Busting Myths of Bengali Cuisine

While there are 5 distinct states in Southern India with their own unique identity, the food all tends to get clubbed together. This episode is a wonderful introduction to South Indian cuisine where Food specialist Rakesh Raghunathan talks us through some of the typical stereotypes and helps us understand the food from the region. We talk about the dessert culture in South India, Street food fare and of course the battle of the biryanis!

Bengali food is usually very stereotyped. All Bengali food is swimming in mustard, All Bengali's are crazy after sweets and Kolkata Chinese and Tangra food is revered. Our guest on this episode chats with Roxanne to elaborate and help really define what Bengali food is about while merrily breaking every myth people have. Kalyan Karmakar is a food writer, author, podcaster and general raconteur who brightens up this episode with wonderful anecdotes from his trips to Kolkata and memories from his childhood. You don’t want to miss this episode !

On this episode of Beyond Butter Chicken, Roxanne delves into the cuisine of some of the Indian Royal Families. Anuradha Joshi Medhora introduces her to the Royal Kitchens of Malwa and how recipes have traveled from across the country and were tweaked to suit royal palettes. She talks to us about the influences from not one but three Indian states that made up Malwa, the White Maharanis Christmas menu and some interesting innovations to get young royal princes to eat their proteins. If you were ever at all curious about what Indian Royalty ate, this episode is perfect for you.

On this episode of Beyond Butter Chicken, Roxanne moves away from a regional Indian cuisine to focus on an ancient Indian practice and way of life. Amrita Rana has dedicated the last couple of years to study and teach people more about Ayurveda and specifically the Ayurvedic approach to eating. They talk about the basic principles of Ayurveda, how to balance your doshas, the teachings and most importantly dispel common myths about this ancient Indian practice.

In this episode of Beyond Butter Chicken, Roxanne chats with Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal who breaks down the humble Indian spice box and all the myths behind how spicy each spice actually is. She talks about her favourite spices including Devil’s tongue and how cuttle fish makes an appearance in a spice mix. She’s taking us through various spice blends across the country including the famous Garam Masala and a very interesting Thanda masala or winter spices. All this and a lot more on this episode. 

The Dawoodi Bohra community is known for their legendary cuisine. Their elaborate Thaal’s which are unlike any traditional Thali meal, their famed mutton samosas and even their own unique Borha Biryani. On this episode of Beyond Butter Chicken, Roxanne is in conversation with Munaf Kapadia, the brain child behind Mumbai’s immensely popular eatery – The Bohri Kitchen to better understand this cuisine and what a typical Bohri meal entails. 

Celebrity chef Amninder Sandhu chats with Roxanne about her blissful childhood growing up in the North Eastern state of Assam. How she spent her days foraging with her uncles and indulging in the most exquisite culinary experiences that have really helped shape her career. From cooking in industrial gas stoves, to eating ants and water beetles she takes us through the wonderful world of Assamese food.

The Parsi community is a minority community of Zoroastrians based in India that traces their roots and ancestry to Persia. On this episode of Beyond Butter Chicken Roxanne speaks with legendary food historian Dr Kurush Dalal on the intricacies of the Parsi community. What has influenced their food and mostly importantly – do we consider the famed Berry Pulao a Parsi dish? All this and lots more on the episode.

On this episode of Beyond Butter Chicken Roxanne speaks with Saee Khorane Khandekar and delves into the cuisine from her home state of Maharashtra. They talk about the intricacies of Maharashtrian dishes that comes from regions across the state, the lack of true representation even in popular eateries and much more.

Owner of popular restaurant Soam – Pinky Dixit talks to Roxanne about her love for khichadi, Gujarati farsan snacks and what makes this ‘ frugal’ cuisine so special. Pinky talks about how some of the world-famous chefs have popped by her restaurant and relished her food, how she’s fascinated with Gujarati street food and her undying love for Undhiyu.