Lost Recipes

Beneath its touristy lustre, Goa preserves a deeply traditional culture and a cuisine that has a long-standing Portuguese influence to it. Chef Aditya Bal is out on the lanes of the state with just one purpose in mind - to discover the firsts of all the recipes that were forgotten with time and evolution. What does he discover? Find out in this episode.

A quaint, sleepy little one-street village-town in unlikely southern Gujarat, Udvada belongs in the 19th century. Its streets are frozen in time and are the perfect route into the gastronomic legacy of the food-loving Parsi community. This mecca of the Parsis is decorated with heritage homes and handsome rustic kitchens that preserve the tradition of cooking on wood-fire.In these kitchens, Aditya Bal cooks with the happy-go-lucky locals and discovers forgotten recipes with stunning techniques and tastes that are a delightful amalgamation of Persian and Gujarati cultures and their flavours

Lost Recipes time-travels to a Mumbai that is long-forgotten and now exists only in history books. A fascinating mix of Portuguese and British influences, Mumbais two thousand year old East Indian Communitys food is a mouthwatering blend of art and history. From rustic recipes that are two millennia old to the ones that transport us into the 19th century kitchen, the forgotten recipes of Mumbais East Indian community, promise to pack a punch and whet the appetite even today.

Khansama who worked in the kitchen of the Nawab of Awadh decided to stun his master with an unlikely creation. So he served him a poori. The Nawab called for the man to ask him why there was only a plain poori on his plate. The khansama requested the Nawab to taste the poori. On breaking off a piece off the poori, a delicate little bird flew out of it and stunned the Nawab. Lucknow is full of such fantastical legends of food, and within these legends lie the secrets of lost and forgotten recipes from the fascinating culinary heritage of this city. This episode of Lost Recipes tries to piece together enthralling old recipes from Lucknows past that take us beyond the now popular kebabs, niharis and kormas.

Azure waters lull one into the gentle pace of Puducherry, this happy little town that has for over 2,000 years attracted foreign forces to its shores. The Romans, the Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English, all have ruled here and the cuisine of Puducherry today is a curious mix of all of these influences as well as local Tamil ingredients. Add to the pot a pinch of Vietnamese spice, and what you have is an incredible bunch of recipes with incredibly enthralling stories behind them, all linked to Puducherrys vibrant past. This episode of Lost Recipes is a colorful voyage in capturing some lovely recipes from Puducherrys bygone days before they disappear into the sands of time

The city of Hyderabad was founded by the Qutb Shahi dynasty 400 years ago, and as tradition demands Aditya begins his search at the Char Minar, the monument built to create the commemoration of this vibrant city. Captivating nuggets of culture mark this journey for the Lost Recipes from the kitchens of the Nizams and throw up some true gems. An 200 year-old recipe for a soup that has up its sleeve 7 different tadkas, a melt-in-the-mouth starter that was popular in the Nizami durbar and a dessert so unique it is called Anokhi. Hyderabadi offers a true insight into the refinement and intricacy into the culinary traditions of the past.

Kolkata and Food are bound by the cords of culture, tradition, and immense passion. Ask a Kolkatan about the food of his city and he will sing to you melodious praises of the roshogullas and the eelish maacher jhol. But in a city so fond of eating, what is possibly lost? A lot As Aditya find out. The episode begins with a tribute to the most famous kolkatan of all time, Rabindranath Tagore, we cook his favourite mithai, one that was created solely for him and died with him... Thereafter medieval-Bengal beckons to us and shows us a flicker of its rich traditional cooking. In Kolkata one cannot leave aside the influence of the British, Portuguese, French and Armenian so our episode ends with a recipe from the Anglo-Indian kitchens

Vast hills, rolling clouds, and lush green in every direction one looks Sikkim, the little kingdom that became a part of India in 1975 is today home to three distinct communities. The first of these are the Lepchas, who believe themselves to be the original inhabitants of Sikkim, born from the snow of the Kanchenjunga itself The second are the Bhutias who descended on this beautiful land from nearby Tibet almost 700-800 years ago and have since made it theirs. And the third is the large Nepalese community that calls Sikkim home. Ancient recipes from these three communities are what we showcase in this episode of Lost Recipes along with juicy historical nuggets such as that the Bhutias are ones who first brought Momos to India Get ready for some never-see-before traditional tribal cooking techniques such as cooking on stones in a pit, and cooking in a bamboo stem Sounds delicious? It is

Covered with the layer of salt and sand, Kutch is a remarkable region in the northwestern part of the vibrant state of Gujrat. Kutch packs in a culture, topography and a way of life that is one of its kind. This episode Aditya Bal takes a trip to various small villages in Kutch and explore the lost recipes and techniques of traditional culinary which stuns him with its simplicity.

The capital of Madhya Pradesh, Bhopal is famous for its modern metropolitan development, historic culture, exquisiteness and above all availabilities of large variety in lip smacking food and cuisines. The episode Aditya Bal will recreate some of the lost recipes right from the kitchen of Nawabs.

Coorg is known to many as the land of tranquil forests and hills, coffee plantations and its symbolic Kodagu culture. One of the most acclaimed district for its scenic beauty, Coorg is also a heaven for the foodies due to its rich culinary culture from Gowdas and Kodavas.

Just like its picturesque beauty, the food in Kashmir is heavenly. The rich, redolent dishes steeped in traditions have evolved through many generations and are known to be a blend of three different cooking styles - that of Kashmiri Pandits, Muslims and Mughals.

