Hello! I'm Nuzrath Shazeen

I’m Nuzrath , a lover of food and a mother to five beautiful kids. I’m not different from any other mom with young kids trying to stay sane and survive motherhood! 

 Cooking is therapeutic to me after a long day of never-ending errands & school runs. In fact,  I love dishing up comfort food but with a healthy twist. I adore styling my dishes which adds in the extra feel of fancy to it.  However, in reality, my dishes are made with simple ingredients within a quick span of time. 

For me hospitality works as second nature as I hail from a big family who gather around the dinner table of my childhood. Likewise, I’m married to an even bigger family where this tradition continues. However, I promise you the secret ingredient to a good meal is lots of love & patience.  I will always stand by the thought that food always tastes better when you share it with your friends and family.

Hello! I'm Nuzrath Shazeen

Just another regular mummy inspired to inspire others. I am Nuzrath & mummy to five beautiful kids & just like all regular mums trying to survive motherhood.

Cooking is therapeutic to me after a long day of never-ending errands & school runs. Most of my meals may look fancy yet, they’re made with simple ingredients & short span of time. But i promise you the secret ingredient is lots of love & patience.

‘Food brings people together on many different levels, its nourishment of the soul & body. Its truly love’ Giada de Lawrentiis.

Meet the Chef

The face of My Lankan Food Journal is none other than Nuzrath Shazeen, a chef, a blogger and a food stylist from the tropical paradise of Sri Lanka. Nuzrath believes that good food can both be healthy while bursting with flavour simultaneously. What started as a personal record of recipes chiefly inspired by her late mother, has now grown into a website that receives a multitude of website visits each month.

More importantly, her recipes are easy to follow, and quick to prepare as she is a devoted and busy mother of five. Her recipes are a clear inspiration for those who want to improve their diets but don’t want to spend hours a day in the kitchen. Apart from cooking up and conjuring delicious meals, Nuzrath enjoys travelling and tasting various local and foreign cuisine

Nuzrath Shazeen Nazimudeen is the founder of ” My Lankan Food Journal”. She has been trained for a variety of cuisines from Sri Lankan, Chinese, Western, Indian and Middle Eastern. Nuzrath has a passion for nutrition and all things healthy. 

She has been featured on various food columns such as Life Sri Lanka and in blogs and magazines such as ‘Chokalaate’, Pulse and Yamu. Nuzrath has collaborated and worked with many esteemed organizations such as Finch Food, Butter Boutique, K-Tea, Arogyah, V Ceylon and Ceylon Black Garlic in Sri Lanka. 

Her food philosophy is inspired by her appreciation for cooking using the finest local ingredients and spices. She simply adores curating dishes representing her local cultural heritage with innovative dishes that highlight regional specialties.

Meet and Greet with Celebrity Chef Nigella Lawson UK (June 2018)

If there is one celebrity that I emulate in my kitchen adventures, it is none other than celebrity chef, Nigella Lawson. 

I have been an ardent follower of her cooking episodes on TLC since my late teens. She makes cooking effortlessly beautiful. I can relate to her in the way she hosts and cooks in the most laid back manner. She has been a wide source of inspiration as both a feminine figure in the kitchen as well as a chill individual. 

The context behind the picture I have posted still makes me smile every time I remember it. It was snapped during the time Nigella visited our exotic island for the first time. My husband suddenly turned up with tickets for her meet and greet session where Nigella had curated some of her special dishes for the audience. I was overwhelmed with euphoria when I stood with her for the picture. Wouldn’t anyone be!!!

My Roots

My father gave me, an inexperienced 15 year old, a culinary assignment to cook for a count of 45 guests! If you place the situation into context, there was me who had never stepped into the kitchen, being asked to cook for over two dozens of people. Deep underneath, I was convinced that no on other than my dad ever had hope that there would be any food served on the table that night !

After a melt down followed by several panic attacks, came my first Chinese meal. This incident paved the way for many delicious meals to follow as my confidence gave a leap for the better.

It has been my happy place ever since !! To this date, my father’s appreciation towards my food remains a significant pre-requisite!

Growing up in our family home in Wellawatte, I was spoilt rotten by my dad because I was the youngest at home. 

After pursuing my studies, I voluntarily joined Aunty Yvonne Fernando’s cookery class with a friend and started learning the ABC’s of cooking. My sisters championed the kitchen and preferred if I stayed away from the kitchen while they were at work.

However, it was my mother who truly inspired me to create an effortless cooking experience. Our incredibly close relationship gave me access to her recipes and techniques. In fact, most of my recipes on the blog are some of her dishes with my own personal touch. 

My mother was one of the most strongest women I know, she fought dilated cardiomyopathy from the age of 40 and succumbed to it at the young age of 55

I never saw her complain about her illness but I always saw her living her life by reaching out to those in need and I believe that’s what prolonged her life in this world despite doctors  not giving her much time.  May Allah grant her the highest level of Paradise and May we re-unite with her in the hereafter : Aameen

Food & Friendship: Birth of My Lankan Food Journal

Having studied in an only girls school in Colombo, I have shared the best memories with a small circle of close friends. 

Most of  our memories are curated along the simple ritual of eating. We as friends have always enjoyed eating together whether it was in the school canteen, at re-unions, each other’s weddings and anywhere for that matter. We still continue our friendship to date.

The simple act of sitting down with friends to share a meal and savouring food in the company of loved ones nurtures the soul. I clearly remember prior to the inception of the My Lankan Journal food blog, I used to feel bored as I had nothing much going on for myself as an individual except the usual monotonous work routine that was kind of getting to me. 

Since my husband used to travel extensively, I missed him deeply. My friends were always with me uplifting and keeping me company when I hit the blues. 

However, I decided to divert this energy into cooking as I felt it was therapeutic. This evolved into wanting to inspire other ladies who may be going through similar challenges and thus led to the birth of the My Lankan Food Journal blog

What we offer at My Lankan Food Journal

I believe life already comes with a little spice and I’m here making the best use of it by blending into distinct flavours to suit a variety of palates. 

My main aim through my blog is to gift you my culinary knowledge. A chef’s greatest reward lies in the pleasant surprise the guests have when they taste the dishes. I want to ensure your guests and families too experience it. I want to help you take the most ordinary ingredients in your home and help you transform it into the most extraordinary flavours. 

However, I have the dynamic soul of an entrepreneur. I value the difficulty in gathering experience and knowledge as I have been through this tedious process. Therefore, you will come across certain dishes that I treasure close to my heart with a minor price tag under the paid sections of the site. 

My main aim is to blend the local colors and flavours of rich Sri Lankan culinary heritage and draw in the taste of global culinary into one common space.  Welcome to My Lankan Food Journal where recipes, flavours, plates and palates meet!

Frequently Asked Questions

I DO NOT sell food 🙂

My Lankan Food Journal is merely a Food Blog. I love sharing my knowledge on food and I share information on dishes I make.

Yes I do!

Only the Original Recipes that’s close to my heart. 

I’m from the beautiful island of Sri Lanka!!

I cannot pin point where exactly you may have gone wrong while preparing it. So for the next time you can check if you’ve used the right ingredients, double checking the amounts are correct or check the timings. Contact me directly if nothing goes well.

The recipes listed are made with only the mentioned ingredients and we cannot be 100% sure that substitute ingredients may work just as the original. We recommend that you try the mentioned ingredient first and next time you can try adding your own mix.

I haven’t provided nutritional information because there are so many brands and products you can use and the nutritional content differs from product to product. The best way to find it is from your brand’s official website or by contacting them.

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