It was back in 1992, when I received a birthday gift that sparked my interest in South Indian cooking. It was Chandra Padmanabhan’s Dakshin, which went on to become a bestseller among cookbooks. I tried one recipe after another, and […]
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The serenity and finesse with which she runs her household are truly admirable. Although she grew up in Maharashtra, Vijaya Mehta’s love for Rajasthan is palpable; her charming residence at the heart of the Pink City bears testimony to this […]
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As anyone from the Sheherwali community (also known as the Oswal Jains of Murshidabad) will tell you, while chopping vegetables or fruits, the knife should not leave its mark on them. Nothing is cut in a random manner. For instance, […]
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“I enjoy learning and experimenting,” she says. It is a simple mantra that reflects her zest for life and keeps her young at heart. For Sundari Ganesan, a TamBram living in Mumbai, variety is truly the spice of life. With […]
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The more I admire my friends, the more I want to meet their parents. This curiosity often stems from their underlying presence in many of our conversations. They are mentioned when we are discussing traits or habits or even likes […]
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Beautiful and gracious. And rivetingly multifaceted, as her friend Sitaji Kolluru, who introduced us, had so aptly described. That’s Kameswari Kunapuli, a classical Carnatic singer and teacher from East Godavari, now residing in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad. Sitting in her outer […]
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Last month, I received an SMS from my sister-in-law Indu Chordia: “Come home, I want you to meet a very special couple and yes, be prepared to speak in pure Rajasthani.” I laughed to myself but agreed. Even though I […]
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Whether it is special vegetables like chakki ka saag and pachkuta or rice dishes like kabuli pulao, she grew up seeing her mother and grandmother mix the masalas themselves even though the kitchen was the cook’s domain. Indeed, 71 year-old […]
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Come summer and she is off to the vegetable market, looking at the heaps of mangoes and choosing the best ones: for pickles, chutneys, jams and squashes. She started by making it all for herself. As friends and relatives tasted […]
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Hailing from Palakkad, Leela Krishnan is a Tamil Iyer who has been living in Chennai for the past three decades. Having heard her grandson Thejas wax eloquent about her cooking, I was led to her cosy residence in Kalakshetra for […]
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They have both been engineering students, they have both been teachers, and they have also worked together in their own company. Their common interests extend further—to travelling, gardening and cooking. When they speak, you hardly notice when one stops and […]
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“There is no greater joy than cooking with your own hands and serving your loved ones,” says 67 year-old Nirmala Mardia, a Rajasthani Jain from Chennai. She enjoys cooking a wide range of dishes for her friends and relatives. In […]
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She composes poetry on instant demand at weddings and get-togethers; she dances with a grace that defies her age; she sings melodiously (the ghazals she has performed for All India Radio are proof enough); she has performed in front of […]
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I have known of people competent in arts and crafts, people who specialise in their professions, but this was something I was hearing for the first time! Eighty year-old Tara Dakliya is a Sallekhana specialist, known in the Jain community […]
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The lanes of her life seem to have gently meandered towards culinary excellence. Almost as if she was destined to find her life’s calling and joy in food! This 60-year old food connoisseur, researcher and cookery expert needs no introduction… […]
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Way back in 1974, the Jain community was astounded by the release of two audio clips of the Bhaktamar Stotra and Atma Siddhi Shastra. The music was soulful and the voices mesmerising. Steeped in devotion and spirituality, these LP records […]
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“I don’t have any tall claims. I know a little bit of cooking, a little bit of computerization and a little bit of documentation,” says Sita Kolluru. It is her age which makes these words extraordinary. At 78, Mrs. Sita […]
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There are endless recipes and endless experiments. Open the refrigerator and allow your imagination a free hand—this is what Geeta Nair, a 60 year-old Keralite from Chennai, believes in. “I love all things and dislike nothing,” she says with a […]
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What does it take to be a true karma yogi? This was the question I came back with after the conversation with Mrs. Lakshmi Subramaniam, a Tamilian residing in Mumbai. Independent, articulate and hardworking, she lives life with a few simple […]
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Just listening to Pramodaben seems like a spiritual experience. She has found her life’s calling in promoting veganism as a non-violent way of life. The softly spoken words she utters have the power to transform hearts. Her recent cookbook, […]
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