Queening it over the veggies

Mallika Badrinath speaks to SUBHA J RAO on the fine art of turning kitchen disasters into dazzling successes

KITCHEN CHRONICLES:Mallika Badrinath is the author of 28 cookbooks. —PHOTO: R. RAVINDRAN

You expect to see celebrated cookbook author Mallika Badrinath lord over a swish kitchen with exotic vegetables and fruits arranged artfully on the counters. But, she works out of a kitchen that’s as regular as it can get. The stars that emerge from her refrigerator are the humble dosakai (yellow cucumber) and a bagful of brinjal, rich and purple. On the counter are lined four jars filled to the brim with freshly made mango pickle: avakkai , thokku , and more. That’s in keeping with Badrinath’s image of the ‘aunty next door’ who teaches young girls all about cooking, and the friendly lady who gently nudges older women to expand their culinary repertoire.

Excerpts from an interview with the author, who’s just released her new book on cooking with millets:

Millets are the new buzzword. Everyone’s talking about them. How different is your book?

I’ve focussed on just ragi and

cumbu in the book. Cooking with millets is all about intelligent pairings and the right method of preparation. Soak them too much and the husk separates; millets work beautifully with very little soaking. And, I encourage people to cook millets the traditional way, and not in a pressure-cooker. The book teaches varieties of idlis , dosais , adais , puttu and sevai using the same base ingredients. So, it allows you to experiment without too much effort.

You’re known for your simple recipes that turn into celebrated dishes in everyone’s kitchens. How did you strike upon this style?

It’s always nice to speak to people and not talk down to them. I’m someone who loves sharing recipes and tips that I’ve picked up over the years. I don’t withhold details, and I think that honesty appeals to people. Knowledge of any sort is meant to be shared.

Surely, you’ve had bad moments in the kitchen?

(Laughs) Countless times. But, the trick is to know how to set things right and give them a new avatar, which is how an especially hard Mysorepak was ground and converted into delicious laddoo. Or a burfi into a halwa. And a soggy biryani into a delicious tikki . No one will ever find out if you don’t tell them. When testing recipes, you never know how something will turn out. That’s why I never give any dish a name till it comes out the way I imagine it.

You’ve had a great ride for someone who started off as a reluctant cook. Is that why you identify with countless others out there, and why they relate to you?

Possibly. I’ve never claimed to be a born cook. We all pick up small things unconsciously as we grow up.

I got a chance to tap into the traditions of the joint family system I grew up in, in Salem, and adopt them in what turned out to be my career. I believe all knowledge that has been passed on is precious. Of course, I don’t expect everyone to believe it totally. That’s why I back it up with modern-day science. It’s important to be able to explain to a child who hates a vegetable why it is important to consume it, scientifically. You must appeal to their intelligence.

Where did you pick up this trait from?

My kids. My younger son used to hate mustard. But then, our ancestors have been using it for long for tempering because of its beneficial properties. I began reading up to explain it to him. Once told how the sulphur in it helps burn fat and how it enhances digestion and saliva secretion, he stopped removing the seeds from the poriyal !

You’ve survived this long and attained this popularity despite sticking only to vegetarian dishes. Does that surprise you?

Actually, it does. But, it also goes on to show that if you teach people how to prepare vegetables well, they are more than willing to try them. The only departure I made was for a book featuring egg preparations. That was meant for vegetarians who included eggs in their diet.

Are you personally fond of vegetables?

These days, yes. As a child, I remember sitting down along with everyone else for the family meal that featured a whole lot of vegetables. I thought I was smart and used to hide all the vegetables I hated, especially bitter gourd, under the plate. Little did I know that when they cleaned the table, I would be caught. My grandfather would be livid.

They’d be surprised to see you now…

Oh yes. I rarely avoid any vegetables. I love all our traditional vegetables and feature them in my books, but I’ve also learnt to cook using the new exotic ones. I’ve even tried a cake using zucchini. It’s lovely.

You are just two books short of the 30 mark, many of which have been translated into other regional languages. What has been the most difficult?

The one on vegetable and fruit mocktails. I thought it would be simple, but it took me some time to understand the logic behind pairing. I kept creating a range of unappetising brown juices till things revealed themselves to me. Then on, it was easy, but the initial days were painful.

Whom do you love cooking for the most?

My grandkids. They’re shortly moving abroad and are staying with me now. They give me a list every day and I make it for them.

See mallikascookery on YouTube for recipes with millets and more

I think my honesty appeals to people. Knowledge of any sort is meant to be shared

All knowledge that has been passed on is precious. But, to appeal to all, it must be backed by modern-day science