Suvir

Soul Kitchen: Birbal Ki Khitcheree

Locked in, with grim scenarios spelled out across television screens and mobile apps, no place to run or hide? Under these circumstances, it almost seems facetious to say, don't worry, so we won't. But what we can do is bring you a series of comfort food recipes put together by some of the most celebrated Indian chefs in the world. These may qualify as comfort food, but it's definitely not ordinary. Our star chefs will tell you the magic ingredient that will nudge it up a notch to qualify as gourmet. 

This recipe of mine is the first of a series. Follow the series here and the recipe below. 

Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

From day one at my restaurant in New York City, Manchurian Cauliflower had been a huge success. It’s sweet and spicy, tender and satiny, and looks as sultry and seductive as cauliflower could ever hope to become. In the restaurant, we fry the cauliflower and then toss it with the sauce and finish it in the oven. Here, I’ve simplified and lightened the recipe by roasting the cauliflower and then tossing it with the sauce midway through baking. Healthier, easier, and more accessible, you could make a double batch of this recipe and still never have leftovers!

The Arts - An Easy Agglomeration of Happily Inspired People

Much in our lives today polarizes our human collective into disparate tribes. The climate is such that it is easiest to sit divided, blame the other, and find flaws in the views of those we deem different. Even within family units one can find utter lack of parity when it comes to the choices that define us most viscerally. We prefer to be deafened by silence rather than risk a dialogue, because we fear that we will be torn apart by the revelations these conversations bring forth. 

 

But when we indulge in culinary bounty at the table,  listen to the notes and pitch of music—vocal or instrumental, observe the bounce that dancers flaunt when on stage, enjoy the majesty of performers acting scenes that move our souls, read heartfelt emotions shared in the ant lines on pages, or wonder at the brilliance that colors, textures and imagery bring to us, we are drawn together from our separated perches and poles. Such is the power of soul-stirring art.

 

Click here to read my current Slice of Life column from Mail Today, or read more here below.