Lost Recipes - E4 Bene Israel

Beneath its touristy luster, Goa preserves a deeply traditional and rich culture, and a cuisine that is a combination of Goa's long-standing Portuguese influence, and local...

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, Mumbai's two thousand year old East Indian Community's 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 Mumbai's 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 Lucknow's past that take us beyond the now popular kebabs, niharis and kormas.

Azure waters lull one into the gentle pace of Pondicherry, 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 Pondicherry 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 Pondicherry's vibrant past. This episode of Lost Recipes is a colorful voyage in capturing some lovely recipes from Pondicherry's 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 Nawab's.

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, 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.