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My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking Hardcover – June 18, 2007

by Niloufer Ichaporia King (Author), Alice Waters (Foreword)

4.6 106 ratings

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Chef Samin Nosrat’s Top Ten Favorite Books for Vulture
Winner, 2008 James Beard Foundation Book Award in Asian Cooking

The Persians of antiquity were renowned for their lavish cuisine and their never-ceasing fascination with the exotic. These traits still find expression in the cooking of India's rapidly dwindling Parsi population—descendants of Zoroastrians who fled Persia after the Sassanian empire fell to the invading Arabs. The first book published in the United States on Parsi food written by a Parsi, this beautiful volume includes 165 recipes and makes one of India's most remarkable regional cuisines accessible to Westerners. In an intimate narrative rich with personal experience, the author leads readers into a world of new ideas, tastes, ingredients, and techniques, with a range of easy and seductive menus that will reassure neophytes and challenge explorers.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this charming volume, an independent food scholar explores her Parsi heritage and provides a wide range of recipes that should prove revelatory even for home cooks used to whipping up a biryani at a moment's notice. Though it shares similarities with other subcontinental cuisines-a reliance on ghee, a taste for curry, a deep affection for vegetables-Parsi food is unique in many ways, hinting at its Persian ancestry with ample use of eggs, while nodding toward Europe through savory custards and rich desserts. Many recipes are both unusual and deeply comforting: onions, young garlic, and leeks turn rich and buttery in an Allium Confit, and Braised Greens, spiked with cayenne, are vegetables gone to heaven. Cauliflower, eggs and grated cheese take a decadent turn in Mother's Wobbly Caulfilower Custard. King even makes organ meats appealing: Chicken Livers in Green Masala is a luscious take on the underused ingredient, bright with cumin, chiles and coriander. King also has novel uses for goat brains, kid's trotters and tongue, an intriguing challenge for intrepid home cooks. Perhaps most delightful is her brief introduction to Parsi history and culture, which tells both the author's story as an Indian expatriate in Berkeley, and the fascinating background of one of the world's most sophisticated cuisines.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“Answers a longstanding need in this country for documentation of the foodways of the Parsis, one of India’s many ethnic groups. This book, written with knowing wit by an author of Parsi origin and backed by a wealth of scholarship, may be the definitive volume on this great cuisine. [Exudes] lighthearted, breezy confidence from beginning to end without sacrificing its central mission of teaching readers how easy and satisfying it is to bring the genius of Parsi cuisine into their homes.” -- Madhur Jaffrey, ― Saveur

"Exuberant . . . the most delightful American cookbook in years. American? Well, where else could it have been conceived and delivered?" ― New York Times

“The book easily transports readers to the household of the Ichaporia family in Bombay (now Mumbai) and submerges them in the scents and tastes of Parsi food. As talented a writer as she is a cook, the author manages this with charm (enhanced by old-time family photographs) but without sentimentality. Her approach to cooking is traditional in the manner of Parsi cooking over the centuries: absorbing new ideas and influences without losing its essential Indo-Persian character. . . . Interesting, reliable and beautifully written.” ― San Francisco Chronicle

"Melting-pot cuisine gets a star turn in Niloufer Ichaporia King's My Bombay Kitchen, which captures the cooking of one Parsi family. Parsis historically migrated from southern Persia (now Iran) to Gujarat in India, and the cuisine borrows liberally from Middle Eastern, colonial British, and colonial Portuguese tables. Goan rich pork stew is as much a staple as dals and chickpea stews; ginger-garlic pastes and dried red chilies abound." ― Boston Globe

“A lush memoir in the form of a cookbook . . . With pervading wit and droll sense of humor, she tells us what it means to be part of the 3,000-year-old Parsi culture, and how this plays out in a crazy amalgam of India and the West.. . . She brings alive culinary traditions, passed on through generations of beloved household cooks, mothers and grandmothers. This cooking may soon disappear. UNESCO projects that only 25,000 Parsis may exist in the world by 2020—one more reason to grab this extraordinary book and start cooking.” -- Patricia Unterman, ― San Francisco Examiner

"King’s intimate tone, wit, and personal stories make us feel as if we’re right next to her, with her mother and her grandmother, cooking up dishes such as 100 almond curry or creamy paneer with walnuts and mint leaves. Drawing from Persian and Indian influences, King’s cookbook makes Parsi cuisine absolutely accessible, and is full of menus that range from easy to extravagant." ― Chow

“Essential reading for anyone to understand Parsi culture and cuisine. . . . She writes informatively and precisely, and she evokes the passion to cook.” ― Art Of Eating

“The headnotes are informative and entertaining, and the book concludes with a selection of menus, a detailed glossary, a source guide, and a bibliography. Highly recommended.” (Starred Review) ― Library Journal

“Once you get the hang of making [King's] ginger and garlic paste (which you can put in almost anything!), your cooking will never be the same.” ― Bloomberg News

