About Me
Born in Iran to parents of Indian descent and having resided in London for a decade before moving to the US in 1996, I pride myself on having a unique upbringing, a melange of cultured perspectives and a great deal of diverse life experiences. Raised in a Sikh household fueled by age-old family traditions that almost always involved food, I grew up helping my mom, aunts and grandmothers whip up tasty delights in the kitchen. I like to think of myself as a multi-national global ambassador of delectable goodies crafted with care to tastefully combine the past with the present. I have no borders. I have no boundaries. The limits of my culinary prowess are completely unrestricted.
I started Swaadish by Neelma because I was tired of settling for overly sweet, artificial desserts that didn’t do justice to the South Asian flavors I grew up loving. I craved something real—something made with saffron, cardamom, rose, and pistachios that actually tasted like home. So, I started making them myself.
What began as a small kitchen experiment quickly grew—thanks to customers who believed in my desserts even when I was still figuring it all out. Through every mistake and every milestone, their support reminded me I was building something special.
My mission is simple but powerful: to make modern South Asian desserts more accessible, more celebrated, and more mainstream—one handcrafted bite at a time.
Swaadish — Shudh Love in Every Bite.