How about golgappas stuffed with shrimp?
Or a litchi phirni? Food writer Monica Bhide talks to about her love for playing around with Indian flavours
Monica Bhide was among those who actually lived 'the American Dream': A six figure salary, two cars and a large house. Then, six years back, after the death of a close friend, she began questioning her life's choices. "All I had ever wanted to do was to write. And since I loved cooking, I started writing about food," she says.
Switching from the corporate sphere to full-time writing was not easy. At the suggestion of a friend, she sent some essays for a scholarship and ended up winning an award for the best new food voice of the year. That was encouragement enough for Bhide to quit her job at Ernst & Young. She initially started writing for free, and gradually went on to write columns for The New York Times, Washington Post and other media.
A LIFE OF SPICE
Today, Bhide is known as the 'mistress of Indian spice' in the United States. Her website, A Life of Spice, gains followers by the hour, eager to learn about her latest 'experiments' with Indian food.
For instance, did you know that you can make onion rings stuffed with chaat masala, or that chutney can be made with paneer, oranges and apricot, or acorn squash with paanch phoron (the popular five spices mixture from Bengal)?
Bhide is no chef, however. She says she is just a home-cook "who loves playing around with Indian flavours". When she started writing about food, the recipes came straight from her kitchen. With two sons aged 4 and 12, she had to "dream up ways to make sure they were eating enough protein and vegetables".
So, South Indian vermicelli upma got a shot of protein with the addition of pan-fried crab. Lentil soup was jazzed up with deggi mirch and garlic tadka. The carb-laden bread croutons were substituted with paneer croutons and used in soups, on top of rice and in dal. The sooji idlis were given a makeover by adding a little achaar in the batter before steaming, and the regular 'boring' idlis were dipped in egg wash and pan fried.
AN AVERSION TO FUSION
But her cooking is contemporary Indian, not fusion — Bhide is very particular about that. "All my recipes appeal to people who like Indian flavours and want quick — but good — food," she says. Like any Indian cook growing up abroad, Bhide has wandered into fusion territory but her love for Indian flavours kept pulling her back. "I cook with a lot of spices but I vary them, using them in ways you don't normally think of." The result is food that is not so radically different that you wouldn't recognise it as 'Indian'.
She suggests that the next time you make phirni, try adding litchi puree and star anise to it. Or twist the tandoori flavour of roast chicken by adding dry methi and butter to the batter.
Her guests are often served dahi vadas in martini glasses, golas with sparkling wine, or golgappas dunked in flavoured vodkas or stuffed with shrimp.
Bhide was recently on a visit to India, hoping to discover new flavours and a healthier way of cooking. In her recipes, she tries to use lesser quantities of oil and cream, and she mentions the health benefits of all the spices. "I believe that if you use fresh vegetables and let them cook — with a few spices — in their own juice, that is the healthiest thing to eat."
And what is the mistress of spice's favourite ingredient? Curry patta. "I use it in practically everything," she says.
Or a litchi phirni? Food writer Monica Bhide talks to about her love for playing around with Indian flavours
Monica Bhide was among those who actually lived 'the American Dream': A six figure salary, two cars and a large house. Then, six years back, after the death of a close friend, she began questioning her life's choices. "All I had ever wanted to do was to write. And since I loved cooking, I started writing about food," she says.
Switching from the corporate sphere to full-time writing was not easy. At the suggestion of a friend, she sent some essays for a scholarship and ended up winning an award for the best new food voice of the year. That was encouragement enough for Bhide to quit her job at Ernst & Young. She initially started writing for free, and gradually went on to write columns for The New York Times, Washington Post and other media.
 | |
A LIFE OF SPICE
Today, Bhide is known as the 'mistress of Indian spice' in the United States. Her website, A Life of Spice, gains followers by the hour, eager to learn about her latest 'experiments' with Indian food.
For instance, did you know that you can make onion rings stuffed with chaat masala, or that chutney can be made with paneer, oranges and apricot, or acorn squash with paanch phoron (the popular five spices mixture from Bengal)?
Bhide is no chef, however. She says she is just a home-cook "who loves playing around with Indian flavours". When she started writing about food, the recipes came straight from her kitchen. With two sons aged 4 and 12, she had to "dream up ways to make sure they were eating enough protein and vegetables".
So, South Indian vermicelli upma got a shot of protein with the addition of pan-fried crab. Lentil soup was jazzed up with deggi mirch and garlic tadka. The carb-laden bread croutons were substituted with paneer croutons and used in soups, on top of rice and in dal. The sooji idlis were given a makeover by adding a little achaar in the batter before steaming, and the regular 'boring' idlis were dipped in egg wash and pan fried.
 | |
AN AVERSION TO FUSION
But her cooking is contemporary Indian, not fusion — Bhide is very particular about that. "All my recipes appeal to people who like Indian flavours and want quick — but good — food," she says. Like any Indian cook growing up abroad, Bhide has wandered into fusion territory but her love for Indian flavours kept pulling her back. "I cook with a lot of spices but I vary them, using them in ways you don't normally think of." The result is food that is not so radically different that you wouldn't recognise it as 'Indian'.
She suggests that the next time you make phirni, try adding litchi puree and star anise to it. Or twist the tandoori flavour of roast chicken by adding dry methi and butter to the batter.
Her guests are often served dahi vadas in martini glasses, golas with sparkling wine, or golgappas dunked in flavoured vodkas or stuffed with shrimp.
Bhide was recently on a visit to India, hoping to discover new flavours and a healthier way of cooking. In her recipes, she tries to use lesser quantities of oil and cream, and she mentions the health benefits of all the spices. "I believe that if you use fresh vegetables and let them cook — with a few spices — in their own juice, that is the healthiest thing to eat."
And what is the mistress of spice's favourite ingredient? Curry patta. "I use it in practically everything," she says.
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