Blending personal memories with authentic recipes, Pernia Qureshi in her debut cookbook Ammi’s Kitchen: Heirloom Recipes from Rampur brings a heartfelt celebration of family, culture and the timeless art of home-cooked meals. We recently conducted a candid interview with her.
1. Your favourite cookbooks?
None, I don’t cook. I only eat. I was obsessed with Nigella’s show because she made everything look so sinfully delicious. Now I follow food bloggers on Instagram and watch them cook while my mouth waters. Some of my favourites are Raman Okram (@ramanokram ,local Delhi boy), Owen Han (@owen.han), Jo and Bart (@joandbart).
2. What was your favourite dish made by Ammi growing up?
A wholesome and comforting khichadi we called ‘Binna Happa’. There was also a mooli ka achar she used to make that was quite epic.
3. Generational stories contain a certain charm. What does it mean for you to be passing on your grandmother’s recipes and opening them up to a large audience?
It is a very bittersweet feeling, releasing this book. I know Ammi would have been so happy about us documenting her recipes and sharing them with the world. She had so much pride in her food. What makes me sad is that this wasn’t done in her lifetime.
4. How did you collect and write down the recipes?
I made my father and my aunts list out all the recipes that were specifically from our home and Ammi’s Kitchen in Rampur. The recording of the actual process and cooking instructions came from my father and our head chef in Delhi, Mazhar. Mazhar is the son of Ammi’s personal chef Israil Bhai. Ammi had trained Israil Bhai over the years and he passed down the recipes to his son. Our closest family friend and our house manager, Suman Aunty, helped me with all the coordination.
5. Best book you read in the past year?
Hard one. I finally read a book I had been meaning to read since school and it was amazing especially because I am a huge history buff. The White Mughals. A book I really enjoyed and finished in one flight was The Storied Life of A.J Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. Another great book was The Lion Women of Tehran by Marian Kamali.
6. A dish you cook the best?
Wai Wai noodles, thanks to 12 years at my boarding school, Woodstock.
7. Your go-to meal?
At home, it’s rice, dal and sabzi or kebabs with rice. Outside, it’s a great bowl of pasta cooked by a friend.
8. A fun fact about yourself that the readers may not know?
I have a special place in my heart and extra affection for friends and family that feed me yummy food. Food = Love.
9. What is your daughter’s favourite thing to eat?
Lahori kebabs, kurmuri bhindi, French fries, apples, makhanas, banana chips and dark chocolate.
Ammi’s Kitchen by Pernia Qureshi
