About My Desi

My Desi is a practical handbook to the parts of South Asian life that families usually pass on by doing rather than explaining.

Who it's for

• 🏠People who grew up with it and half-know it — who can cook three dishes their mother makes but couldn't tell you which dal is which.
• ✉️People who've just been invited in — a wedding invitation, a new partner's family, a first Diwali at a colleague's house.
• 🌏People raising the next generation abroad, trying to hand on something they were never formally taught themselves.

What this site isn't

It isn't a directory. We don't list shops, caterers, venues or events — other people do that well, and doing it badly helps nobody. Every page here exists to explain how something is done and why.

How it's written

Pages are researched from published sources and reviewed before publication — the full method is on how we research this site, and our use of AI and of AI-generated illustrations is set out on the disclosure page.

One principle worth repeating: almost nothing here is universal. Customs differ by region, community, caste, class and family, and a practice that is unshakeable in one household is unknown three districts away. Where that's true, the page says so rather than flattening it into a rule.

Corrections welcome

If something here is wrong — especially if it's your tradition being described — we'd genuinely like to know. Use the contact form or see corrections. Notes from people with first-hand knowledge get acted on quickly.

Last updated: 2026-08-11