Sona's Kitchen

Journal

Notes from the kitchen.

Halal food guides, easy Indian dinner ideas, recipes and culture — written by our chefs and the editorial team.

Issue №01 · 5 min

Is Indian Food Always Halal? What to Check Before You Order

Indian food often gets assumed-halal because of its vegetarian heritage. The reality is more complicated.

Issue №02 · 6 min

Halal Meal Prep on a $100/Week Budget (Sydney Edition)

A realistic week of halal meal prep in Sydney for around $100 — what to cook, what to buy, and what to outsource.

Issue №03 · 6 min

The Complete Guide to Halal Indian Breakfasts

Indian breakfast is its own world — savoury, spiced, and almost entirely halal by default. A guide to ten dishes worth knowing.

Issue №04 · 5 min

Halal vs Jhatka vs Kosher: What's the Difference?

Three religious slaughter traditions, three different methods, three different communities. A plain-English comparison.

Issue №05 · 5 min

5 Halal Restaurants Worth Visiting in Western Sydney

Western Sydney has the densest concentration of halal restaurants in Australia. Five worth a special trip.

Issue №06 · 4 min

How to Read a Halal Certification Label — A 60-Second Guide

Halal logos on packaging vary wildly in trustworthiness. Here's how to read one in under a minute.

Issue №07 · 6 min

A Beginner's Guide to Indian Spices (and Which to Start With)

Indian cooking uses dozens of spices but really only needs eight to get started. Here's the starter kit and how to use it.

Issue №08 · 5 min

What is Dal? 8 Dals Every Indian Kitchen Knows

Dal is the soul of Indian cooking — but it's not one dish. Eight regional dals, what's in them, and how they differ.

Issue №09 · 5 min

Biryani vs Pulao: Why They're Not the Same Dish

They both contain rice and meat. They are not the same. A guide to the cooking method that makes biryani biryani.

Issue №10 · 7 min

Regional Indian Food: North vs South vs East vs West

Indian food is not a cuisine — it's at least four. A regional primer for anyone who's only ordered butter chicken.

Issue №11 · 5 min

The History of Butter Chicken (and Why Ours Is Different)

Butter chicken is younger than you think, and the original story involves leftover tandoori chicken and a Delhi kitchen.

Issue №12 · 5 min

What Ghee Actually Is — and Why It Matters

Ghee is more than clarified butter. Here's the difference, why Indian cooking depends on it, and how to choose a good one.

Issue №13 · 7 min

Indian Meal Prep for Weight Loss: A 7-Day Plan

A practical seven-day Indian meal-prep plan built around protein, fibre and portion control. No bland chicken breast.

Issue №14 · 5 min

Low-Carb Indian Dinners That Don't Feel Like a Diet

Indian cooking has plenty of low-carb dinners hiding in plain sight. Ten dishes under 20g of carbs.

Issue №15 · 6 min

Vegetarian Indian Meal Prep: A Week of Dal, Paneer & Chana

A seven-day vegetarian Indian meal-prep plan with macros, shopping list and batch-cook timings.

Issue №16 · 5 min

Office Lunch Ideas: 10 Indian Meals That Microwave Well

Not every Indian dish survives an office microwave. Ten that do — and what to avoid bringing to your desk.

Issue №17 · 4 min

What to Eat After a Workout: Indian High-Protein Options

Indian food is full of post-workout protein sources hiding in plain sight. A guide to the ones that work.

Issue №18 · 5 min

Indian Meal Delivery in Melbourne: What to Expect

Melbourne's chilled Indian meal delivery scene has grown fast. Here's what's actually available and how it works.

Issue №19 · 5 min

The Best Indian Grocers in Western Sydney

Western Sydney has the best Indian grocers in Australia. Five worth a Saturday-morning drive.

Issue №20 · 5 min

Tiffin Services in Sydney: How Delivery Has Changed

The Sydney tiffin scene has shifted from steel tins on bicycles to chilled subscription boxes. Here's the lay of the land.

Issue №21 · 5 min

Indian Food Festivals in Australia 2026

From Parramasala to the Diwali Fair to the South Indian Film Festival's food court — a 2026 calendar of Indian food festivals.

Issue №22 · 6 min

Sona's Kitchen vs HelloFresh: An Honest Comparison

Two very different services. A side-by-side on what you actually get, who each is for, and where they diverge.

Issue №23 · 5 min

Chilled vs Frozen Meal Delivery: What to Ask Before You Subscribe

Most meal delivery services don't lead with whether they're chilled or frozen. Here's why it matters.

Issue №24 · 6 min

How Much Do Meal Delivery Services Really Cost? (AU 2026)

Headline prices and real per-meal cost rarely match. A 2026 cost breakdown across the major Australian meal-delivery models.

Issue №25 · 3 min

Is Butter Chicken Gluten Free?

Most butter chicken is gluten-free — but not all. Here's exactly what to check.

Issue №26 · 7 min

What's in Our Kitchen: A Tour of How We Cook for 10,000 Meals a Week

A walkthrough of the Sydney kitchen behind every Sona's Kitchen meal — the equipment, the process, the people.

Issue №27 · 3 min

Is Tikka Masala Gluten Free?

Chicken tikka masala is usually gluten-free — but the marinade and the gravy each have a couple of pitfalls.

Issue №28 · 5 min

Butter Chicken vs Tikka Masala: The Real Difference

Two of the world's most-ordered curries, often confused, almost never the same dish. Here's what actually separates them.

Issue №29 · 5 min

What Indian Food is Gluten Free? A Coeliac's Guide

Most Indian food is gluten-free by default. Here's the menu map for coeliacs — what's safe, what's risky, and what to ask.

Issue №30 · 6 min

High-Protein Indian Meals: 12 Dishes with 25g+ Protein

Indian food has a reputation for being carb-heavy. It doesn't have to be. Twelve dishes that pack 25g+ of protein per serve.

Issue №31 · 2 min

Are Papadums Gluten Free?

Traditional papadums are gluten-free — but plenty of supermarket and restaurant versions aren't. A 2-minute guide.

Issue №32 · 7 min

Where to Buy Halal Indian Meals in Sydney (2026 Guide)

From Western Sydney grocers to Eastern Suburbs supermarkets to direct-to-door delivery — a 2026 guide to halal Indian meals in Sydney.

Issue №33 · 6 min

Halal Certification in Australia: Which Authorities to Trust

Not all halal certifications carry the same weight. A plain-English guide to the certifying bodies you'll see on Australian food.

Issue №34 · 7 min

Indian Meals for New Parents: A Postpartum Food Guide

Traditional Indian postpartum cooking is built around warmth, healing and milk supply. A practical guide for new parents in Australia.

Issue №35 · 6 min

Halal Ready Meals in Australia: A Buyer's Guide

What to look for when choosing a Halal ready meal in Australia — and why chilled beats frozen.

Issue №36 · 5 min

10 Easy Indian Dinner Ideas for a Weeknight in Australia

Ten ideas — from 5-minute curries to make-ahead biryanis — for getting an Indian dinner on the table on a school night.

Issue №37 · 4 min

Chilled vs Frozen Indian Meals: What's the Difference?

Why we ship every Sona's Kitchen meal chilled, never frozen — and what it means for flavour, texture and food safety.