Hi, I’m Shireen, the founder of Hey!Hunger. If we were sitting down for a meal together, this is probably the story I’d tell you.
I grew up in India with food that put vegetables at the center of the plate. Lentils, spices, nuts, seeds. Familiar ingredients, brought together in ways that made you want another bite.
My mother’s cooking is where this story really begins.
The food I kept coming back to
My mother was caring, curious, and full of life. The food she made for our family was one of the ways she looked after us. That connection between cooking and caring has stayed with me.
After moving to the U.S., my eating habits changed. Over time, my own health challenges made me take a closer look at what I was eating and what I wanted to make room for again.
I found myself returning to the Indian recipes I grew up with. Vegetables. Legumes. The warmth of spices. Food that felt familiar and that I looked forward to eating.
After losing my mother, recreating her tikkis and kebabs became a way of keeping that part of her close. There is something very personal about making food you associate with someone you love. You get to share a little of them with the people at your table.
Making room for that food in everyday life
Of course, knowing what you want to eat and having the time to make it are two different things.
Some days you have time to cook. Other days, lunch happens between things, or dinner arrives before you’ve given it a thought. I wanted the food I loved to fit those days, too.
That became Hey!Hunger: veggie + nut patties inspired by the Indian recipes I grew up with, made here in California. Vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and spices, brought together in something you can keep in the freezer and prepare when you need it.
You can get to know the four flavors here. The vegetables and nuts are part of each flavor’s personality, which is why we put them right in the names.
A place at your table
I love that there are so many ways to make these patties part of a meal. Add one to a bowl with grains and greens. Serve it alongside roasted vegetables. Put a few on a plate with hummus or labneh and let everyone help themselves.
There’s no special way you have to eat them. And no bun required.
Hey!Hunger is a tribute to my mother and an invitation to bring a little more flavor, ease, and pleasure to everyday meals.
That’s what Eat. Live. Fully. means to me. Enjoy what’s on your plate. Stay curious. Make time for the people you love.
If you’d like to bring a box home, you can find us at a retailer near you. And if you’re just here for a few meal ideas and a conversation about food, I’m glad you’re here, too.
Warmly,
Shireen
