21 July,2025 10:11 AM IST | Mumbai | Nandini Varma
Kathal Kebab. Pics Courtesy/Karishma Karamchandani/Roli Books
Cooking and eating seemed to be the central point of Ammi's world," writes leading style icon and fashion entrepreneur, Pernia Qureshi in her book Ammi's 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 Qureshi's grandmother Mussharaf-ul-Nissa Begum's kitchen.
When 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 âTaar Gosht' (mutton in gravy), alongside delicacies like Raan, Aloo Kheema, Nargisi Kofta, Sheermal, Murgh Mussalam, and Shahi Tukda.
Excerpts from an interview.
MID-DAY: It's heartwarming to read Ammi's story. What led you to document her recipes from her kitchen as a book?
PERNIA QURESHI: I wanted to protect Ammi's 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 parents' generation they might get lost since no one in my generation of the family actively cooks.
MD: Do you have a favourite memory of a meal from your childhood that was prepared by Ammi?
PQ: 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 book.
A trunk full of memories of Ammi; (right) Taar Gosht, a family favourite
MD: Tell us about your process of putting the book together - with carefully planned categories and precise recipes containing Ammi's flavour combinations?
PQ: We knew that we could not write a book with Ammi's 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 second-generation 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 possible.
MD: A full section is dedicated to only vegetarian dishes despite Rampuri cuisine being mutton-heavy, as you write in the introduction. Which are the family favourites from this section?
PQ: 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 ghee/butter. Two of my favourite vegetarian dishes are the Kathal Kebabs and Kaddu ki Sabzi with Besan Roti (incidentally, which I had for dinner last night).
Available: Leading bookstores and e-stores
COST Rs 1995
(A traditional black gram preparation from Rampur)
Cooking time: 60 minutes | Serves: 6-8
INGREDIENTS
½kg whole washed black gram (urad dal without husk)
1 ltr water
30 ml refined oil
1 tbsp yellow butter
Pinch of asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera sabut)
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4 dry whole red chillies (sookhi lal mirch), halved
4 to 6 (one-inch) pieces ginger, chopped
6 to 8 green chillies (hari mirch), chopped
Salt, to taste
1 tsp chaat masala
1 lemon, juiced
50 g fresh coriander (dhaniya), chopped
METHOD
Wash the dal thoroughly in running water. In a medium-size 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 sauté until the onions turn light pink. Add the dry red chillies and ginger. Stir well and cook for another two-three 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 rotis.
Recipe courtesy: Pernia Qureshi
