Ahead of Mother’s Day, three F&B experts reveal trade secrets and recipes that their mums shared with them to inspire their culinary journeys
Mama’s pizza sauce
Sauce of inspiration
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A Large part of his journey with food has its roots in his mother’s kitchen, shares Krishna Gupta, MD, 1441 Pizzeria. “While building the place as an authentic Italian pizza joint, retaining the flavour of the home-cooked pizzas by my mother, Abha, was essential, too. Growing up, she made pizza using her own recipe,” he shares. As the entrepreneur travelled the world, he enjoyed different varieties of pizza but found himself craving his mother’s signature sauce. “I’d look forward to Sundays as it was pizza day in my family, and it’s this tradition that became my passion in the form of 1441 Pizzeria,” he says.
Mama’s pizza sauce
Ingredients
. A generous glug of olive oil
. 5-6 cloves garlic
. 1-1.5 finely chopped onions
. 8-10 chopped tomatoes
. 1 tsp caraway seeds
. 1 tbsp chilli powder
. Salt and pepper
Method
Heat some oil and slow-cook the ingredients together. Let it turn golden to bring out the flavours. Reduce the mixture on a low flame to achieve the desired consistency and smoothness. Cool, and store.
Prawn-tastic affair
Chef and general manager, Out of The Blue, Juliano Rodrigues, remembers that his late mother, Concasio Rodrigues, had a unique way of serving Goan prawn chilli. “While most people would have it like a starter or a side dish, my mother’s twist to this was, she used to stuff the sannas batter [made of rice, palm toddy and coconut] with the Goan prawn chilli and steam it. So this in itself used to be a wholesome meal,” he shares, adding that it was one of the most delicious things he’s ever had.
Goan prawn chilli
Ingredients
. 6 prawns slit in half
. 1/2 cup chopped onions
. 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
. 5 curry leaves
. 4 slit chillies
. 2 tbsp oil
. 1/4 tsp sugar
. 1 tbsp fresh coriander
. 1 tsp coriander powder
. 1 tsp turmeric powder
. 1 tsp red chilli powder
. 1/4 tsp garam masala
. 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
. 1/4 tsp black pepper powder
. 1 tbsp lemon juice
. 1/2 tsp palm vinegar
Method
Marinate the prawns with ginger-garlic paste, 1/4 tsp coriander, red chilli powder, turmeric and lemon juice for 30 minutes. Temper oil with curry leaves; add slit chillies, followed by sliced onions — stir it till it’s translucent. Tip in the remaining red chillies, turmeric and coriander powder; sauté and then add tomatoes, and cook till it’s soft. Toss in the prawns, and cook on slow flame till they’re done. Add sugar, black pepper and garam masala; stir and combine well. Finally, add vinegar and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot.
Meating hope
Chef Shabana Salauddin, who serves up authentic Konkani Muslim fare through her venture Ammeez Kitchen, recounts the tale of a six-decade-old recipe. “Khaara goshh is a must-have on Bakra-Eid that was invented when life was tough. My ammee, Salma, was around eight or 10 when she lost her mother. Business, too, wasn’t in the best shape then,” Shabana shares. That year, on Eid, Shabana’s grandfather somehow came home with meat gifted by a friend. “He handed it over to ammee to cook it. But how? She had barely mastered daily meals; and with not even basic ingredients at home, what could she make?” she narrates. Determined to not give up, her mother found a few whole spices. “Green chillies, ginger and garlic were manageable. She borrowed a lemon, mixed the ingredients with the meat and cooked it on dum, on a lakdi ka chulha. She then served it to her father with rotis; he had tears in his eyes,” she reveals fondly.
Khaara goshh
Ingredients
. 1 kg goat meat with fat (rawaas wala gosht), medium to small pieces with bones
. 50 gm whole spices mix (cinnamon, green cardamom, cloves, black pepper, bay leaves, cumin and shahi zeera)
. 100 gms ginger-garlic paste
. 2 lemons . 6 green chillies cut into slits (increase for more spice)
. Salt to taste
. 1 tbsp oil
. Chopped coriander
Method
In a heavy-bottomed pot, let the spices crackle in oil. Add the meat and let it cook for five to 10 minutes. Tip in the ginger-garlic paste, chillies and salt. Cook till the meat is tender. Keep stirring it frequently. Don’t add water. Now, sprinkle lemon juice and stir well. In the last five minutes, keep a tawa on the gas stove, place the pot covered with a lid on it; place some weight on the lid. Let it simmer on dum. Garnish with chopped coriander.
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