Murgh Musallam (Whole Braised Baby Chicken)

“If ever a culture was reflected in food, look no further than the Mughals. There is a definite link between their approach to cooking, their approach to textile, their approach to architecture, their very lifestyle. The majesty of their buildings, their dazzling costumes, the richness of their culture… all can be found in their amazingly august, bejewelled, rich food.”

– Anirudh Arora and Hardeep Singh Kohli, ‘Food of the Grand Trunk Road’

What an introduction! Not many dishes could live up to that kind of hype, but this amazing one does it justice. It is definitely a special occasion dish, only to be attempted with plenty of time on my hands.

Jambalaya

"Creole and Cajun cooking, the food of New Orleans and the surround countryside, is one of the most vibrant and exciting cuisines in the world today. French in its origin and accents, this spicy and sometimes fiery tradition also embodies elements of Native American, Spanish and African cooking… The Creole cooks of New Orleans created a sophisticated and complex cuisine that blends French techniques with local products and traditions… Cajun cooking is the earthy, flavourful and sometimes fiery cooking of the southern Louisiana countryside.”

– Denis Kelly, ‘Creole & Cajun Cooking’

This jambalaya is an amalgam of two recipes – one from Denis Kelly’s book and another from my grandmother’s old cookbook. This was the book that she started compiling when she took cooking lessons (as young ladies of the time did) and was one she added to throughout her life. Aachhi was a formidable cook and some of my earliest memories are of helping her in the pantry.  Her book is yellowed, tattered and generally a bit worse for wear, but I got it re-bound with a lovely leather cover and it is one of my favourite cookbooks, full of recipes accumulated over the years, many of which I have enjoyed at the ancestral dining table. I love the book as much for the memories it holds as for its recipes.