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Scroll.in
03-07-2025
- General
- Scroll.in
A new book brings a Rampur family's culinary history and cherished recipes created by the matriarch
Musharraf Begum's beginnings were humble. She was from a small town in Uttar Pradesh called Chandausi. Due to the financial hardships faced by her family, they agreed to marry her off to a rich, much older gentleman from Rampur as his fourth and only surviving wife then. To this day, the tales of how my grandfather's first three wives died are vague and come in several versions. One story goes that my grandfather's wife was travelling to him on a ship after the nikah and they were caught in a storm where she passed away. The bottom line was that here was this nobleman with the worst luck when it came to his wives, so much so that no established family was willing to marry their daughter to him. The 'jinxed' Abdul Majeed Qureshi had to then seemingly settle for a fair, young uneducated girl from a family that was in desperate need of his financial support. She would later boast that she was chosen based on her beautiful hands and feet since that was all her in-laws saw before her marriage was arranged. Soon enough, her staff, children and townspeople began to call her Ammi – a moniker she earned early on, likely because of the authority she wielded at home and in the kitchen. Around 1946, when she was a young new bride who had entered Rampur, a princely town much bigger than what she was used to, she had a lot to prove and a significant role to take on. Her biggest assets proved to be her passion for food and her ability to cook. As women of her generation often did, she controlled the kitchen, and her dazzling personality began to reflect in her food. With the influences of her hometown mixed with her newfound exposure to Rampur's more modern cuisine, Ammi created a food language that was uniquely her own. For instance, keema khichdi, a meal in itself made by slow-cooking mutton keema with rice and spices and eaten with a cube of yellow butter, cold dahi and mint chutney, is one of our most popular household staples, and has its origins in Chandausi. When Ammi just got married, a young boy was employed in the kitchen named Israil Bhai who went on to become her sidekick and together they created magic. I can still hear them bantering over why something was missing from the fridge and Ammi calling him tokri ke (basket case), as the most terrible insult she could muster because it was her worst-kept secret that he was too dear to her to rebuke him seriously. Despite a fairly large kitchen, they would often set up a choolah (stove) outside, using bricks and wood to slow-cook dishes. With eight children and several grandchildren, there were always people to feed. Cooking and eating seemed to be the central point of Ammi's world. Be it hosting daawats (feasts) on behalf of her husband for the Nawab and itinerant dignitaries, or a langar or family wedding, Ammi's kitchen was always feeding. Rampur cuisine, with its infusion of Mughlai, Awadhi and Afghani influences, when combined with Ammi's sensibilities and the Chandausi culture, resulted in a rather mutton-heavy offering. When most think of Rampuri cuisine, the first dishes that come to mind are kebabs like seekh and chapali. But, for me, the most representative Rampuri dish is our family staple taar gosht – mutton cooked in a masala gravy where the ghee is meant to be so generously used that when you dip your roti in it, there should be a taar (line) of ghee connecting your bite to the plate. Ammi used taar gosht as her go-to dish for all occasions, whether it was a wedding or a funeral. To her, the dish was rich enough that no one could criticize her for not doing enough while also satisfying the large appetites of our food-loving people. — An excerpt from the Introduction. Aloo tamatar (flavourful curry of potatoes and tomatoes) Ingredients 1 (2') piece ginger 10-12 garlic cloves 100 g ghee 250 g tomato puree 1 kg potatoes, boiled and cubed 1 tsp salt Red chilli (lal mirch) powder, to taste 1 lemon, juiced 6 green chillies (hari mirch), slit lengthwise Method Grate the ginger and garlic and add to a muslin cloth to squeeze the juice out. Discard the pulp and set aside the juice. In a large, heavy-based pan over high heat, add the ghee with garlic and ginger juice. Cook until aromatic. Stir in the tomato puree and sauté until the ghee separates and rises to the surface. Now add the potatoes, salt, and chilli powder. Reduce the heat and stir well. Pour in one cup of