The Business of Recipes
A Pure Punjabi Indian cook book with British Asian stories of food, culture, immigration & business conflicting within two different worlds.
The long-awaited Pure Punjabi cook book, “The Business of Recipes”, by founding director Surinder Hothi, ” is more than just a collection of recipes…it’s stories wrapped around the recipes, in a heartfelt autobiography that weaves together the rich culinary heritage of her mother’s recipes and kitchen with the business wisdom & teachings imparted by her father, set against the backdrop of growing up within two cultures.
Chapters
Chapter 1 – Everest
… A mountain to climb
Chapter 2 – Big Tusks
… Long hot summers
Chapter 3 – “Her Screams rang out, and no one came to help”
… Crime & Punishment
Chapter 4 – Pink fingers
…‘A baptism of fire’
Chapter 5 – Roots…“You need to see where you come from…”
Chapter 6 – Open all hours
… Fairdeal, or Ordeal?
Chapter 7– “Don’t let the bastards bullshit you”
… Fire! the rebellious teenage years
Chapter 8 – In hiding
…the business of arranged marriages…
Chapter 9 – They were right, but they were wrong
…failures…
Chapter 10 – Brown…White…Caramel …Toffee…Mocha or, maybe, zebra-striped?
…a natural curiosity?
Chapter 11 – Mummy went to the restaurant and no one’s there
…international dining
Chapter 12 – “If you don’t eat Indian food, you’ll lose your Indian blood”
…returning home…
Chapter 13 – “Mum! We can’t eat the bricks”
The Post Office… ‘Bent or Incompetent?’
Chapter 14 – “And then the penny dropped…I was my own my own answer”
…Pure Punjabi.
Chapter 15 – Closure
… Moving on
Each chapter ends with ‘Food for Thought’ sections…thoughts and observations on:
‘Business & Money’,
‘Immigrant & British perspectives’,
‘Cultural observations’,
Nutrition & health notes’.
Scroll to the end for the recipes index…
…a heartfelt autobiography by Pure Punjabi founder Surinder Hothi that weaves together the rich culinary heritage of her mother’s recipes & kitchen with the business wisdom & teachings imparted by her father.
“The Business of Recipes: A Pure Punjabi Journey,” an autobiographical cookbook that blends traditional recipes with insightful business wisdom.
In a Culinary and Personal Journey, discover the recipes and flavours of traditional home-style Punjabi cuisine through the eyes of a first-generation British-born Punjabi girl.
Set against the unique backdrop of her dual world of food—British school by day, Indian home by night—this book offers an intimate look at the blend and clash of food and cultures that shaped her upbringing from studious child to rebellious teenager, to independent adulthood as a single mother and female business owner.
Join Surinder on this journey through family recipes, life lessons, and childhood tales that illustrate the vibrant tapestry of the Punjabi immigrant experience. Be among the first to experience this unique blend of flavours and stories.
Don’t miss out on this culinary and cultural adventure!
Surinder is the Founder of Pure Punjabi…
…which she started in 2010, producing the Garam Masala she had learned from her mother, as a young girl. She later added Tandoori Masala, and the business remained with the production of these two products until her daughter Safia joined her in 2013.
Born and raised on the south coast of England, Surinder grew up within a Punjabi home in a mainstream English environment.
It was her mother, Seso, wishing to preserve the knowledge that she could pass to her daughter, who taught her how to cook traditional Punjabi food from scratch. From the age of 7-11 years old, she taught Surinder everything that her own mother and grandmother had taught her. By the age of 11, Surinder had to be back home from school in time to cook the family dinner each night.
‘The Business of Recipes’ cookbook update:
The book is now almost ready for uploading and publishing. Chapters are now almost completed and the photography is on final edits. Nearly there!
Recipes
Murgh, (Chicken ‘Curry’)
Jeera Chawl, (Cumin Rice)
Shukkarpare, (Sweet biscuit)
Badam Dudh, (Almond milk)
Ghee (Clarified butter) .…
Paratha (Fried Chapatti)
Anda Bhurji, (Indian Scrambled eggs)
Pershad/Karah, (Semolina pudding).
Makki di Roti, (Corn Chapatti)
Churi, (Sweet corn mash dumpling)
Alu Matter Gajera Sabji, (potato, pea & carrot)
Masoor di dhal, (Red lentil)
Roti, (Chapatti)
Dhai, (Yogurt)
Masala Cha, (Punjabi Tea)
Barfi, (Dairy fudge)
Besan, (Gram fudge)
Lassi (Yogurt breakfast drink)
Chevdra, (Bombay Mix)
Mathiya, (Flaky savoury biscuit)
Saag,
Chicken Biriyani
Rasgulla, (Sweet cheese dumpling)
Samose, (Meat Veg)
Chole, (Chickpea dhal)
Bhatoora/Puri, (Crispy fried Roti)
Channa Dhal, (yellow split lentil)
Mung Dhal, (Mung bean)
Urid Dhal, (black gram bean)
Green Dahl, (green lentils)
Brown Dhal, (Brown lentils)
Panjeeri/Pinni, (sweet dessert mix)
Keema, (spiced minced lamb or beef)
Aloo Gobi, (Potato & cauliflower)
Seviyan, (Vermicelli pudding)
Rajma Dhal, (Kidney bean)
Gulab Jamun, (Sponge cake dumpling in syrup)
Kheer, (Indian rice pudding)
Mithe Chawl, (Sweet Rice)
Naan, (Flatbread)
‘Tikka Chicken Masala’
Paneer (Indian cheese)