Coutts Woman

The spice of her life

It is hard to believe that Pinky Lilani, founder of Spice Magic and development consultant to Europe’s biggest food companies, could not cook when she came to England in 1977. It certainly came as a shock to her husband.

“We were married three weeks after we met,” she explains. “But I had never been inside a kitchen. My family had the best chef in Calcutta, and he didn’t let me in.”

But when she returned to India on holiday, Pinky insisted on ‘watching and learning’. She says: “I found that energy transfers into your food. If you have positive energy, your food tastes better. I watched the way he added garlic, and realised that a slight difference in the amount could change the taste.”

Pinky was a quick learner. “My first job was teaching Indian cookery at an adult education centre. I didn’t have a clue but I had such enthusiasm.’ One of her first students worked for Sharwood’s, a company that has been linked to Indian and Oriental food since the reign of Queen Victoria. ‘She asked me to do some consultancy work and help develop their Indian range,” recalls Pinky.

RHM, then known as Rank Hovis McDougall, owned Sharwood’s, and through the company Pinky worked with supermarket chains on their own Indian ranges. “I was inspired to write about cookery,” she adds.

Spice Magic, Pinky’s first book which she published herself in 2001, was underwritten by her husband. “The bookshops didn’t want to stock the book. So I said ‘I’ll come into your stores and show customers how to cook Bombay Potatoes in five minutes’,” she says. “I brought my portable wok, and the customers smelt garlic wafting around and soon came over to see what was going on. It was easy and simple and blew open the myth that Indian food was complicated and very spicy.”

Despite having no PR representation, Pinky managed to pull off a publicity coup when she invited a journalist from The Times to watch (and aid) her cook for the former Miss World and Miss India.

She adds: “I appeared on Open House with Gloria Hunniford, and the Good Food Live. I was very lucky. My husband had lent me £25,000, but I made it up very quickly. I don’t want an overdraft. I am cautious when it comes to money.”

“My first job was teaching Indian cookery at an adult education centre. I didn’t have a clue but I had such enthusiasm”

Pinky then came up with the idea of selling boxes of spices to accompany the books, initially recruiting her cleaner to pack them. “It is about self belief,” she explains.

Eight years ago Pinky launched the Asian Women of Achievement Awards, to recognise the accomplishments and contributions Asian women have made to society. The first year was a result of footwork and painstaking research. “I even stopped people in the street to get nominations and entries,’ admits Pinky. Despite such inauspicious beginnings, more than 100 Asian women entered the inaugural awards and Pinky even pulled off the coup of getting Cherie Blair to attend, dressed in Indian outfit. ‘I didn’t know her, but I knew I had to generate people to come to the awards to get publicity,” explains Pinky.

She rang the prime minister’s office, and was turned down. Robin Cook, then foreign secretary, was unavailable, but his secretary Gaynor (later his wife) was very helpful and Pinky invited her. They became good friends. Gaynor introduced her to Fiona Miller, part time adviser to Tony Blair and friend to Cherie, who extended an invitation to the prime minister’s wife.

Cherie Blair QC is now patron, along with Her Highness Begum Inaara Aga Khan, wife of the Aga Khan. Pinky served on his National Council for the UK from 1993 to 1998.

The awards (now in their seventh year) are now firmly established, and have even attracted The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. This year the Duke of Kent attended.

Last month, the inaugural Women of the Future Awards were held for females under 35. Another brainchild of Pinky, who chairs the award, she says: “The awards captured the imagination. They were just what young women need. There is no real network for women, and it would benefit them immensely. These awards bring together women from different backgrounds. They can meet other people and learn about other challenges.

“I launched these awards because I really believe in them. I thought they would open doors and make a difference for these young women. I have been vindicated by the inspiring entries, and seeing the women all together.’ She believes women traditionally lack the confidence to market and sell themselves, and wants to help them break through. ‘My own barrier is that I am embarrassed to ask for money,” she concedes.

But that ‘barrier’ has not held back Pinky, who admits she has a low boredom threshold and needs to have several things going on at once. “Life is what you make it,” she concludes.