (a yoghurt-based side dish).  Dhara also offers two traditional drinks, Mango Lassi and hot Masala Chai, a crowd pleaser especially in the cooler months.

Not coming from a food-service or hospitality background, Dhara wasn’t too sure of how to start her food business. Her ex-boss referred her to The Kitchen Project and after her first meeting, she hasn’t looked back, “As soon as I’d spoken with Sreshta and Connie I knew this was the right choice. They made me feel welcome and showed interest in what I cook and what my passion is. Their support, and that of the wider group and mentors, has really helped me reach the next level.”

Dhara’s vision for her business is to eventually have her own permanent location where she can create her authentic Indian dishes. Her goal is for Dhara’s Paratha’s to be the first choice when it comes to Indian food and is keen to get her paratha’s as a frozen product for retail sales so customers can purchase and reheat the paratha’s themselves.

Currently Dhara is selling her product at Sunday markets across Auckland including the Kumeu monthly market and the Coatesville market, as well as at pop up events. Follow Dhara on Instagram and Facebook to see where she’ll be next.