“King could do for Indian cooking in America what Alice Waters and company did for the food of southern France.” ― San Francisco Magazine

“If you are a cook looking to expand your repertoire, a fan of reading cookbooks, or a social historian looking for some background information on Parsi culture—you can’t go wrong with My Bombay Kitchen! The recipes in this collection run from the sublime to the exotic, and you will be hard pressed not to discover several new favorites that you will find it impossible to do without.” ― History in Review

From the Inside Flap

"Niloufer King's food is always delicious. Here she unravels her native Parsi cuisine with love and intelligence, revealing its secrets and the little touches that make her dishes stand out. Bravo!"Paula Wolfert, author of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

"With clever wit and panache, cook and culinary anthropologist, Niloufer King introduces us to one of India's most exceptional regional cuisines. Her market-inspired dishes have layers of flavor that immediately satiate your palate, yet leave you longing for the next bite. A gift of love from a passionate cook."Gary Danko, Chef and Principle, Restaurant Gary Danko

Niloufer’s Bombay Kitchen is a place of delight and seduction. The stories and recipes are beautifully crafted and spiked with wit and wisdom. From an exotic coconut milk and fish stew to a simple cucumber-ginger salad, to her grilled Thanksgiving turkey, each dish is a treasure.”Judy Rogers, chef and owner, Zuni Café

"Full of evocative memories, tastes, smells, colors, places, kitchens, family, and friendsThis is so much more than a cookbook!"Diana Kennedy, author of The Essential Cuisines of Mexico

"What a seductive book! Niloufer King goes straight to the heart of what food is all about and makes you want to rush to the kitchen to join her. I'd read this fascinating book for the sheer fun of it, even without any recipes-but oh, the recipes!"Fran McCullough, editor of the Best American Recipes series

From the Back Cover

"Niloufer King's food is always delicious. Here she unravels her native Parsi cuisine with love and intelligence, revealing its secrets and the little touches that make her dishes stand out. Bravo!"—Paula Wolfert, author of The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen

"With clever wit and panache, cook and culinary anthropologist, Niloufer King introduces us to one of India's most exceptional regional cuisines. Her market-inspired dishes have layers of flavor that immediately satiate your palate, yet leave you longing for the next bite. A gift of love from a passionate cook."—Gary Danko, Chef and Principle, Restaurant Gary Danko

“Niloufer’s Bombay Kitchen is a place of delight and seduction. The stories and recipes are beautifully crafted and spiked with wit and wisdom. From an exotic coconut milk and fish stew to a simple cucumber-ginger salad, to her grilled Thanksgiving turkey, each dish is a treasure.”—Judy Rogers, chef and owner, Zuni Café

"Full of evocative memories, tastes, smells, colors, places, kitchens, family, and friends—This is so much more than a cookbook!"—Diana Kennedy, author of The Essential Cuisines of Mexico

"What a seductive book! Niloufer King goes straight to the heart of what food is all about and makes you want to rush to the kitchen to join her. I'd read this fascinating book for the sheer fun of it, even without any recipes-but oh, the recipes!"—Fran McCullough, editor of the Best American Recipes series

About the Author

Niloufer Ichaporia King is an independent scholar.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (June 18, 2007)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 360 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520249607
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520249608
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.9 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7 x 1.2 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #96,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #38 in Indian Cooking, Food & Wine
- #113 in Gastronomy History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 106 ratings

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Cast Iron Chef

Best Parsi cookbook cookbook I own. One of the best cookbooks I own.

Reviewed in the United States on July 4, 2007

Verified Purchase

I received my order of "My Bombay Kitchen: Traditional and Modern Parsi Home Cooking - Niloufer Ichaporia King."

I STRONGLY recommend this book. My wife is Parsi, and I enjoy cooking Parsi cuisine (along with many other cuisines, but Parsi cuisine is a favorite) and have a number of books on the subject, so I looked at how she treated some recipies I had already done, Patrel and Dhansak Masala. I've visited where my wife grew up in Bombay on M Karve Road near the Eros theater. There I also enjoyed Goan cuisine (my wife's 'nannys' were Goan and are superb cooks of both Goan and Parsi cuisine). Reading this book made you feel like you were back in Bombay learning a cuisine at the hands of someone who had mastered the cuisine and was gracious and competent enough to be teaching it to you with the clarity and style of a master teacher. Clearly this book is written by a Parsi in America, paying attention to the difficulties of obtaining certain ingredients, noting appropriate substitutions, yet showing the knowledge that could only come from someone who had been a part of the culture in Bombay - maintaining a most authentic result. The book isn't simply a collection of exquisitely presented recipies demonstrating exemplarary versions of those recipies, but the recipies are presented within the cultural context of the Parsi traditions, noting the culinary likes and dislikes of Parsis, what are mainstays of the tradition, etc etc. Delightfully written - a pleasure to read (excellent editing) and a clear presentation of information that I've struggled to get elsewhere.

