The Begum and the Dastan
Lined with grandeur, tragedy and fantasy, Tarana Husain Khan’s odyssey maps the social, political and religious contours of 1897 Sherpur with the fascinating and strong-willed Feroza Begum at the centre of the storm. On an evening not too many evenings ago, the blue-eyed Feroza, flouting her family’s orders, attended Nawab Shams Ali Khan’s sawani celebrations at the Benazir Palace.
Degh to Dastarkhwan: Qissas and Recipes from Rampur
Tarana was an indifferent eater and an unenthusiastic cook until a chance encounter with a nineteenth-century Persian cookbook in Rampur’s fabled Raza Library started her off on a journey into the history of Rampur cuisine and the stories around it. Working with the khansamas of Rampur she attempted to revive the delectable dishes of the lost cuisine. Part food memoir and part celebration of a cuisine, Degh to Dastarkhwan answers the question-‘what constitutes and distinguishes Rampur cuisine?’ Each chapter represents an emotion, an observance or a celebration.
Forgotten Foods: Memories and Recipes from Muslim South Asia
While heritage foods still abound in the streets and kitchens of South Asia, it may just be a matter of time before many of these historic dishes and culinary traditions, especially of Muslim provenance, pass into oblivion. In Forgotten Foods, historians, literary scholars, plant scientists, heritage practitioners, writers and chefs come together to document precious stories and memories, histories and recipes in a valiant endeavour to stem this lamentable tide. Introducing us to the legendary poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s modest, homely tastes, his daughter Moneeza Hashmi draws our attention to dishes that continue to cut across the seemingly impermeable India–Pakistan border.
