Carbs, Salads & Pickles

Goodness, this is the chapter that should have the simplest recipes within, but it is that holy of holies that contains the most demanding and terrifying barometers of how good an Indian cook one really is. The breads of the Indian kitchen are, I suppose, the equivalent of the sponges and fancies crafted in kitchens of the Victorian era. Those cakes and scones were the items by which a woman’s culinary worth was judged. Having said that, I suppose the more monied one was, the less it mattered whether you could really get your Mrs Beeton on. Well, in the Indian kitchen, a woman’s ability to roll a perfectly round roti, inflate it effortlessly and get a good puri dough were part of what made her marriageable or not. I hate even writing this. It sounds like I’m endorsing it – I’m not. The bridal cattle market, teeth-checking culture that is founded upon the monstrous dowry system is reprehensible and I hope every aspect of it is eradicated entirely. I recount my memories just so that you understand again how important every aspect of food has been, historically and anthropologically, to Indian culture, warts and all.