Dhansak Masala is a complex spice mixture composed of dhana jiru and sambhar masala, each complex mixtures in their own right, with endless variations as numerous as there are cooks. I have searched high and low on the internet for these recipies only to find ones far more mediocre than the excellent verrsion she has presented in this book.

Her explanation of making Patrel would have saved me endless hours trying to find out that Colocasia leaves are actually taro root leaves. She lays out the techniques in a clear style reminiscent of Julia Child of exactly how to assemble this dish. I know that reading each recipe cover to cover will be a treasure trove of information.

I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that if you have an interest in Parsi or even Indian or Persian cuisine, this is a must have for your collection.

I really couldn't recommend a cookbook more highly. I'm not alone either - she is strongly recommended by Alice Waters, who wrote the forward of this book, famous for her restaurant in Berkeley, Chez Panisse and a major influence to cooks everywhere on the use and incorporation of local fresh ingredients being used in her food preparations. Also Paula Wolfert, who has written an excellent book on Moroccan Cuisine among her many accomplishments, and Dianne Kennedy, whose Mexican cookbook is a classial reference of Mexican cuisine. And other esteemed chefs and editors. I really couldn't be in better company in recommending a book.

Finally, my ultimate critic of my cooking, my wife, has been absolutely delighted by the recipies in this book, partiularly the Parsi scrambled egg recipe.

75 people found this helpful

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Sherring

personal, charming , informative

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2019

Verified Purchase

This book is a delight. Exotic and eclectic recipes, most of them not too much of a stretch for the adventurous home cook who tries international foods on occasion, are interwoven with the author's recollections, commentary, and affectionately dry humor. The book begins with a brief introduction to the Parsis, who left Persia for the Indian subcontinent many centuries ago and settled in the region of Gujerati-speakers, promising the local potentate that they would adapt to the culture and language and add to it without detracting or displacing. Over the centuries, Parsis became a major economic force in Bombay (now Mumbai), eagerly and adopting and adapting elements of Western and Indian cuisine and culture, melding them into "Parsi cuisine," ---an indication of their cosmopolitanism. These notes are also intertwined with photographs and memories of the author's family and childhood, which looks too be a privileged and happy one in an educated middle-class family. Then there is a chapter on kitchens, equipment, and basics, with notes on three generations of such, very interesting. Indeed, several chapters begin with recollections of what her grandmother, then her mother, and now what she serves as, say, appetizers, or what they eat for breakfast. Nearly every recipe gives an anecdote of how it came about or how she uses it or a friend's contribution, often with an amusing comment--such as "Krishna's Breakfast," which advises which elements to use and ends with "... and pop it into your mouth. It's like eating sparklers." The whole book is sprinkled with small charming line drawings by the author's husband, tucked into the sides of paragraphs and sometimes spilling over into the margins. The layout is pleasing and usable.

In short, this is a literary and ethnographic book, as well as a collection of do-able recipes that are seldom complicated or difficult. It's a book to savor and linger over, amused and delighted by the prose, the drawings, and the foods described. I have even tried a few, such as "Fish Soup with Parsi-Style Rouille" and "Krishna's Breakfast," and look forward to making more.

The book won the 2008 James Beard Foundation Award and it has a perceptive and enthusiastic foreword by Alice Waters.

5 people found this helpful

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Michelle F. Datey

My favourite cookbook yet!

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2008

Verified Purchase

I was drawn to this book because I'm half Parsi and I've always wanted to recreate the delicious dishes I've enjoyed during the childhood weekly visits to my Parsi relatives. Those days were almost a longed for memory until I found 'My Bombay Kitchen'. From 'Dhansak' to 'papeta per eedu' - its all in this book!

Parsi cuisine is known for its uniqueness in that it blends meat and vegetables into wholesome, delectable dishes that really aren't hard to make. This book is detailed, enjoyable, easy to read & follow and gives you lots of choices and explanations regarding seemingly exotic ingredients and cooking techniques used. Ms Ichaporia has beautifully divided the book into sections based on the kind of dish, with each recipe reading like a story.
(There is a whole chapter on eggs - dare I say the cornerstone of Parsi cooking!)

The beauty of Ms Ichaporia's narrating style is that it is simple and so wonderfully narrative that this book doesn't need those seductive and mouth watering pictures of well garnished & presented dishes that are usually difficult to prepare.

I have used this book to introduce Parsi cuisine to my husband, friends and the other side of my family and it has always delighted their taste buds. I still get rave reviews on the easy to make 'Akuri' that I attempted for a recent brunch party.

Highly recommended if you are a fan of Indian, Parsi or just simple, wholesome and flavourful cuisine that is as easy to cook as it is delightful to savour!

12 people found this helpful

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Wolfmama

Great read and great food!

Reviewed in the United States on June 24, 2015

Verified Purchase

An essential book for those with Parsi heritage & also a great for those who are interested in Indian cuisine!