My Bombay Kitchen Traditional & Modern Parsi Home Cooking

"Niloufer King's food is always delicious. Here she unravels her native Parsi cuisine with love and intelligence, revealing its secrets and the little touches that make her dishes stand out. Bravo!"and#151;Paula Wolfert, author of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

"With clever wit and panache, cook and culinary anthropologist, Niloufer King introduces us to one of India's most exceptional regional cuisines. Her market-inspired dishes have layers of flavor that immediately satiate your palate, yet leave you longing for the next bite. A gift of love from a passionate cook."and#151;Gary Danko, Chef and Principle, Restaurant Gary Danko

and#147;Nilouferand#8217;s Bombay Kitchen is a place of delight and seduction. The stories and recipes are beautifully crafted and spiked with wit and wisdom. From an exotic coconut milk and fish stew to a simple cucumber-ginger salad, to her grilled Thanksgiving turkey, each dish is a treasure.and#8221;and#151;Judy Rogers, chef and owner, Zuni Cafand#233;

"Full of evocative memories, tastes, smells, colors, places, kitchens, family, and friendsand#151;This is so much more than a cookbook!"and#151;Diana Kennedy, author of The Essential Cuisines of Mexico

"What a seductive book! Niloufer King goes straight to the heart of what food is all about and makes you want to rush to the kitchen to join her. I'd read this fascinating book for the sheer fun of it, even without any recipes-but oh, the recipes!"and#151;Fran McCullough, editor of the Best American Recipes series

and#8220;King could do for Indian cooking in America what Alice Waters and company did for the food of southern France.and#8221;

and#8220;Essential reading for anyone to understand Parsi culture and cuisine. . . . She evokes the passion to cook.and#8221;

Niloufer Ichaporia Kingand#8217;s intimate tone, wit, and personal stories make us feel as if weand#8217;re right next to her.

Winner, 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Award in Asian Cooking

The Persians of antiquity were renowned for their lavish cuisine and their never-ceasing fascination with the exotic. These traits still find expression in the cooking of India's rapidly dwindling Parsi population--descendants of Zoroastrians who fled Persia after the Sassanian empire fell to the invading Arabs. The first book published in the United States on Parsi food written by a Parsi, this beautiful volume includes 165 recipes and makes one of India's most remarkable regional cuisines accessible to Westerners. In an intimate narrative rich with personal experience, the author leads readers into a world of new ideas, tastes, ingredients, and techniques, with a range of easy and seductive menus that will reassure neophytes and challenge explorers.

Chef Samin Nosrat's Top Ten Favorite Books for Vulture​
Winner, 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Award in Asian Cooking

The Persians of antiquity were renowned for their lavish cuisine and their never-ceasing fascination with the exotic. These traits still find expression in the cooking of India's rapidly dwindling Parsi population--descendants of Zoroastrians who fled Persia after the Sassanian empire fell to the invading Arabs. The first book published in the United States on Parsi food written by a Parsi, this beautiful volume includes 165 recipes and makes one of India's most remarkable regional cuisines accessible to Westerners. In an intimate narrative rich with personal experience, the author leads readers into a world of new ideas, tastes, ingredients, and techniques, with a range of easy and seductive menus that will reassure neophytes and challenge explorers.

"Niloufer King's food is always delicious. Here she unravels her native Parsi cuisine with love and intelligence, revealing its secrets and the little touches that make her dishes stand out. Bravo!"--Paula Wolfert, author of "The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen"

"With clever wit and panache, cook and culinary anthropologist, Niloufer King introduces us to one of India's most exceptional regional cuisines. Her market-inspired dishes have layers of flavor that immediately satiate your palate, yet leave you longing for the next bite. A gift of love from a passionate cook."--Gary Danko, Chef and Principle, Restaurant Gary Danko

"Niloufer's Bombay kitchen is a place of delight and seduction. The stories and recipes are beautifully crafted and spiked with wit and wisdom. From an exotic coconut milk and fish stew to a simple cucumber-ginger salad, to her grilled Thanksgiving turkey, each dish is a treasure."--Judy Rogers, chef and owner, Zuni Cafe

"Full of evocative memories, tastes, smells, colors, places, kitchens, family, and friends--This is so much more than a cookbook!"--Diana Kennedy, author of "The Essential Cuisines of Mexico"

The Persians of antiquity were renowned for their lavish cuisine and their never-ceasing fascination with the exotic. These traits still find expression in the cooking of India's rapidly dwindling Parsi populationand#151;descendants of Zoroastrians who fled Persia after the Sassanian empire fell to the invading Arabs. The first book published in the United States on Parsi food written by a Parsi, this beautiful volume includes 165 recipes and makes one of India's most remarkable regional cuisines accessible to Westerners. In an intimate narrative rich with personal experience, the author leads readers into a world of new ideas, tastes, ingredients, and techniques, with a range of easy and seductive menus that will reassure neophytes and challenge explorers.

Niloufer Ichaporia King is an independent scholar.

foreword by alice waters / ix

acknowledgments / xiii

Kitchens, Equipment, and the Basics 27

Beginnings 49

Soups 73

Eggs 83

Fish and Seafood 93

Meat and Poultry 111

Rice and Dal 161

Vegetables 185

Salads 211

Chutneys, Pickles, and Relishes 221

Sweets and Desserts 241

Drinks 269

menus / 281

glossary / 289

sources / 315

further reading / 317

index / 323