More Than Just Biryani

Book excerpt: The culinary journey of three women who followed their hearts. When Sonia Kapoor, a journalist working in a Hong Kong food magazine befriends Zubi, a shy Indian woman living in Hong Kong with her husband and child, she hopes to peel away the layers of fascinating stories about Zubi's connection with food. Hesitant at first, Zubi slowly opens up to Sonia, taking her to the Bangalore of her childhood and her mother's simply cooked home food. Life lessons are learnt with the help of familiar dishes and Sonia realizes that there's more to Zubi and Muslim food than just their love for biryani. At its heart, More than Just Biryani is a story of understanding needs, discovering identities, overcoming fears and above all, embracing love. Through the life stories of three women from three generations, the novel shows how food plays a significant role in shaping the lives and characters of each of these women. In the process, it also gives out quite a bit of the recipes for delicious Muslim dishes such as kaali mirch ki phaal, lauz, etc.