Legacy on a Plate: Pernia Qureshi’s Culinary Tribute to Her Ammi

Leading fashion entrepreneur who founded Pernia’s PopUp Shop, a celebrated stylist for Bollywood films like Aisha [2010], author of Be Stylish with Pernia Qureshi, and a trained Kuchipudi dancer, Pernia Qureshi has consistently carved her own path. But with the launch of the new book, Pernia has added a profoundly personal and culturally significant chapter to her impressive repertoire.

With Ammi’s Kitchen: Heirloom Recipes of Rampur, Pernia invites us into the heart of her family’s culinary heritage. This isn’t just another cookbook; it’s a meticulously crafted legacy, born from a deep-seated desire to preserve the cherished Rampuri recipes of her beloved grandmother, Ammi [Mussharaf-ul-Nissa Begum]. Join us as Pernia reveals the touching inspiration behind this labour of love, the unique challenges of documenting generational wisdom, and the soulful memories that infuse every dish, particularly her favourite, Ammi’s comforting keema khichdi.

Meghna Sharma: What initially inspired you to embark on this project and compile your grandmother's much-relished recipes into Ammi's Kitchen: Heirloom Recipes from Rampur?

Pernia Qureshi: “I had the idea of making a family recipe book for many years. I can’t think of one moment in time when the idea of the book came to me. It is something that has been in my mind for a very long time. I always feared that once my parents’ generation is no longer there, our heirloom recipes would disappear into obscurity because my sister and I do not cook. Priya [Kapoor], from Roli Books, had approached me for another book idea. During that conversation, I brought up the fact that, at some point, I want to create a book with Ammi's recipes…and she suggested we go ahead with that first. That’s how the journey of this book began.

MS: Given the extensive collection of recipes, how did you decide which ones to include in the book?

PQ: “My dad and my aunt, Nasreen Phoopi, made the master list of all the recipes Ammi used to make. From that, we extracted the most popular and used recipes in our family. It was an extremely tedious process documenting each recipe. Since I’m not a cook myself, I didn’t realise how scientific and precise the process is. Many, many drafts went back and forth between the editor, my father, our cook, and me. The whole process has taken approximately three years!”

MS: Could you share a few of the recipes from the book that are particularly close to your heart, and perhaps the special memories associated with them?

PQ: “I love keema khichdi. It is a dish that is so Ammi because she brought it from her hometown, Chandausi [in Uttar Pradesh], when she got married in Rampur. You eat it with a dollop of butter, fresh mint chutney, and cold dahi [yoghurt]. It is comfort on a plate! Another dish I love is the combination of kadu bhartai with pyaz ki sabzi and besan ki roti. It is the perfect summer meal, light and flavourful. Ammi was the queen of combinations. She knew exactly which condiments or rice or roti pairing would enhance her dishes.”

MS: Looking back at your childhood, what are some of your fondest memories involving your grandmother and her cooking?

PQ: “In the last few years of Ammi’s life, she had moved to Delhi and was living with us full time. Every time I would come back from a trip, she would make sure my favourite meal was waiting for me. Till today, no one knows what I love to eat and what I do not like, the way she did. Not even my parents. She would always tell me off if I tried to count my rotis. My love for food has come from her love for me. Food and feeding us was her love language. I remember that anytime there was something wrong with a dish, she always had an amazing home remedy. She never threw anything out or wasted any food. For example, if the chef made a dish too salty, she would make him put potlis of something (I don’t remember what) into the dish and place it back on the fire. Those potlis would absorb the excessive salt, and the dish would become perfect. She was a kitchen magician!”

MS: How involved was your grandmother in the culinary traditions of your family while you were growing up?

PQ: “Food was, and still is, the centre of my household. This culture was something Ammi created and was passed down from her. The kitchen, cooking, and feeding were Ammi's passions. It was her time to shine and her way of showing love.”

MS: As someone with a diverse background, how do you see these traditional Rampuri recipes fitting into modern kitchens and lifestyles?

PQ: “In every household in India, all the best dishes and all the healthiest ones are those that have been passed down from our grandmothers. They always cooked what was in season, they ate fresh (farm to table), and the ingredients they used were always local. I believe that most people are realising that this is the need of the hour in our modern lives and modern kitchens. Ammi lived to be almost 100. There is a reason for this. Our grandmothers used food as medicine, nourishment, and joy. Modern society is now steering back and realising the importance of slow living and slow cooking.”

MS: What was the process like for you, going through your grandmother's recipes and potentially testing them?

PQ: “This journey was a very emotional one for me. We cook and make the recipes in the book daily at home, so there was no need for testing. However, when I had to sit down to write the introduction and reflect on her life and what she meant to me, it was cathartic.”

MS: If your grandmother were to see Ammi's Kitchen today, what do you imagine her reaction would be?

PQ: “This book is Ammi's life’s work and has all her love wrapped up in every page. It is my pride and joy. She would have been so thrilled and proud of this book. One of my biggest regrets in life is not releasing the book in her lifetime.”

MS: Lastly, are there any plans to explore more of your family’s culinary heritage in future projects, perhaps from other branches of your family tree?

PQ: “Not at all. Cooking is not my forte. I only like to eat. The motivation behind this book was my Ammi. Moving forward, I would like to explore books in other genres.”