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Monika Rastogi
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TitleMonika RastogiCollectionFaces of SelwynDescriptionGreeting us in Hindi, Monika Rastogi and her son Rayaan join us on the podcast. Monika shares her passion for community groups and educating adults and children of multiple ethnicities about her interests in cooking, gardening and sustainability, which connects her to her North Indian culture.
The door opens and you are greeted by the smell of warm Indian spices. Monika Rastogi leads you to her kitchen where she is preparing a delicious vegetable curry. Her six year old son Rayaan is busy chopping carrots.
“I started involving my own boy Rayaan in cooking when he was just three. Now at the age of six he has already participated in three competitions!” Monika explains.
Monika says she is passionate about getting children from five years up involved with cooking, as it is an essential life skill and involves focusing, problem solving, following instructions, and can boost confidence.
“I love seeing smiles on children’s faces when they chop and prepare their own meal.”
Originally from India, Monika and her husband, Manu moved to New Zealand after living in Bangladesh and China.
Manu accepted a job offer at Kathmandu and Monika worked as an AA Insurance consultant, until she became a mother and decided become an early childhood reliever.
When Rayaan was two, the family began looking to buy their first home, close to a primary school and in a good community – they chose Prebbleton and moved there in September 2017.
“I like that it is very quiet and relaxed and calm. It is a mixed age group and kid friendly. We are all settled now, we bought our home and we now know a lot of people around us. We’ve got a good community, so that sense of belonging, that sense of family makes this country our home now.”
Monika says the move to New Zealand in 2012 took a while to get used to, missing India’s events and festivities, late night shopping and the food.
She decided to bring what she missed from India to New Zealand, teaching others how to cook authentic North Indian cuisine, organising events and volunteering in the community.
She runs non-profitable cooking workshops for adults and children, teaching them about sustainability; what they can grow from a seed, cuttings and food scraps.
When she’s not cooking, Monika is being active in the community as a Lincoln Scouts leader, a cricket coach, Christchurch peony club secretary, a member of Selwyn Timebank and a volunteer, delivering food to those in need.
CreatorHayley TateDate2021Runtime24.19
The door opens and you are greeted by the smell of warm Indian spices. Monika Rastogi leads you to her kitchen where she is preparing a delicious vegetable curry. Her six year old son Rayaan is busy chopping carrots.
“I started involving my own boy Rayaan in cooking when he was just three. Now at the age of six he has already participated in three competitions!” Monika explains.
Monika says she is passionate about getting children from five years up involved with cooking, as it is an essential life skill and involves focusing, problem solving, following instructions, and can boost confidence.
“I love seeing smiles on children’s faces when they chop and prepare their own meal.”
Originally from India, Monika and her husband, Manu moved to New Zealand after living in Bangladesh and China.
Manu accepted a job offer at Kathmandu and Monika worked as an AA Insurance consultant, until she became a mother and decided become an early childhood reliever.
When Rayaan was two, the family began looking to buy their first home, close to a primary school and in a good community – they chose Prebbleton and moved there in September 2017.
“I like that it is very quiet and relaxed and calm. It is a mixed age group and kid friendly. We are all settled now, we bought our home and we now know a lot of people around us. We’ve got a good community, so that sense of belonging, that sense of family makes this country our home now.”
Monika says the move to New Zealand in 2012 took a while to get used to, missing India’s events and festivities, late night shopping and the food.
She decided to bring what she missed from India to New Zealand, teaching others how to cook authentic North Indian cuisine, organising events and volunteering in the community.
She runs non-profitable cooking workshops for adults and children, teaching them about sustainability; what they can grow from a seed, cuttings and food scraps.
When she’s not cooking, Monika is being active in the community as a Lincoln Scouts leader, a cricket coach, Christchurch peony club secretary, a member of Selwyn Timebank and a volunteer, delivering food to those in need.
CreatorHayley TateDate2021Runtime24.19
Hayley Tate, Monika Rastogi (2021). Selwyn Stories, accessed 19/07/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/4257