Zafar's recipes

I must admit I love eggplant; my brother will always pull my leg when we go out, and I want to order an eggplant dish, yet again. For me, it is the creamy texture of roasted eggplant, its gentle, earthy flavour, and how versatile it is. This is a simple dish meant to play with the creaminess of roasted, rather than deep-fried, eggplant and to highlight the flavour of the long black peppercorns. The earthiness of the peppers is bold, it does begin to numb your tongue, nd the cilantro adds a...

I was shopping at my fruit seller, and he popped one of these into my basket. I asked him what these were and he mumbled something, I still have no idea what he said. So here I was at home with a fruit, or pumpkin, and no idea what to do with it. I fed Gemini with an image and was educated. Given that it is called the Japanese tiger melon, or Sakare Sweet, this melon belongs to Central Asia, modern-day Iran and Afghanisthan. They moved along the Silk route Eastwood through China and Korea,...

I was having a meal at my sister-in-law's house a while ago, and she had served this dish. I, too, took a bite and knew immediately that I wanted to learn this recipe. Little did I realizehow simple this recipe is. Potatoes are the backbone of the Indian kitchen, and the variety of dishes made with them across every region is absolutely amazing. Here is a very simple dish that captures the essence of Assamese cuisine. Bhartha is a dish from North India made with mashed vegetables, most...

The cuisine of Bihar is as yet unknown to me. I keep hearing about it from friends, and I am anxious to eat and learn about these dishes. This is a classic dish I've heard rave reviews about, so I began seeking out a recipe for it. Bihari mutton curry is also called Champaran curry or Ahuna mutton. It hails from Motihari, Champaran district. The dish highlights village-style cooking, traditionally made in earthen pots called "ahuna," which gives it its alternative name. The meat was...

In July of this year, I took a trip to Angola, one of the least touristy destinations in the world. This was a superb cultural and culinary trip organised by Roads & Kingdoms , and hosted by the fabulous food writer, historian, and cultural guru who was our guide for the week. On my first night, we went out to a local restaurant, Churrascaria Nandinhos, renowned for its BBQ'ed chicken. I have lived in the US, and BBQ'ed chicken in the Virginia belt was what I considered the best. Of...

I was like a kid in a candy store at the fish market in Sapporo. There were all kinds of products, canned, dried, frozen and dehydrated,...

Biryani has a long history in Hyderabad. Some dishes were made of rice with spices before the Mughals arrived. The oldest traces are to the Bahmani Sultanate and the Qutb Shahi rulers in Golconda. These dishes were similar to the pilafs of the Persian and Turkish courts. The rule of the Nizams in 1724, during the reign of Asaf Jah I, introduced "dum cooking", a technique in which the pot is sealed and the food is cooked slowly on a low flame in its own steam. The royal house favoured this...

Long black pepper is an ancient spice, most commonly known as Indian long pepper or pippali. It is from the plant Piper longum, and is related to the common round black pepper. History tells us it was the primary pepper used by the Greeks and Roman, making its way from India over long and dangerous trade routes. It was exorbitantly priced because of this. The molecule that we taste as peppery is called piperine. This molecule seems sharper and stronger in long black pepper because of how it...

Tomato tenga is a standard dish on my Sister-in-Law, Sameena's, table. It is made often, and I always look forward to it. I tuck it into white rice and enjoy just this combination. Tenga, meaning "sour", belongs to a class of sour curries made with vegetables such as elephant apple, limes, or mangosteen. However, tomatoes are the most common variety seen. This is a simple curry, not too many spices, and the simplicity of the flavour is what makes it delicious. The potato serves to thicken...

Our first day in Sri Lanka was the Katina Poojava, also known as Katina Pinkama, one of the most important Buddhist festivals. The entire community participates, organising, cooking dishes and preparing for this event. Our host, Yasassri, was contributing by making a few dishes. Together we cooked three dishes, see recipes below: Boiled manioc with grated coconut (Kaha manioc) Pumpkin curry with blackened coconut (Wattakka kalu pol maluwa) Pennywort sambols (Gotukola sambol) Sour preserved...

If there is a sambol quintessential to the Sri Lankan table, it is gotukola sambol. It is recognised by the fresh green colour and the light aromatic aroma. I had not had gorukala, or pennywort, before this trip; I had seen recipes with it and so was curious. Early in the trip, I had a chance not just to taste this dish, but also to make it. We had gone to a home to prepare dishes for the Katina poojava ceremony, the most important of Buddhist ceremonies. We were invited to participate in the...

One of the least known cuisines in India is Assamese muslim-influenced cuisine. This is a tale of migration, royal kingdoms, trade and...

Everyone loves a Wagyu steak, and it is prized all over the world. I was quite ignorant of this meat, other than enjoying it in...

The Northeast of India has numerous varieties of rice that are endogenous to the region. These rice varieties are crucial to the...

In January, I travelled through Ethiopia for 3 weeks, an absolutely amazing experience. There was a mix of history, lots of history, wildlife, tribal communities and of course food. One of the events that my wonderful guide, and now friend, Taffesse, curated for me was a cooking session with Rose in the mountains. Rose taught me about a host of traditional recipes, and of course, shiro. As we left, she walked out with a bag of shiro, a gift, one that has come home with me. I make shiro,...

We made this curry in Sri Lanka with Chef Peper Kuruvita during one of his many cooking demonstrations. I fell in love with this curry; it is unique. Kalu kukul mas curry literally translates to "blackened chicken", and is a classic village-style dish in Sri Lanka. It is most popular around Galle and the southern Western region of the island, where spices grow abundantly. As history tells us, this is an ancient curry, pre-dating Colonialism and dating back to Buddhist times. The technique is...

Sometimes, a curry is a story, a piece of history, and so much more than a beautiful dish. To appreciate this curry, we need to understand Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya is about 1500 meters above sea level, and on the slopes of the mountains. It is cool, it has a thick forest densely populated by elephants, and it is beautiful. It was part of the Kandian Kingdom and was later discovered by the English, who turned it into a hill station retreat for the elite. In the 1850s, it was a thriving small...

My last day in Tokyo was a lovely afternoon with the Kikkoman team, where we all took turns cooking a dish or two and chatting about the trip, forming new friendships. It was an afternoon of camaraderie, laughter and great food. We had spent the morning at the market, buying ingredients, more on a whim than with a plan. I had also brought a few ingredients down from India, knowing this afternoon was on the agenda. Here is a simple dish that brings together the flavours of Japan and India on a...

As I walked through the grocery stores and markets in Japan, I saw these beautiful peaches, huge and super expensive. So, of course, I...

I am a big fan of sashimi, but I recently travelled to Japan and the freshness of the seafood there is phenomenal. I had the opportunity...