Nellofer Khilji runs one of a growing number of catering services helping South Asian students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison find a taste of home in Madison, growing their businesses by connecting with students in a way that provides more than just convenience.
Khilji first started cooking commercially when she opened Shalimar Catering in 1999 after moving to Madison with her husband. Her restaurant was located on University Avenue. After two years, they decided to shift their catering business to home-based after deciding to spend more time with her kids while balancing food service.
“It was hard. When you are new in the business, there is a lot of money needed for investment and advertising,” Khilji told The Daily Cardinal. “I also had to take care of my kids. It took a lot of time and effort to start this, but it was worth it.”
Khilji typically starts her day at 7 a.m. and often cooks until 4 p.m. She delivers the food after she’s done cooking for the day. Each week she makes food for around 10-15 clients. Most weeks, she goes to the grocery store every day, frequenting Woodmans, Costco and local Indian grocery stores.
On the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, Khilji delivers food to students from a variety of diverse backgrounds, ranging from local to international students.
“I get a lot of calls from parents in India, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan asking for food deliveries. I was surprised by the number of calls [at first],” Khilji said, noting that she found out her name was appearing in group chats of parents with international students after inquiring how the parents reaching out knew her number.
Khilji has never spent any money on advertising her business, saying that word of mouth, especially on campus, has helped her business grow tremendously.
“I work really hard. But that's why I think my business is successful, because I always give time to the customer, whatever they want, whenever they want, even early morning, late night,” she said.
In addition to regular customers, Khilji also caters weddings, parties, graduations and iftar events during Ramadan, providing catering to events with over 300 guests. Khilji said Ramadan is one of the busiest times during the year for her, noting she cooks while fasting through all 30 days of Ramadan, a sacred month observed by Muslims worldwide.
Udita Suresh, a sophomore at UW-Madison, found Khilji through a group chat of Indian students. Having a service like Khilji’s isn’t just about convenience, Suresh said. It also means being able to enjoy the luxury of food that reminds her of home.
“Good food is what gives me the fuel to function and keep up with whatever the day demands. Obviously, nothing can beat the kind of food you get at home, but people like her try their best to offer that,” Suresh said.
Moonhalf Halal Eats
MOONHALF Halal Eats, a food catering business which combines Indian and Pakistani food with American fusion, is another catering service helping South Asian students in Madison find a taste of home.
Tayba, who is 28 years old and asked to be referred to by her first name only, opened Moonhalf Halal Eats more recently after moving near the Madison area. Before moving to Madison, Tayba was attending school in Michigan and realized her love for cooking.
As a former international student, Tayba knows how it feels to miss home-cooked meals and is motivated by the opportunity to connect with college students through good food.
“I love meeting kids and asking how life's going, how their school is,” she said. “I think a lot of international parents, especially, are very concerned for their kids since they're so far away. So the service you offer is very reassuring to them. It feels so good when parents in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Saudi [Arabia] reach out to thank you.”
For Tayba, it’s important that students are able to access good food without worrying about the costs. At Moonhalf Halal Eats, Tayba tries to keep a “very minimal price” and charges about $8 for one meal, saying she believes it’s important that students can access good food without worrying about cost. The servings are large, so you can eat multiple meals from one box.
Like Khilji, Tayba, hears from parents who appreciate her food for international students, like one mother who felt grateful that her son could have a taste of home despite being so far away.
“She was a little sad and crying. She was saying that her son is a freshman and he just came from India and he's not feeling well. But she wants him to eat,” Tayba said. “She was saying, ‘If I were there, I would cook daal chawal.’ So she was asking if I could do that. I said, ‘Yeah, you can share your recipe.’”
