A Cuisine of Many Histories
Few cuisines carry as much history on a single plate as the food of India. Centuries of trade along the spice routes, the refinements of the Mughal courts, the tandoors of the Punjab and the coconut and curry leaf of the southern coast have each left their mark, so that a country's food becomes, in effect, a family of cuisines.
What unites them is a philosophy of balance: sweet against sour, heat against cooling yoghurt, the richness of ghee against the brightness of fresh herbs. A great dish is composed rather than assembled, in the way a piece of music is.
This is the source of Rozmeen's fascination. To cook Indian food well is to take part in a long conversation between regions and generations, and she approaches it with the curiosity of a student and the patience of a host: toasting each spice to its moment, letting a sauce reduce slowly, and tasting until the balance is right.