Put the sprouted grains into a bowl and pour on boiling water to cover. Tip straight into a sieve to drain, and refresh under cold running water. Shake dry and set aside. However, Bombay came together rather than falling apart. Naresh Fernandes – a passionate advocate of the need for shared spaces in Bombay – writes in his book, City Adrift, that "Freedom came amidst a shortage of milk and sugar as Bombay devoured piles of celebratory sweets. At midnight on 15 August 1947, B.G. Kher… head of the provincial ministry, raised the tricolour… and declared, ‘Citizens of free India, you are now free’. After a shastri, a moulvi, a Catholic bishop and a Parsi priest said appropriate prayers, Kher touched a switch and the buildings behind him burst into light. A mighty roar went up and brass bands blared out raucous tunes. A river of revellers swept through the streets, waving tricolours, riding in trams and on top of them. While Delhi and Calcutta were wrenched apart by riots sparked by the anxieties of Partition, Bombay was joyous and peaceful. Reported The Times of India, ‘Hundreds of thousands marched cheering through the illuminated streets of Bombay, uninterruptedly shouting slogans in a multitude of tongues, which turned the city at midnight into a Babel.’"

Remove the potatoes from the grill and divide each one in half, using a metal spoon so you create rough edges. Put the potatoes straight into the spice bowl and toss until well combined. Warm a dry frying pan over a high heat and add the pumpkin seeds. Toast for two minutes, or until golden brown, shaking the pan to keep the seeds moving so they don’t burn. Add the sesame seeds and toast for a further minute, then remove from the pan and set aside. By now, you may have an initial impression of Bombay. It’s a crowded place, of course. Glass and steel alternates with corrugated iron and then gives way to fading Art Deco and wild, slightly oriental Gothic. It’s not really the same as the rest of India. It’s somewhat monochromatic, with less of the colour that people seem to associate with the country. It is clearly a city of massive and closely juxtaposed extremes.

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Put the couscous into a microwavable container (a large mug is ideal). Add 60ml boiling water and the olive oil, and microwave on high for one minute. Leave to stand for five minutes, then fluff up with a fork. (The couscous can be cooked in a small pan over a medium heat, but it’s just a very small quantity.) Once forked through, leave the couscous to cool. The Parsis are a proper Bombay success story. They are an ancient and distinct community from Iran which has not only been absorbed into the city, but has shaped it and is completely identified with it. At the same time, the community has held onto its identity and traditions with integrity. The Parsis originally landed and settled north of Bombay in Gujarat a thousand years ago, but came to the city as it grew. (Gujarat is also where Shamil and Kavi’s family is from.) They were enterprising and valued education, and became wealthy and influential through trade in cotton, opium and other goods. They were also strongly civic-minded and philanthropic. Over the centuries, Bombay has owed a significant part of its infrastructure and public culture to the Parsis’ generosity.

As soon as you walk through the front door of any one of their eight restaurants, you just get it. What is ‘it’ exactly? It’s that warm feeling where you know you’re experiencing something authentic and genuine and that you’re in for a completely unique dining adventure. The service is warm and friendly, the smells are enchanting and you could easily spend an entire meal sat in silence, just gazing upon the décor. Dishoom menu highlights More than likely, you will eventually arrive at your destination. If you’re coming to south Bombay, you will probably travel past high-rises, permanent makeshift slums, crumbling old houses, a brand new sea-link flyover and an Aston Martin dealership, to arrive somewhere near the bottom of the pendant of reclaimed land that is the city.If Bombay was already full of all kinds of people, Irani cafés further helped to mix them physically in the same spaces and helped enhance the cosmopolitan culture of the city. When people break bread together, barriers break down. Let the grated cheese come up to room temperature; it needs to be quite soft and workable. Heat the oven to 240°C/Fan 220°C/Gas 9. Place a baking tray inside to warm up. A beautiful book that will transport your palate straight to the Irani cafés of Bombay.” – Susan Low

Toast the bread until very lightly browned on both sides. Set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the topping. Put a small handful of the grated cheese (roughly 10g), 1 tsp chopped spring onion and a pinch of green chilli to one side, to be used when you fry the egg(s). This book is dedicated to the late, great Rashmi Thakrar who passed away, too soon, in 2017. He was Shamil’s father, Kavi’s uncle and the first Dishoom person that Naved ever met. He was (until the very end) our most joyful cheerleader, and tireless finder-in-chief of obscure nuggets to turn into fully formed ideas. He’s the reason why Dishoom is so full of stories. Turn the heat under the saucepan down low and add 20g of grated garlic and 20g of grated ginger. Allow both to colour but be careful that they don’t burn. A simple side dish with outstanding results. Adjust the spices to suit your own palate and serve as part of an Indian-inspired feast. You can also make Dishoom’s special masala spice mix here. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces, add to a pan of boiling, salted water and cook until almost tender. Drain and pat dry, then set aside.Koolar & Co. has a specific importance for me. Not far away is a small ground-floor flat in an unremarkable building, where my mother and I spent a few months of my very early life. My family had been thrown out of our home on another continent, and Bombay was our refuge when we had nowhere else to go. We actually celebrated my first birthday here in Koolar & Co. and apparently we had a little cake. This would certainly be a memory I would lovingly treasure if I had it. Add the prawns and tomatoes to the sauce and simmer gently for a further 5-6 minutes, until the prawns are cooked; do not overcook or they will be tough. Add the tomatoes, salt and chilli powder to the pan. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook until reduced by half, stirring regularly so it doesn’t catch – this should take about 30 minutes. Add the butter and simmer for a further five minutes. Add the garam masala, sugar, honey, cumin, crisp garlic, kasoori methi powder and dill fronds, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add the cream and simmer gently for five minutes. The sauce is now ready to use.

Dishoom‘s take on bhel – a light, almost-salad street food dish of puffed rice, sev, chopped onions, tomatoes, chilli and chutney. Add ruby-red pomegranate seeds for extra colour and flavour. First, soak the rice. Put the rice into a large bowl and cover generously with water. Using your fingers, gently move the rice around in the water to remove the starch, being careful not to break up the grains. Let the rice settle, then pour off the water. Repeat twice more, each time with fresh water, then cover again with fresh water and leave to soak for 45 minutes. Once you have found your places of refuge, Bombay first becomes human and then – without you noticing exactly when – it completes the seduction and becomes delightful. Put the dal into a large bowl, cover with water and whisk for 10 seconds. Let the dal settle, then pour out the water. Repeat three or four times, until the water is clear. Tip the dal into a large saucepan and pour in at least four litres of cold water. Bring to a boil and cook steadily for two to three hours. Skim off any impurities that rise to the surface, and add more boiling water as required to keep the grains well covered. The dal grains need to become completely soft, with the skins coming away from the white grain. When pressed, the white part should be creamy, rather than crumbly. When cooked, turn off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Heat the grill to high. Put the potatoes on a baking tray. Brush with oil and grill until crispy and browned – 5-7 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and repeat to

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So this book is a total delight. The photography, the recipes and above all, the stories. I’ve never read a book that has made me look so longingly at my suitcase.” – Nigel Slater Drain the rice when the soaking time is up. Pour two litres of boiling water into a large pan and add the two teaspoons of salt and the lime juice. Tip the rice into the pan and stir well. Boil until it is three-quarters cooked, which should take four minutes from the time the rice went into the pan – you can tell that it’s at this stage by taking a grain between your forefinger and thumb, and pressing down on it with your nail: it should still be slightly firm and break into five or six pieces. Drain the rice; you don’t need to shake it completely dry, because a little extra moisture helps during cooking.