What did you have for dinner last night?
Dinner is always home-cooked food. We purchased an earthenware chatti from Kerala and made fish curry with manga inji (mango-ginger) in it with select South Indian spice mix. With that I had crisp Aila fry and plain steamed rice. Soulful and tasty!
What are you reading now?
KT Achaya's two books, The Illustrated Foods of India and Indian Food: A Historical Companion . He is one of the authors who has given due respect to the origins of food ingredients and the interesting legends behind them.
Your favourite recipe book?
Recipe books can only be a way of visual inspiration. For example, The Culinaria series for their in-depth information of the food materials, their agricultural sources and climatic influences.
Next vacation? What do you plan to eat there?
For our next vacation, we intend to go to Ooty. Hence, I will definitely explore the local hilly cuisines of the blue Nilgiri Mountains. The amalgamation of spices such as cardamom and pepper in their daily food should provide an interesting flavourful taste along with the basic heat needed in the chilly weather.
Most memorable meal?
For one Valentines Day, my husband (then fiancé) had prepared a full meal. It comprised of chicken curry, rice and kachumber salad. It will be the most memorable meal always as he was staying in a in an accommodation without any equipment or proper resources to cook the meal, yet he managed. It was the feeling and emotion behind it which made it so tasty.
How about the worst?
Never had and hope never to.
Places you eat at most often?
Amravathi, Coast Line, Chap Chay, Benjarong, Rajdhani, Kumarakom and there is a Dhaba in Velachery which serves great parathas and channa subzi.
Lessons learnt in the kitchen?
If the food is cooked without positive feelings and emotions, no matter how expensive the ingredients, the resulting dish will never be good enough.
Any secret junk food confessions?
My husband makes Pappardelle in Duck Sauce; I simply can’t resist it. Also Vada Pav - in Mumbai, I used to live on it practically for every meal
Last meal on earth: What would you choose?
My mother’s recipe of Maccha Jhol (Rohu fish curry in mustard), Aloo Bharta (mashed potatoes, Oriya style), Kalara Bhaja (Crisp bitter gourd fritters) and Ghee Bhaat (Cow's milk desi ghee on steamed hot rice). Of course I will have to be given sufficient time to prepare all this!
Chef Sasmita is the sous chef at ITC Sheraton Park Hotel and Towers
