So I'm moving. Cities, that is. And I'm, well, quite bummed about it. Not so much about where I have to go but more about all the things I have to wrap up. And instead of packing, paying bills and meeting people, I'm being an ostrich.
I think I am just overwhelmed at the prospect of leaving all my friends behind and going to a place where it's just the husband and me. 24x7. But I'll find something to do, I hope.
One of the things that I am insisting on taking with me are my cookbooks. They'll keep me sane at least for a little while. So today while sifting through them all, I chanced upon a book that was tucked into a corner of my bookshelf - The Essential Delhi Cookbook by Priti Narain.
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I bought this book a couple of years ago at a very quaint bookshop in SDA Market. I liked how noisy yet quiet it was and that they had stools that we could grab to browse through the books. From Penguin's Essential series, this book had everything I wanted to know about Delhi's khaana - the street food, the mughlai influences and even the cuisine from various sects (read castes) from Delhi. I already owned The Kerala Cookbook, which I reviewed here, and believed it was a great buy
I couldn't wait to try the cookbook, because one of the first things I'd read was the prologue which discussed Delhi's heritage and culinary history. The meats, the roasts, the pulaos and the desserts. How the ancient texts talked about food and how austerity ruled in the middle. And how people borrowed from each other's cultures to make their unique cuisine. In short, this was perfect. Ofcourse, as it is with the rest of the Essential series, there are no pictures.
One of the first things I tried off the book was the Kheema Matar and the Chicken Pulao. Both turned out phenomenal, very flavourful but not hot, yet beautifully spiced. One, rather wet day, I decided to try and make the papris, which might I add turned out to be really quite fantastic.
I've also tried the mutton curry, which comes close to the dhaba wala meat, I've eaten at several places and the murgh korma which my entire family loved.
Post a trip to Old Delhi, while flipping through the book, I realised it had the ever-so-popular Mutton Istoo recipe and Daulat ki chaat. I've still got to make both of them, but I'm going to wait till I'm well-settled in my new kitchen. Because this is one book, I'm definitely carrying with me.
The Essential Delhi Cookbook is available in the US, UK and India.
I think I am just overwhelmed at the prospect of leaving all my friends behind and going to a place where it's just the husband and me. 24x7. But I'll find something to do, I hope.
One of the things that I am insisting on taking with me are my cookbooks. They'll keep me sane at least for a little while. So today while sifting through them all, I chanced upon a book that was tucked into a corner of my bookshelf - The Essential Delhi Cookbook by Priti Narain.
I bought this book a couple of years ago at a very quaint bookshop in SDA Market. I liked how noisy yet quiet it was and that they had stools that we could grab to browse through the books. From Penguin's Essential series, this book had everything I wanted to know about Delhi's khaana - the street food, the mughlai influences and even the cuisine from various sects (read castes) from Delhi. I already owned The Kerala Cookbook, which I reviewed here, and believed it was a great buy
I couldn't wait to try the cookbook, because one of the first things I'd read was the prologue which discussed Delhi's heritage and culinary history. The meats, the roasts, the pulaos and the desserts. How the ancient texts talked about food and how austerity ruled in the middle. And how people borrowed from each other's cultures to make their unique cuisine. In short, this was perfect. Ofcourse, as it is with the rest of the Essential series, there are no pictures.
One of the first things I tried off the book was the Kheema Matar and the Chicken Pulao. Both turned out phenomenal, very flavourful but not hot, yet beautifully spiced. One, rather wet day, I decided to try and make the papris, which might I add turned out to be really quite fantastic.
I've also tried the mutton curry, which comes close to the dhaba wala meat, I've eaten at several places and the murgh korma which my entire family loved.
Post a trip to Old Delhi, while flipping through the book, I realised it had the ever-so-popular Mutton Istoo recipe and Daulat ki chaat. I've still got to make both of them, but I'm going to wait till I'm well-settled in my new kitchen. Because this is one book, I'm definitely carrying with me.
The Essential Delhi Cookbook is available in the US, UK and India.