Calcutta Cookbook
This isn't just another collection of recipes. It's a fascinating journey through the palate of a storied metropolis, told through the dishes that shaped its character. When Job Charnock stepped ashore in 1690 on that sultry August day, he couldn't have imagined the culinary melting pot his settlement would become. Three passionate food writers—Minakshi Das Gupta, Bunny Gupta and Jaya Chaliah—have pieced together over two hundred recipes to paint this extraordinary picture. What emerges is a city that hungrily borrowed from everywhere: Armenian, Jewish, Arabian, European, Chinese and Tibetan cuisines all found their way into Calcutta kitchens, where they transformed into something distinctly local. You'll discover treasures like Bengali Chingri Maacher Malai Curry alongside Kabuli biryanis and kebabs, plus Goan Vindaloo and Sorpotel. Many recipes are closely guarded family heirlooms, finally released to the wider world. Each dish carries echoes of the merchants, settlers and wanderers who made this place their own. Dip into these pages and you're really exploring layers of history, migration and culinary reinvention, all simmering together in the heart of Bengal.
- Author: M. Dasgupta
- Publisher: Penguin India
- Genre: Cooking & Culinary Arts
- ISBN: 978-0140469721
- Pages: 403 pages