Dr. Shabana Parvez, MD, FACEP, US Bureau Chief of The Desi Buzz and founder of Arlington Integrative Medical Associates (AIMA) and Babies4.us, sat down for an exclusive and insightful conversation with Andrea Gill, the German-born culinary creator behind CoffeeMilkFamily and IndoGerm Kitchen, to discuss her love story with India, her six-year quest for the perfect roti, and how food became the bridge between two cultures. What follows is a heartfelt, humorous, and inspiring conversation about love, spices, and the beautiful things that happen when we open our hearts to another culture.
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Dr. Shabana Parvez: Andrea, welcome to The Desi Buzz Show. You are our first non-Desi origin guest who has truly embraced the Desi lifestyle. How does that feel?
Andrea Gill: Oh, well. I feel really honored and it feels a bit surreal because I don’t really see it as anything special of myself, you know, it’s just my everyday life. It’s moments like this that make me realize, “Oh my God, I’m living a desi lifestyle.”
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You were born and raised in Germany. Tell us about your childhood and how cooking first became a part of your life.
Andrea Gill: I had a very sheltered childhood in Bavaria with my two siblings. I am the youngest. My mother was a passionate cook and baker. From the very beginning, she made it a priority to teach us how to cook. She always said it’s important to know how to cook fresh, healthy meals so you can provide for yourself. On weekends we had to help her, and at some point, she introduced the idea that we should cook a dish of our choice on our own. She was always very proud of us, no matter how it ended up tasting. It was simply about doing it and practicing.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Your professional training was in gastronomy. What were some of the most important lessons you learned during that journey?
Andrea Gill: Oh, my gosh. One of the most important lessons is that cooking is about creativity. But to be creative, you have to know how each dish is cooked. You should know every single ingredient and remember the taste as a whole. Only then can you start adding or omitting things, and only then can you develop a sense of which combinations are possible.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Before India entered your life, you were deeply inspired by Spanish cuisine. What attracted you to international cooking styles?
Andrea Gill: That was a very exciting time for me. I found it so thrilling to prepare vegetables in a completely different way and combine them with different vegetables than we do in traditional German cuisine. For me, it was boring to cook German food. It was so exciting to see which spices and herbs were used in Spain and what flavor resulted. It blew my mind.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You met your husband in Sydney, Australia in 2011 and later married in India in 2012. That sounds like a movie story. How did your love story begin?
Andrea Gill: Okay, it was actually like a kind of movie. I was backpacking with two friends. On Christmas Eve, we decided to treat ourselves and go out to a small backpacker bar we had visited once before. It was insanely crowded. I turned around, my friends disappeared into the crowd, and suddenly someone dripped a drink over my foot. That was the moment we saw each other for the very first time.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Maybe he planned it, like in the movies!
Andrea Gill: No, seriously not! He was also like, “Oh my god, sorry, sorry.” He asked if he could invite me for a drink, and I said okay. From that moment on, we talked, and after a while, he asked for my number. We spent every single day together until I had to leave Australia.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: What was your very first impression of India when you visited for your wedding?
Andrea Gill: I need to mention, I didn’t have any idea about India—not the culture, not the food, nothing. I just knew I loved this man and I would go there.
At first, I thought, “Wow, now I’m in a part of a documentary just like the ones I’ve always seen on television.” It was beautiful. I was so impressed by the hospitality, the brilliance of the colors of Indian clothing, and how family celebrations are handled. It’s very different from Germany.
Discovering Desi Culture & Food
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You mentioned eating rotis and parathas for the first time in India. What was that experience like?
Andrea Gill: You have to eat with your hands too, right? I was eating with my hands and I still remember them putting the plate in front of me. I opened a paratha and thought, “What is in there?” I didn’t know I was going to get gobi, cauliflower. But I was so embarrassed to ask what I was eating, so I just ate. And it was so tasty. Very unique.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You said it took nearly six years to truly understand Punjabi cooking and make the perfect roti. What kept you motivated?
