Call it a sign of the times. After weeks of baking and cooking, I’ve now moved on to…reading cookbooks. Browsing my collection, Indian cookbooks mostly found on bookstore bargain tables over some 20-30 years, of course, I had to start with The Bollywood Cookbook.
First, let me just say, this is a gorgeous book.
From the inside front and back covers with movie posters of iconic films such as Bobby and Pakeezah, to the incredibly brilliant photographs of actors, stills from their films and, of course, the food, this book is, as cliché as it sounds, a feast for the eyes.
After a foreword by director Shyam Benegal and his memories of a mouth-watering birthday lunch for Shabana Azmi on the sets of Mandi in Hyderabad, Mankani provides a primer of sorts on Indian cinema – the ingredients that make up Bollywood masala. Published in 2006, it’s not surprising that the author’s summary of the Indian film industry would feel dated, but it was disappointing that the tried and true recipe given seems to describe movies from the 1960s and 1970s, with only a few words about shifts in themes already well underway.
In the main section of the cookbook, for each actor, there is a short introduction – career highlights, tidbits about family or food memories and preferences. Most recipes are prefaced by a few words about the dish, its origin, or whose recipe it is, since, with some exceptions, most are from chefs, the actors’ cooks, mothers and other relatives, or are traditional, regional recipes.
While I expected a Bollywood cookbook to feature reigning superstars such as Shah Rukh Khan, the Bachchans, and the Kapoor clan, the last known for their holiday family feasts, there were pleasant surprises in this collection, both recipes and the actors included. Contributions by Rakeysh Mehra, director of Rang De Basanti and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, include a recipe for Momos and a noodle soup he had when on location in Ladakh. Regional recipes in this cookbook don’t fall into the usual North/South/Bengali/Coastal categories. There are Nandita Das’ food memories from Orissa, where she spent summer vacations and of the Mangalorean cuisine on which Shilpa Shetty and Suneil Shetty were raised (the two are not related, though including both in the book might confuse the uninitiated). Oriya dishes such as Bhaddi Chura (lentil dumplings) and Pokhaalo (fermented rice), and the variety of Mangalorean fish and chicken recipes are a refreshing change from the standard butter chicken and aloo tiki that Indian cookbooks usually feature. But, thanks to Preity Zinta and Abhishek Bachchan, recipes for those two dishes are included as well.
Rahul Bose (Mr. & Mrs. Iyer) doesn’t cook much but enjoys Punjabi lassi and paranthas, foods from Kolkota – preferably cooked by his father, and the spicy, ‘full-bodied and masculine” (?) food of Kolhapur. Jackie Shroff fondly remembers the street food of Bombay, such as Pao Bhaji, but now studies the impact of food on health. And, it turns out Bollywood stars aren’t all that different from those of us here on earth. Like Hrithik Roshan, I also love anything paneer and look forward to trying out the Roshans’ healthy version of Palak Paneer.
There are what seem to be a couple ‘bloopers’ in the book, the only explanation this reader has for the inclusion of some photographs and text. After the introduction to Bollywood, there’s a glamorous double-page spread of 11 Bollywood celebrities. One might think the photograph is of the stars whose recipes are featured, but why then does the photo include six actors who aren’t mentioned anywhere in the book? In the main section there’s a lovely photograph of Rani Mukherji in the movie Paheli with a fairly long narrative describing her acting journey, but no accompanying recipes. Whether intentional or an oversight, I didn’t spend too much time wondering what Rani liked to eat and moved on to Deepti Naval’s Bombay Frankie, Bhariya Karela (stuffed bitter gourd) and Sabut Gobi Masala (roast cauliflower).
If you make it past the star snippets and recipes there is a treat for film fans at the end – a collection of posters from Bollywood classics such as Kaagaz Ke Phool, Mugl-e-Azam, Sholay, Pakeezah and Guide.
This cookbook had me at ‘Bollywood’ but ultimately it was the variety of pan-Indian recipes that kept me out of the kitchen until I’d finished it cover to cover. But not for long – Manisha Koirala’s Dhansak Dal is calling out to me.
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