Going by the book

Food expert Anuradha Ravindranath dishes up innovative rice recipes.

There is a stillness in Anuradha Ravindranath’s house, on a sunny winter afternoon, that belies the kind of intense activity her kitchen has seen in the past. Ravindranath has authored two acclaimed cookbooks, and all the making, trying, tasting and photographing for the books happened in her house.

The first book, titled Tandoor: The Great Indian Barbeque, was actually her father Ranjit Rai’s labour of love, which he conceptualised but couldn’t write before he died. Ravindranath decided to put that book together.

Ravindranath says her earliest memories are of her father cooking for the family. She attributes her love of cooking to him. “My father was a total foodie,” she says. “He was very knowledgeable and curious, and he would cook something for us every evening. And he would never cook from a recipe book.”

Ravindranath, on the other hand, knew nothing about cooking when she got married. She learnt along the way. She says, “I must have absorbed the process by watching my father cook.” Not only was her father responsible for Ravindranath learning how to cook, he also set her off on the road to becoming a food professional. The book she completed for her father, she says, “set off my interest in food in a very major way”.

The book was published in 1995. Ravindranath started taking cookery classes for eight- to 12-year-olds. She decided to teach children because, she says, “They are more receptive and willing to experiment”.

The course consisted of 48 classes spread over six months. Now Ravindranath hopes to turn that experience into another cookbook. But it won’t be her second book — that was The Rice Cookbook: 101 Simple Recipes, which has already won an award.

The recipes that Ravindranath demonstrates for us are simple, indeed, and yet not lacking in the taste quotient. As someone who truly loves cooking, she says, “I never find it a strain to cook. When I get into the kitchen I find it very relaxing.” Apart from food, Ravindranath is also very passionate about pottery, and is a trustee at Delhi Blue Pottery Studio. “Pottery,” she says, “hasn’t reached the same level as painting has, but it’s truly an art form.” It is her fond hope that, one day, potters will be able to command the same respect and maybe even prices that painters do.

As we sit around the dining table talking, Ravindranath says she is happy that her life is full, with great food, beautiful studio pottery and a loving family. Who could possibly want more?

FAVOURITE RECIPES

PALAK SUA CHAVAL
1 cup spinach leaves
1 cup rice
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 onion, minced
10-12 black peppercorns
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp salt
100 gms paneer, cubed
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Wash spinach leaves thoroughly and soak in plenty of water for 15 minutes. Wash rice and soak in water for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy-based pan over moderate heat. Sprinkle in cumin seeds and when they splutter, mix in onion and ginger. Fry till onion turns translucent. Remove from heat and set aside. Drain spinach and puree with fried onion and ginger. Drain rice and add to pan with peppercorns and spice powders. Stir till rice turns translucent. Mix in salt and 2 cups water. Cook rice for 10-15 minutes, till water is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in paneer and dill and serve hot.

TIL ALOO CHAVAL
1 cup rice
2 tbsp oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
½-inch piece ginger, crushed
2 tbsp white sesame seeds (til), roasted and crushed
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp red chilli powder
2 medium-sized potatoes, diced
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
2 green chillies, cut into 2-3 pieces
1 tsp salt

Wash rice and soak in water for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy-based pan over moderate heat. Add garlic, ginger, sesame, spice powders and potatoes and fry for a minute. Pour in 3 tbsp water and simmer over low heat for about 5 minutes. Mix in tamarind pulp, simmer for 5 minutes and add chillies.

Drain rice and add to pan with salt. Stir till translucent. Mix in 2 cups water. Cook rice for 10-15 minutes, till water is absorbed and rice is tender. Stir lightly and serve hot.

Variation: for extra flavour, garnish with roasted sesame seeds and minced green chillies.