RIVERSIDE, Calif. — We all know the power of food.

It can heal, connect and, for one Riverside family, save from homelessness.

Just a few short years ago, the Sanghu family in Riverside almost lost the roof over their heads. The family's matriarch, Kulwant “Kimmi” Sanghu, is a jovial woman who loves to cook.

"I cook like crazy for my customers, but for my husband or kids, I’m like, 'The kitchen is closed,'" she said with a laugh.

But when Kimmi remembered how much her family struggled the last 10 years, and especially through COVID, she broke into tears.

"Every time I tell my story, I can't stop because I know how much my family has been through," she said.

And indeed, the Sanghu family has been through a lot. Kimmi Sanghu’s husband lost his job, which started an era of hardship for the next 10 years. The family got kicked out of two previous homes because they couldn’t pay rent, and they were close to losing their current house.

Kimmi's son Manu Sanghu remembers seeing the family bank account go negative every month and watching his parents struggle to pay just one bill.

"I would see my mom just tearing up, like, 'I can’t pay this, I can’t pay that,'" he said.

But today, the Sanghu family has made a huge turn around, thanks to a successful home restaurant called Cali Tarkda.

“Our own Punjabi food with a twist,” Kimmi beamed.

It’s Punjabi fusion food with hits such as chicken tikka fries, homemade samosas and garlic naan that Kimmi Sanghu makes fresh every day. Cali Tardka is what pulled them back from the brink of homelessness.

In fact, the home restaurant is the very first to be granted a license in the city of Riverside, meaning they're legally allowed to cook and sell their food to the public from home, instead of a restaurant. Customers can place an order through social media and make pickups outside the Sanghu home. 

Neighbors rallied for the family and helped spread the word once the business went up and running.

Social media played a big part in building the customer base after several videos of Kimmi Sanghu went viral on TikTok. But for daughter Priya Sanghu, the most inspirational part of the story is watching her mom come into her own.

“She has her own voice. She knows her worth now,” Priya said. “Before she never knew what was her worth, honestly.”

Now, the Sanghu family says they can pay bills and dream about their next big step.

“We’re looking into a distribution center for frozen foods,” said Manu.

They continue to cook for their customers knowing that Cali Tardka will keep this roof over their heads.

If you want to order from Cali Tardka, you can find them on their social media accounts @Calitardka.