water, and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and add the lemon juice and green chillies. Mix well and simmer until the flavours meld. Remove from heat. Serve hot with tandoori rotis. Mutton keema inshtew (a comforting, hearty dish in a flavourful broth) Ingredients 2 1-inch cinnamon (dal chini) sticks 6 green cardamom (green elaichi) pods 2 star anise (chakri ke phool) 4 black cardamom (moti elaichi) pods 6 cloves (laung) 1 bay leaf (tej patta) 150 ml refined oil 8 onions, sliced 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera sabut) 1 kg minced mutton/lamb (keema) 2 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste Salt, to taste 150 g desi ghee 6 dry whole red chillies (sookhi sabut lal mirch) 150 g yoghurt (dahi) 1 tsp garam masala 1 tsp chaat masala 6-8 large green chillies (hari mirchi) chopped 1 lemon, juiced Method In a mixer-grinder, blend the whole spices at medium setting for 2-3 minutes until finely powdered. Set aside. In a pressure cooker over high heat, add the oil and heat for 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, and add 2 sliced onions. Sauté until they soften and turn translucent. Add the cumin seeds, keema, ginger-garlic paste and season to taste with salt. Stir well. Lock the lid in place and cook for three whistles. Remove from heat and let the pressure release. Separately, in a large wok over medium heat, add the ghee and the remaining onions. Sauté the onions until they turn light pink. Add the red chillies. Remove the lid of the pressure cooker and transfer the keema into the wok. Add the powdered whole spices and stir-fry well. Stir in the yoghurt, garam masala, chaat masala, green chillies, and lemon juice. Cook for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat is cooked. Remove from heat and cover until serving to allow the flavours to meld. Serve hot with roomali rotis
The Hindu
25-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Hindu
Pernia Quereshi Revisits Her Grandmother's Recipes in Ammi's Kitchen
Pernia Qureshi does not enjoy cooking. 'Some, like my late grandmother, find cooking a stress-busting activity, but I find it has the opposite effect on me,' says the New Delhi-based fashion entrepreneur who launched Ammi's Kitchen (published by Roli Books), a cookbook dedicated to her grandmother, fondly called Ammi, and her family's legacy. With over a 100 recipes comprising snacks, main course (vegetarian and non-vegetarian), rice, breads, and dessert, the book covers a range of family favourites. 'There were no recipe trials involved as we eat these dishes daily,' says Pernia, 'I don't cook, but I can tell you what's wrong in a dish within five seconds of tasting it!' While the idea of penning a book with her Ammi's recipes came to Pernia 'a long time ago, when she was still alive', it took a while to get down to it, she says, adding, 'No one in my generation or younger cooks. I realised that after my father and aunts, this culinary legacy would be lost, and I wanted to preserve it.' Pernia recalls the time her sister, Sylvia, and ammi, started the home food delivery service, Ammi's Kitchen in 2016. 'We thought it would be something she (ammi) would enjoy, and it would keep her occupied, but it became so much more than that. Ammi became an entrepreneur at the age of 90. Sylvia would take the orders and ammi would do everything else. From arranging for groceries to overseeing the cooking and packaging, she was immersed in it. She would put her earnings of the day in a pouch and sleep with it under her pillow', Pernia writes in the book's introduction. 'I wish this book had been launched in her lifetime, she would have been thrilled,' she says of the book that has been in the works for about three years. 'Ammi was a master at making the best food combinations. Some of my favourites are kadu bharta with pyaz sabzi and besan roti, and black dal khichadi aka the bina happa, with gobi gosht, that was our comfort food while growing up and still is,' says Pernia, adding that the recipes closest to her heart are the ones that ammi made the most. Starting with their family staple, the taar gosht, that she refers to as 'the most representative Rampuri dish' in the book. 'which is .mutton cooked in a masala gravy where the ghee is meant to be so generously used that when you dip your roti in it, there should be a taar (line) of ghee connecting your bite to the plate'. 'I also love keema khichadi because it belongs to the hometown where ammi grew up, Chandosi.' Given the recipes were already in the family, the challenge was to have them documented in verse . 