This book highlights culinary flavours of Rampur through heirloom recipes

Cooking and eating seemed to be the central point of Ammirsquos worldrdquo writes leading style icon and fashion entrepreneur Pernia Qureshi in her book Ammirsquos Kitchen Heirloom Recipes from Rampur Roli Books Her words reiterate the history preserved in our kitchens and palates thanks to our mothers and grandmothers This book is a collection of recipes from Qureshirsquos grandmother MussharafulNissa Begumrsquos kitchenPernia Qureshi right MussharafulNissa Begum fondly called AmmiWhen Begum left her hometown Chandausi and married into the princely state of Rampur she brought unique flavours to the kitchen making her own spices and chutneys Readers will find treasures in the book such as the family staple lsquoTaar Goshtrsquo mutton in gravy alongside delicacies like Raan Aloo Kheema Nargisi Kofta Sheermal Murgh Mussalam and Shahi TukdaExcerpts from an interviewMIDDAY Itrsquos heartwarming to read Ammirsquos story What led you to document her recipes from her kitchen as a bookPERNIA QURESHI I wanted to protect Ammirsquos legacy in a physical form that will last forever The best thing we received from Ammi as an heirloom were these recipes I was worried that after my parentsrsquo generation they might get lost since no one in my generation of the family actively cooksMD Do you have a favourite memory of a meal from your childhood that was prepared by AmmiPQ I have a fond memory of her making Mooli ka Achar radish pickle for my sister every year It would come in large jars where the flat pieces of mooli were doused in a spicy watery liquid It almost reminded me of an Indian version of kimchi as it had that fermented smell We enjoyed that achar especially with Bina Happa which is the black dal khichadi mentioned in the bookA trunk full of memories of Ammi right Taar Gosht a family favouriteMD Tell us about your process of putting the book together mdash with carefully planned categories and precise recipes containing Ammirsquos flavour combinationsPQ We knew that we could not write a book with Ammirsquos recipes without specifying her combinations She was extremely particular about food pairings The process was that we listed absolutely everything she ever made and then edited from there I had the help of my father our secondgeneration family chef and an aunt to collate all the information Once we had the final list of recipes ready then it was a long journey with the editors going back and forth until we got down to the last detail and made the recipes as precise as possibleMD A full section is dedicated to only vegetarian dishes despite Rampuri cuisine being muttonheavy as you write in the introduction Which are the family favourites from this sectionPQ Ammi had a large vegetarian offering as a part of her repertoire because she never served a meal without all the food groups There was always protein vegetables carbohydrates and sweets in her meals Hence we made vegetarian dishes daily Of course every dish also came with the perfect accompaniment in the form of raitas chutneys and extra gheebutter Two of my favourite vegetarian dishes are the Kathal Kebabs and Kaddu ki Sabzi with Besan Roti incidentally which I had for dinner last nightAvailable Leading bookstores and estoresCOST Rs 1995Rampuri DalA traditional black gram preparation from RampurCooking time 60 minutes Serves 68INGREDIENTSfrac12kg whole washed black gram urad dal without husk1 ltr water30 ml refined oil1 tbsp yellow butterPinch of asafoetida hing1 tsp cumin seeds jeera sabut1 mediumsized onion chopped4 dry whole red chillies sookhi lal mirch halved4 to 6 oneinch pieces ginger chopped6 to 8 green chillies hari mirch choppedSalt to taste1 tsp chaat masala1 lemon juiced50 g fresh coriander dhaniya choppedMETHODWash the dal thoroughly in running water In a mediumsize bowl soak the dal in cold water until it is completely submerged for 10 to 15 minutes Drain excess water and transfer it to a cooking pot over high heat Add one litre water and bring to a boil Simmer for 30 minutes until the dal softens Heat the oil and butter in a wok over medium heat Add the asafoetida cumin seeds and onion and sauteacute until the onions turn light pink Add the dry red chillies and ginger Stir well and cook for another twothree minutes Now add the boiled dal green chillies and season to taste with salt Sprinkle the chaat masala and add lemon juice and fresh coriander Simmer over low heat for five minutes Serve hot with roomali rotisRecipe courtesy Pernia Qureshi