A Living Family Album

Meet the Ammas
Behind the Magic

Three mothers. A lifetime of cooking. Countless stories, secret ingredients and recipes made with instinct, patience and a little bit of Amma magic.

Browse Their Recipes
Georgianna · Archana · Hilda
Illustrated portrait of the three Ammas — Georgianna, Archana and Hilda — together

Every Great Recipe Has an Amma Behind It

Amma Nana Recipes was born from a simple thought: the recipes that shaped our childhood should never disappear.

For decades, our Ammas cooked without measuring cups, written instructions or complicated techniques. They cooked by memory, instinct and love. A pinch meant exactly enough. A handful carried years of experience. And every dish had a story.

This website is our way of preserving those stories, sharing their trusted recipes and passing their lifelong kitchen wisdom to generations yet to come.

  1. 1
    Childhood Kitchens
    Stools by the stove, the first taste of mustard seeds popping in oil.
  2. 2
    Family Celebrations
    Wedding feasts, festival sweets, the chaos of a hundred hungry cousins.
  3. 3
    Handwritten Recipes
    Notebooks edged with turmeric stains and tea rings — the original cloud storage.
  4. 4
    Amma Nana Recipes
    Every story, every pinch, every whistle — gathered and preserved.
  5. 5
    Future Generations
    A grandchild in another city makes the same dish, and the table grows longer.
The Three Ammas

Three Kitchens. Three Hearts. One Family.

Portrait of Hilda Skinner , The Queen of Spices and Celebration
Hilda Skinner 
The Queen of Spices and Celebration

Hilda Skinner 

Growing up with South Indian roots, food was always at the center of family life. Some of my fondest memories are of watching meals being prepared with patience and care, filling the home with wonderful aromas and bringing everyone together around the table. These experiences taught me that food is much more than nourishment, it is a way of preserving traditions, expressing love, and creating lasting connections. As a wife and mother, cooking became one of the ways I created special moments for my family. Some of my happiest memories are tied to the meals we shared together, the excitement of preparing a favorite dish, the conversations around the dinner table, and the smiles on my children's faces when they enjoyed a meal made just for them. Looking back, many of our family milestones, celebrations, and everyday moments are remembered through the food we shared. Over the years, I have gathered recipes that have become part of our family's story. Some have been passed down through generations, while others were created through experimentation and a love of trying new flavors. Each recipe holds a special place in my heart and reflects the warmth and joy that cooking has brought into our home. Through this website, I am delighted to share these recipes with you. My hope is that they inspire you not only to create delicious meals but also to build beautiful memories with your own family and loved ones. After all, some of life's most treasured moments begin in the kitchen and are shared around the table.

Known For
  • Rajma Chawal
  • Aloo Paratha
  • Gajar ka Halwa
Favourite Ingredients
Garam Masala Ghee Kasuri Methi

When people ask for a second serving, that is the real compliment.

From Amma’s Kitchen
Diwali Mithai Marathon

Every Diwali, Hilda makes seven sweets in one day — and every neighbour gets a steel dabba at their door.

Explore Her Recipes
Portrait of Georgianna John, The Storyteller of the Kitchen
Georgianna John
The Storyteller of the Kitchen

Georgianna John

Every recipe prepared by Georgianna carries a memory. Some remind her of childhood, others of festivals, family journeys, unexpected guests or meals prepared for loved ones in her Hyderabad home.

Her cooking combines tradition with curiosity. She respects the original recipes passed down through generations while adding her own thoughtful touches. Her greatest joy comes from teaching others and knowing that the dishes she grew up with will continue to live in new kitchens.

Known For
  • Hyderabadi Dum Biryani
  • Mirchi ka Salan
  • Double ka Meetha
Favourite Ingredients
Saffron Basmati Rose Water

A recipe stays alive only when someone cooks it again.

From Amma’s Kitchen
Sealing the Dum

She seals her biryani pot with chapati dough. ‘The steam writes the recipe inside,’ she says.

Explore Her Recipes
Portrait of Archana Sharma, The Keeper of Coastal Anglo-Tamil Flavours
Archana Sharma
The Keeper of Coastal Anglo-Tamil Flavours

Archana Sharma

Cooking has always been more than preparing meals—it has been a journey of love, learning, and creativity. What began in my childhood under the gentle guidance and skilled hands of my mother blossomed into a lifelong passion for the culinary arts. Over the years, this passion has evolved through countless hours in the kitchen, blending tradition with experimentation, practice with inspiration, and cherished family recipes with new discoveries. As a mother and home chef, some of my greatest joy has come from serving my husband and children, creating something special each time they asked the familiar question, “What’s for dinner?” This collection brings together some of my personal and family favorites—recipes that have been carefully curated through years of experience, knowledge, and a genuine love for cooking. Each dish carries a story, a memory, or a lesson learned along the way. I am delighted to share these recipes with you and hope they bring as much warmth, joy, and togetherness to your table as they have to mine. Happy cooking and enjoy every bite!

Known For
  • Pepper Chicken Ball Curry
  • Coconut Rice
  • Plum Cake
Favourite Ingredients
Black Pepper Curry Leaves Coconut

The best recipes are not measured only in spoons. They are measured in patience and love.

From Amma’s Kitchen
Christmas Mornings

Georgianna still wakes at 4am every Christmas to start the meat ball curry — exactly the way her mother taught her in a tiny Chennai kitchen.

Explore Her Recipes
🌿🌿
Our Why

Lifelong Secrets,
Saved for Future Generations

Amma Nana Recipes began with a fear shared by many families: what happens when the people who know our most treasured recipes are no longer standing beside us in the kitchen?

So many traditional recipes live only in memory. They are written on ageing sheets of paper, shared through hurried phone calls or explained using phrases such as “just add a little” and “cook until it feels right.”

The three Ammas wanted to change that.

They created Amma Nana Recipes to document the dishes they spent a lifetime learning, cooking and perfecting. Their dream is to help children, grandchildren and families everywhere experience the flavours, stories and kitchen wisdom that shaped their lives.

🪔
Handwritten
On old paper
📜
Digitised
With care
📱
On every screen
For all
👩‍🍳
Re-cooked
With love
🍽️
Shared again
At every table

This is more than a recipe website. It is a living family archive — a bridge between generations, and a way for every Amma's love to continue travelling from one kitchen to another.