Delhi, the present-day cultural hub of India, was once subservient to the rule of the Parthians, Turks, Afghans, Mughals and Britishers, that had left an indelible impression on the face of the city and gave Delhi its own unique status. The episode discusses about the rich heritage of Maharajas and dynasties which is well reflected in their food culture as well.

When Aditya Bal knocks on the doors of Hampi - a village centuries old - some bygone recipes are rediscovered and gain a new identity. Under the shadow of Anjaneya Hill, the birthplace of Lord Hanuman, we gather recipes lost in time, waiting to be found. When Rajmata Chandrakanta Devi lights up the chulha of the abandoned royal kitchen after 250 years, an ingredient as common as the egg becomes special. Further in his journey, Aditya Bal meets Shama Pawar who briefs him about the uniqueness of the Kings of the Kalyani Chalukya Dynasty, who excelled in all the 64 arts of living, including cooking. And, a meetha that seems to be an ancestor of the modern-day ‘Gulab Jamun’ is revealed.

Visit Shekhawati, the land of open-air art galleries, and magnificent Havelis covered with frescoes and murals. The place is the home of Shekhawats, an adventure-loving Rajput clan. This affinity can be seen in their cuisine, which includes the Rajput version of sausages - Aanth ke Kabab. After sampling this unique flavour, Aditya Bal moves on to the city of Ramgarh, a nexus for Marwari traders historically. This city gave us the recipe of Phopalia Ki Sabzi - a dish made using ingredients that are mostly dried and preserved.

The Konkan coastline has multiple layers to its culture and lifestyle. As we go down to the lanes of Dapoli, Harnai village, amongst the people belonging to the Konkani Muslim community, ‘Katri’, a sweet preparation which was Konkan’s own variation to modern-day pasta is discovered. As this journey continues, the myth of pickles being prepared using only raw and not ripe mangoes gets shattered with the making of ‘Ukad Amba’, a lost recipe in which ripe mangoes are boiled before being used to make a unique pickle.

Amongst the many communities that live in the coastal state of Maharashtra, is a community of Jews called Bene Israel. While the facts of their origins are lost in time, some of their recipes have survived. From a part of the community settled in Pune comes a recipe that used to be prepared mainly on the day of Sabbath. In the compound of the only synagogue in Pune, Aditya Bal joins the members in preparing that signature dish, Fish Alberas. His quest takes him next to the bustling city of Mumbai, on the outskirts of which Bene Israelis live. Here, another ancient recipe is resurrected - Saat Padri. As they make this delicacy, Aditya discovers the importance of the number 7 in Jewish tradition.

As we stroll through the winding roads of Shimla with Aditya Bal, we can still see some fragments of the British Raj scattered all over the city, either in the form of infrastructure or their influence on the food popular in the area. Such influence is observed in the preparation of the Shimla version of Railway Mutton Curry. In the beautiful hill station of the Sahibs, on the ‘chulha’ of one of the exquisite homes of the Jubbal Tehsil, the unusual ‘Khobli Ki Khichdi’ is recreated following age-old processes.

Lives of people in Chhattisgarh - commoners or royals - have always been linked to the forests. Indian mythology claims that the Bastar forest was where Lord Rama, Lakshman, and Sita spent 14 years in exile. Aditya Bal visits Harwakodo, the residence of the members of the Muria Tribe in Chhattisgarh, where Suksi, a dried fish variety, preserved using an age-old smoking technique, is used to prepare a unique dish, which accompanies a roti made with cooked rice, rice flour, and paan leaves. He also meets Kanker’s royal prince who reveals a traditional recipe, the Mahua Maans, which got lost in the pages of history because hunting wild animals became a criminal offence. This historic delicacy is now prepared using chicken.

The soil of Sambar is so blessed with richness that it’s not only used to produce salt but also in cooking some of the local delicacies. One such dish is ‘Bin Pani Ki Roti’, a preparation in which the dough is kneaded with ghee instead of water. The restriction on the use of water in this parched state continues, as the search for another lost recipe takes Aditya Bal to the Marwa Fort. Here the chef helps Kamlendra Singh, the owner of the fort, in the making of ‘Mokal’, the only dish known to be prepared using fresh, completely unwashed mutton.

A city that bases everything on the power of gratitude, Puri, according to Vishnu Purana, was the only spot out of the four abodes ‘Char Dham’ for Lord Jagannath to come and eat. In this place where food is always in plenty, even if lakhs of devotees come, the ‘Anna Rasabali’ is brought back to life. The painstaking efforts taken by Pandit Biswanath Samantaray to prepare this Bhog hint at why the dish is a lost recipe. The quest for lost dishes extends to Mahodadhi Palace, where another recipe, with flavours so unique that they wouldn’t be found anywhere else, is resurrected.

Surrounded by the deep, blue sea on one side and lush green mountains on the other, Uttara Andhra is a living example of how development and nature can co-exist in harmony. In this blessed land, you find people so reverent of nature that they ask forgiveness from the trees from which they pluck leaves. In this region immersed in love for all things natural, Aditya Bal unearths some delectable and unusual recipes. From chicken pieces steam-cooked, wrapped inside mango leaves, to marinated prawns cooked inside a parcel made of teak leaves, these recipes were destined to be recovered.

Chirping birds, sky-high mountains, rivers singing their own melody – many can only dream of the scenic beauty which Uttarakhand brings to reality. Join Aditya Bal on his travels through this inspiring landscape. The Garhwal region of this state is where the first lost recipe – ‘Seeda Roti’ – comes from. It is a dish which turns out to be a sweet treat and a good dose of nutrition at the same time. The quest for yet another recipe takes us to Tons Valley, where the shepherds have a timeless recipe to be shared with the rest of the world – ‘Andrey’.