'They were passed down the generations verbally, and ammi had trained everyone in her time,' says Pernia, who had to get multiple people to get the recipes, and then cross-check them for precision. There were three main points of contact while documenting the recipes, she explains: her paternal aunt Nasreen phoopi, who ammi had personally taught many recipes to; Mazhar, a second generation chef in her family (his father, Israil Bhai, was trained under ammi as head chef in their Rampur home); and Pernia's father who 'is a passionate cook and has been carrying on ammi's food legacy since she passed away in 2019'. After shooting the recipes at her Delhi home — with all the props and cutlery sourced in-house — Pernia went to Rampur in 2023 with her father and the book's photographer, Karishma Karamchandani. 'We went to take shots of the house, the town and the food, to give context to the book, and give readers a visual sense of the city,' says Pernia, who got a few dishes made by the family's cooks, and also soaked in 'ammi's portion of the haveli' that dates back to the 1800s. 'There are so many nostalgic nooks and corners, and the mosaic floors, heirloom serveware that she had collected were lovely to revisit.' Which explains the shots of framed black and white images, her ammi's trunk, heirloom vessels, and ornate walls that are peppered throughout the book. 'Since I don't cook, I didn't realise how tedious it is to put together a recipe book. It's an extremely detailed process where there is no margin for vagueness or error. There were numerous versions that went back and forth with the editor, at one point it felt like the process would never end!' While I knew the answer to this question, I still asked, 'Will there be a part two of Ammi's Kitchen?' And faster than a ladle touching a kadhai, Pernia responds, 'No way!' 'I love to eat, and I'm going to do just that!' says the author, who plans on penning her next book on wedding fashion in India. Priced at ₹1,995 Ammi's Kitchen is available online
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First Post
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- First Post
Aamir Khan reveals his 90-year old mother will make her acting debut with 'Sitaare Zameen Par': 'She doesn't want to come to my shoot but…'
Khan was quoted saying, 'Normally, Ammi doesn't say she wants to come to my shoot. So, I don't know what she felt.' read more Aamir Khan made his Bollywood debut in 1988 with Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak at the age of 23. 37 years later, his mother who's 90 years old is making her acting debut with his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par which releases in cinemas on June 20. The actor has even spoken about it in a statement that has gone viral. Khan was quoted saying, 'Normally, Ammi doesn't say she wants to come to my shoot. So, I don't know what she felt, but the morning of the song shoot, Ammi called and asked, 'Aap kahan shooting kar rahe hain? Humko bhi aana hai shooting pe aaj' (Where are you shooting today, I also want to come).'' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The actor added, ' So, I said, 'Chaliye, aaiye.' I sent her the car and my sister brought her to the shoot. She came in a wheelchair. It was a happy wedding song, and we were having fun shooting for it while she was watching us.' Aamir continued, ' 'Prasanna came to me and said, 'Sir, if you don't mind, can you request Ammi ji to be in the shot? It's the last song of the film; it's a wedding celebration sequence. She can easily be one of the guests. It's an emotional thing for me; I want her to be a part of the film'.' Aamir Khan is gearing up for his next release Sitaare Zameen Par that's the remake of the Spanish film Campeones. After Laal Singh Chaddha, this is another remake by the actor and he has defended the film as it releases on June 20. Khan said, 'People still do Shakespeare to this day. Even today, the number one playwright in theatre is Shakespeare, worldwide. Even today, his plays are adapted in every language. And we praise it. Kyun bhai? Remake hai, usko band karo (Why though? It's a remake, shut it).' The actor added, 'You write your own play, why are you doing Shakespeare). This is wrong thinking. When I adapt Shakespeare, I am putting my energies into it. I find this discussion on remakes useless.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aamir further revealed, 'After Laal Singh (Chaddha), a lot of people told me, 'you are making a remake again'. Laal Singh was trolled heavily for being a remake. But I am a different kind of person.'
