A book that could lead to sex in the kitchen

Zubin D' Souza's aphrodisiac cookbook will help you peel off more than just potatoes in the kitchen. What's On put the chef on the grill for a lowdown on his new creation

Mood Food
Zubin D' Souza's aphrodisiac cookbook will help you peel off more than just potatoes in the kitchen. What's On put the chef on the grill for a lowdown on his new creation

The Naked Chef Jamie Oliver would certainly approve of Zubin D'Souza's new aphrodisiac cook book, Khana Sutra. In his trademark Essex mockey accent he would call it a "pukka" hot selling item. No, there is no nudity in the compliment, though it doesn't hurt to think you can cook up one of Zubin's magical recipes and transform into a naughty, naked chef in the bedroom. Well, that is the idea behind Zubin's book; to get your juices flowing.

Leafing though Khana Sutra, you are likely to gawp at did-you-know facts about unassuming fennel seeds to the tried-but-not-proven Ginseng herb. The Spanish fly does figure in the scheme of stimulating ecstasy and so does chocolate which is aptly mentioned as the food of Gods and has never failed to activate dopamine (a neurochemical linked to sexual pleasure). It's even proven to increase pleasure when we are in love or in the midst of an orgasm.

If we could put it in food lingo, we would say, Zubin writes with great saucy humour, sprinkling his recipes with a hint of the macabre. The drama of building up an orgasmic recipe with foreign ingredients such as the white pith of a banana and elephant yam-two mildly suggestive phallic references will indeed get you revved up. Mussels and clam shell recipes also appear in the book, if men are feeling left out with their "Kiss the Cook" aprons in their kitchenettes.

Though it is cliched to mention that the way to the heart is through the stomach, we think if the sensation was tingling all over, nothing like it. What's On chatted with Zubin D'souza:

How did you go about researching the book?
This cookbook is an offshoot of a larger research that I was involved in a couple of years ago. I took a pan-India trip to source authentic recipes from around the country. When I was in Ajmer, I met a chef who used to cook for a former Maharaja. As we got talking, he mentioned about aphrodisiacs, and that clicked. I continued researching this areau00a0 during my journey. I have visited Khajuraho and Konark, spoken to vaids, hakims and a lot of assorted characters.

What according to you is the most potent ingredient for an aphrodisiac meal?
There is no single potent ingredient. There are aphrodisiacs and there are seductive meals, which is what the book is really about. Aphrodisiac food is what gets people turned on. It is what gets them comfortable enough to lose their inhibitions. In the book, I have also mentioned other factors like fragrances, colours and flowers.
A lot of people equate an aphrodisiac with a sexual stimulant, which is not the case. An aphrodisiac makes you want and feel like being with a partner, not excite you long enough for an act to occur.u00a0
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Is there a recipe you have had success with?
Well, I have had a lot of favourable comments about the Murgh Badaami Kali Mirch, Phool Makhana Khumb Masala, Mochar Ghonto and the Bharwan Anjeer.
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In the book you mention that you met desperate housewives who contributed recipes. Do their recipes do the trick?
The term "desperate housewives" is just a play of words on the immensely-popular serial. There were housewives who contributed recipes, recipes that have been passed down from their mothers. Arranged marriages and straying husbands call for an immediate action plan. Some foods do exactly that assist in the release of testosterone, dopamine and other pleasurable sensory chemicals. And the recipes work. We have a 1.2 billion population to vouch for that.
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Is there a recipe in Khana Sutra that could be used as a love potion?
Thandai is considered the drink of Holi, a festival when Kaamdev (God of love) supposedly struts about using his sugarcane arrows, striking love into people's hearts. The recipe is included but it does not contain bhang since I have followed a no-intoxicant policy.

The Love Potion Recipe
400ml milk
60g sugar
60ml cream
30g almonds, blanched and peeled
3g poppy seeds (khus khus)
3g fennel seeds (saunf)
3g green cardamom, crushed
6u00a0 white peppercorns
A few strands of saffron
Method:
>> Grind the almond, poppy seeds, fennel seeds and white peppercorns to a smooth paste, adding a bit of milk if necessary.
>> Heat the milk gently and add sugar, saffron and grounded paste. Stir till sugar dissolves and milk thickens. dd cream, increase flame. Stir till milk boils.
>> Remove off flame, and cool. Refrigerate and serve chilled. In the sweltering heat, this works as a great cooler.

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