While growing up in Kolkata, 63-year-old Bandra-based Pia Promina Dasgupta Barve, who goes by chef Pia Promina, spent much of her time at the home of her Jewish friend, Esther Silliman, a fellow girl scout at Loreto House. Promina distinctly recalls tucking into the scrumptious Aloo Makalla, Bamya Khatta (pickled ladyfingers), cakes, cookies and other Jewish delicacies prepared by Esther’s mother, Flower. “She was also my cookery teacher in school. I learnt many Jewish recipes from her. She would rule us with a stick because we were a rowdy lot but we were always welcome at her home,” says Promina, flipping through 86-year-old Silliman’s Three Cups Of Flower, a multi-cuisine cookbook featuring Middle-Eastern, Far-Eastern and Jewish recipes.

Aloo Makalla featuring confit potatoes and Roast Chicken