Hindustan Times
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Aamir Khan reveals his 90-year-old mom Zeenat Hussain will make Bollywood debut with Sitaare Zameen Par: I was shocked
Actor Aamir Khan has revealed that his mother Zeenat Hussain, who will turn 91 on June 13, is making her debut in Bollywood with his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par. As quoted by India Today, Aamir shared that it was the film's director, RS Prasanna, who made the request to Aamir, who in turn asked Zeenat. Aamir's sister, Nikhat Khan, is also a part of Sitaare Zameen Par. (Also Read | Juhi Chawla reunites with Aamir Khan at his 'Ammi' Zeenat Hussain's 90th birthday celebrations) Aamir shared that while they were shooting for Sitaare Zameen Par, Zeenat, who never went to the sets, asked Aamir about the location and expressed her interest in watching how the film was made. At that time, the film's team was shooting a "happy wedding song". He said, "Prasanna came to me and said, 'Sir, if you don't mind, can you request Ammi ji to be in the shot? It's the last song of the film; it's a wedding celebration sequence. She can easily be one of the guests. It's an emotional thing for me; I want her to be a part of the film'." A shocked Aamir responded, "I told him, 'Tu pagal ho gaya hai? Meri himmat nahi hogi Ammi ko poochne ki, ki film mei kaam karo, shot do. She is very ziddi (Are you mad? I will never find the courage to ask her to shoot. She is very stubborn). She is not going to listen. Don't waste your time.' He kept telling me to ask her at least once. So, I said, 'Ammi, Prasanna request kar rahe hain ki aap ek shot do ek guest banke (He is requesting you to be a part of one scene).' She replied, 'Haan theek hai (okay, fine).' I was shocked! So, she is there in one or two shots. It's the only film of mine that she has ever been a part of." The film also stars Genelia Deshmukh, who will play Aamir's love interest. Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishnan Varma, Vedant Sharmaa, Naman Misra, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Ashish Pendse, Samvit Desai, Simran Mangeshkar, and Aayush Bhansali are also in it. The Aamir Khan Productions movie is slated to release in theatres on June 20. The film is a spiritual sequel to Taare Zameen Par. In it, Aamir plays an assistant coach of a major basketball team. After being fired from his job, he is ordered to either go to jail or do 90 days of community service as the coach of a team of specially abled basketball players.
India Today
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- India Today
Aamir Khan reveals his mother will make her debut in Sitaare Zameen Par
All fans of Aamir Khan gear up for a surprise as his mother, Zeenat Khan, and sister, Nikhat Khan, will also make an appearance in 'Sitaare Zameen Par'. While Nikhat is a professional actor, this is the first time that his mother will be seen on screen. In a group interview in Mumbai on Wednesday, Aamir confirmed the details of their presence in the RS Prasanna the media interaction, Aamir recounted how his mother's appearance in the film was unplanned and quite by sheer luck. He shared that his mother had never accompanied him to actor said, "Normally, Ammi doesn't say she wants to come to my shoot. So, I don't know what she felt, but the morning of the song shoot, Ammi called and asked, 'Aap kahan shooting kar rahe hain? Humko bhi aana hai shooting pe aaj' (Where are you shooting today, I also want to come).' So, I said, 'Chaliye, aaiye.' I sent her the car and my sister brought her to the shoot. She came in a wheelchair. It was a happy wedding song, and we were having fun shooting for it while she was watching us."During the shoot, director Prasanna approached him with a request — whether his mother could be part of the shoot."Prasanna came to me and said, 'Sir, if you don't mind, can you request Ammi ji to be in the shot? It's the last song of the film; it's a wedding celebration sequence. She can easily be one of the guests. It's an emotional thing for me; I want her to be a part of the film,'" Aamir "I told him, 'Tu pagal ho gaya hai? Meri himmat nahi hogi Ammi ko poochne ki, ki film mei kaam karo, shot do. She is very ziddi (Are you mad? I will never find the courage to ask her to shoot. She is also very stubborn). She is not going to listen. Don't waste your time.' He kept telling me to ask her at least once. So, I said, 'Ammi, Prasanna request kar rahe hain ki aap ek shot do ek guest banke (He is requesting you to be a part of one scene).' She replied, 'Haan theek hai (okay, fine).' I was shocked! So, she is there in one or two shots. It's the only film of mine that she has ever been a part of," the overwhelmed son in him beamed with joy as he recalled the 'Sitaare Zameen Par' trailer here: Talking about his sister Nikhat, Aamir Khan shared that she is playing a character and has a couple of scenes. He added that they are working together for the first time, but given that she is an actor, they may work together again in the future. However, it was his mother saying yes that was a special moment for him. "I don't know what came into her. She is turning 91 on June 13, a week before our film's release," he informed journalists.'Sitaare Zameen Par' features Genelia Deshmukh opposite Aamir. It also marks the debut of 10 neurodivergent actors: Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran film is a remake of the Spanish sports-drama 'Champions' (2018).'Sitaare Zameen Par' is scheduled for release on June 20, Watch
