It is the third day of Ramzan. Farida and her husband have just broken their fast. They offer their visitor from Delhi an assortment of
jol khabar (teatime snacks) served in delicate bone china crockery. There is an air of genteel calm in their drawing room. The polished red oxide cement floor, the ebony and glass showcase filled with silver enamelled artefacts, the unflashy furniture and the understated carpets, evoke an old-world charm far removed from the raucous din of Park Circus a stone’s throw away.
Farida’s husband – let us call him Farooq – traces his ancestry to Avadh but has lived in Calcutta all his life. It is a city he loves without reservation, a city where his religion or his language never made him feel alien. On the first day of Ramzan, he tells us, a Hindu Punjabi neighbour sent a platter of food for iftar. The next day, haleem came from the home of a Sikh friend. This year’s Ramzan is special – their younger daughter will keep the first roza of
2 delectable books about South Asian culinary traditions that foodies will love
A foodie reviews two delicious works of food writing from South Asia and samples their traditional recipes as the new year dawns. December 26, 2020 / 09:26 AM IST
It’s been a year of lockdowns and home-cooked meals, however amateur they may be. And so it’s only apt that 2020 ends with two exemplary pieces of food writing to satisfy our culinary fantasies. If you are a foodie like me, these amazing books featuring recipes that tingle your senses and mouth-watering images are a delight to begin the new year with.
Vegetarian Cuisine from the Himalayan Foothills: Flavours and Beyond (Niyogi Books, Rs 750) by Veena Sharma includes recipes and nuggets of knowledge about the Garhwal region of the Himalayan foothills and its biodiversity. The recipes are extremely delicious, nutritious, flavourful and designed to promote physical and mental wellbeing. There are even vegan and gluten-free recipes to try