Andrea Gill: I wanted to cook a good, delicious dish so that my husband has a little piece of home here in Germany. I didn’t want him to constantly taste the difference that I as a non-desi cooked it. I wanted the taste as if he were sitting at home in India. That was my whole intention.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Which spice or ingredient was the most confusing for you initially, and which one is your favorite now?
Andrea Gill: Confusing was definitely the green chilies. I thought, “Do they really need to be in there? This is too spicy for me.” I tried to avoid them. But by now, I eat a bit spicier than my husband. My taste totally changed. My absolute favorite? It doesn’t exist. I love my spice box. You need the collaboration of spices. If I have to pick one blend, it’s Kitchen King Masala.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You intentionally started exploring dishes beyond Punjabi cuisine. Which regional cuisines fascinated you the most?
Andrea Gill: After six or seven years of Punjabi, I started with Gujarati and Bengali. I was like, “Wow, wow, wow.” They use much more or less spices than the Punjabis, but it’s so flavorful. I was on the spot in love. When I discovered these dishes, I used black mustard seeds, curry leaves, and kasuri methi for the first time. It was wonderful. From then on, it was clear I had to discover more.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You also creatively combined German dishes with Indian flavors. Can you share a favorite Indo-German fusion?
Andrea Gill: Sometimes I’m too lazy to make a roti. So I’ll mix sambar or dal makhani with pasta. Or Chana Masala with German pancakes (which we eat savory). Or a mushroom-paneer dish with Spätzle (German noodles). It’s all amazing.
Social Media, Entrepreneurship & Influence
Dr. Shabana Parvez: In 2020, you and your husband launched CoffeeMilkFamily on social media. What inspired you?
Andrea Gill: Because of the interest of our friends and family who kept asking how we accommodate both of our cultures in our daily life. They always wondered how this could work. We thought we could share that on social media to show everyone that love knows no borders and how colorful life can be.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Your content evolved from comedy to food storytelling. Why do you think Indian cooking videos connected so strongly?
Andrea Gill: Honestly, I was exhausted trying to keep up with the daily comedy routine. My husband said, “Why don’t you show them your cooking skills?” I wanted to share that you can manage Indian food at home. Here we go. It’s not hard to do.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Today, your community across platforms has grown to nearly 700,000 followers. How has that changed your life?
Andrea Gill: Social media has given me self-confidence. It took away the last fears of contact I might have had before. I now approach people openly, which was difficult. I no longer care what others might think of me every day. Hundreds of thousands of people see me the way they want to see me, which I cannot influence. So why worry? I don’t have to please anyone. I just have to be myself.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: You now run your own online store, Indo Germ Kitchen, along with your food blog. What inspired you to turn your passion into a business?
Andrea Gill: It happened organically. People kept asking, “Where do you get your grater plate?” Or “Which spices do I have to use?” And we said, “Okay, let’s open an online shop and try to provide everyone with that grater plate and my own spice blends.” Then everyone can get exactly the spices I’m using and not have to worry.
Fun Rapid Fire
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Rapid Fire Time!
- Favorite Indian dish? I love everything with paneer.
- Favorite German comfort food? This is hard because there’s no German food in my mind anymore!
- Chai or Coffee? It depends. Morning: coffee. Afternoon: chai.
- Roti or Rice? Roti. Definitely.
- One Indian spice you cannot live without? Kitchen King Masala.
- One Indian city you love the most? Amritsar, because it’s home for me.
Message & Inspiration
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Finally Andrea, what message would you like to give to people around the world about embracing different cultures, relationships, and food traditions through love and understanding?
Andrea Gill: I would just say, don’t be scared of anything. Be brave. Try everything. Trust in yourself. If you want something, just do it. Go for it.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Thank you so much, Andrea. It’s been wonderful talking to you. Where can everyone find you?
Andrea Gill: You can find Cook with CoffeeMilkFamily on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. And my online store is IndoGermKitchen.com.
Dr. Shabana Parvez: Excellent. Thank you again!
