@salonikukreja

WE’RE FOLLOWING SALONI KUKREJA, A CHEF, CONTENT CREATOR AND RECIPE DEVELOPER FROM MUMBAI

What kind of food did you grow up eating?

Home-cooked Indian meals, which were always served family-style. I grew up eating a lot of vegetables cooked in Indian spices. Meat and seafood were a weekend indulgence.

What are some of your favourite Indian dishes?

I love a good coconut milk-based South Indian stew, served with fermented rice appams; Sindhi-style chickpea flour and tomato curry served with basmati rice and doublefried potato fritters tossed in spices; and a Rajasthani-style spicy yogurt curry served with millet rotis and lots of ghee.

How do you like to cook at home?

I enjoy cooking a blend of cuisines, using ingredients locally available in India. I work with a lot of vegetables and find ways to bring out delicious flavours using them. I absolutely love to bake, too — whether it’s homemade bread or pastry, I’m always testing out new recipes.

Where are some of your favourite places to eat in Mumbai?

Dakshinayan in Juhu, Mumbai, for clean and simple South Indian cuisine; Trishna at Kala Ghoda for some really great local seafood; Britannia & Co in Fort for an old school Mumbai dining experience; and Tharu’s Mukhi Bandar in Khar for an array of Indian sweets.

Which city or country is on your culinary wishlist?

Vietnam — I’d love to explore the food in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and the coffee estates in Dalat.

Who do you most look up to in the world of food?

Alice Waters. As one of the pioneers of the food sustainability movement, she’d done, and continues to do, incredible work to spread awareness about the importance of eating both locally and organically.