In a quaint kitchen tucked away in west London, Parbatee Sawh, known as Sarah, is preparing doubles, a beloved Trinidadian treat made of flatbread stuffed with curried chickpeas.

She reminiscences about her past experience of serving this dish at the Notting Hill Carnival and confidently asserts that she was among the first to bring Indo-Caribbean cuisine to the festival.

“I initially began selling rotis, aloo pie, and dhal puri right from my car,” she recalls, a smile lighting her face. “Then in the 90s, I started supplying my Indo-Caribbean dishes at the annual event.”

Originally hailing from Trinidad, Sarah relocated to Lewisham in 1972 to pursue a nursing career. Since then, she has become a familiar figure at Carnival, dishing out food that celebrates her cultural roots.

“I realized there was a significant absence of Trinidadian food at the carnival, despite its origins in Trinidad,” she notes.

“The Indian influence in some culinary offerings showcases the rich cultural mosaic of the island.”

These days, Sarah’s daughters, Christina and Leah Bedeau, handle most of the cooking for their stall, Sweet Hand Cuisine, although the 72-year-old still lends a hand.

“Caribbean cuisine encompasses a vast array of flavors,” Christina, whose father is Grenadian, remarks.

Having grown up in west London, the 38-year-old often found it challenging for others to understand her mixed Black-Indian heritage, particularly during visits to Trinidad.

“Back in the 90s in London, there wasn’t much recognition for Indo-Caribbeans. People struggled to categorize me, and I faced judgment from various ethnic groups, while in Trinidad, diversity is the norm,” Christina explains.

She also believes that while the dishes are celebrated, the richer historical context is frequently ignored.

“Many don’t discuss how Indians originally came to the Caribbean. The history of indentureship isn’t widely acknowledged. The food is praised, but the stories behind them are often overlooked,” she adds.

Sophia Estelle Mangroo, another familiar face at Notting Hill Carnival, resonates with this view.

“As a second-generation British Indo-Trinidadian with grandparents who arrived in the UK during the Windrush era—an event often seen as predominantly Afro-Caribbean—I feel it’s essential to recognize that Indo-Caribbeans played a significant role in that narrative too.”

Based in Tooting, she enjoys promoting Indo-Caribbean culture in London through her social media presence.

“I participate in Carnival because it allows me to connect with my heritage through music, dance, and celebration,” she expresses.

The Notting Hill Carnival also features a lively Indo-Caribbean music genre known as chutney, which, Sophia points out, some people fail to associate with Indo-Caribbean roots.

The British Journal of Ethnomusicology defines chutney as an energetic blend of Indian folk music interwoven with Caribbean calypso and soca.

Yet, beyond the vibrant melodies and delectable dishes lies a profound, often untold history of indentureship.

The Caribbean has long been a cultural crossroads, with Indian communities arriving among waves of African, Chinese, and European migration.

A project by the National Archives shed light on the origins of this migration post the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, when the British Empire sought cheap labor from India.

From 1838 to 1917, over half a million Indians were brought to work on sugar plantations throughout the British colonies, primarily from northern regions like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Bengal.

They entered into contracts to work for three to five years for wages, later choosing either a return voyage home or land and citizenship in their new locations.

The journeys were long and perilous, often involving months aboard overcrowded ships in brutal circumstances.

Many eventually settled in the Caribbean countries of Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, and Suriname, forming vibrant communities that maintained elements of Indian culture while adapting to their new environments.

Christina reflects on a memorable encounter with someone from Mauritius at a community gathering in London.

“We enjoyed dhal puri together and laughed. The same dish, a similar flavor, but our families had lived on opposite ends of the globe,” she shares.

Writer and indentureship scholar Gina Agnew, who has Indo-Guyanese heritage, explains that this shared culinary tradition is significant.

“Dhal puri, a flatbread made from spiced ground chickpeas, was created by indentured workers during their journeys. You can find variations of this dish not only in the Caribbean but also in Mauritius, Fiji, and South Africa—anywhere Indians were brought under indentureship,” she clarifies.

The Indo-Caribbean narrative didn’t conclude in the Caribbean.

From the 1950s onward, numerous Indo-Caribbean families, especially from Trinidad and Guyana, moved to the UK as part of the broader post-Windrush migration.

Encouraged to settle in Britain to assist in post-World War II reconstruction, they arrived with aspirations for improved prospects.

London quickly became a focal point, with communities establishing themselves in areas such as Ladbroke Grove, Southall, Harlesden, and Brixton, bringing along their culinary traditions, music, and cultural practices.

These neighborhoods were where the foundations of the Notting Hill Carnival were laid, and where the aromas and sounds of Indo-Caribbean culture, such as sizzling doubles, continue to resonate.

According to Gina, as of 2021, there are approximately 2.5 million people of Indo-Caribbean descent globally.

In nations like Guyana and Trinidad, they comprise as much as 40% of the population and form the largest ethnic group in certain regions.

The influence of Indian culture is deeply rooted, permeating everything from chutney music to dishes like dhal puri and chicken curry (or curry chicken, depending on who is asked) and celebrations like Phagwah (Holi) and Indian Arrival Day.

Gina, who contributed to the National Archives project on indentured workers in 2023, observes that many descendants still face challenges in tracing their ancestral roots.

“Numerous families are unaware of the specific regions in India their forebears came from, though this is gradually changing,” she notes.

For Sarah, her daughters, and Sophia, Notting Hill Carnival signifies much more than just the food, music, or costumes; it serves as a tribute to a legacy crossing continents and generations, highlighting the resilience of those who made the Caribbean—and later London—their home.