A Sindhi Mother’s Cookbook

A Sindhi Mother’s Cookbook is, like any other task mother undertakes, a labour of love. It is a wonderful compilation of recipes from a typical Sindhi kitchen that is mindful of modern lifestyles. Written with great clarity and with easy-to-follow instructions, it gently encourages even the most hesitant to try their hand at producing authentic dishes from this age-old cuisine.

But the flavours imbued by the ‘Sindhi Mother’ permeate much more than the simple detailing of ingredients and method: they are evocative of the dining table, leisurely family gatherings, of shared meals prepared and served with the utmost care and savoured in appreciation — of the food, the company and, most of all, the individual who laboured over it with such love. And that is what makes the difference.

Duru Sachdev is a proud wife, mother and grandmother who loves her kitchen and believes wholeheartedly in the power of food — how it is prepared, served and partaken of, in a family and, thereby, the society. She was born in Bhilwara, Rajasthan, in a Sindhi family which had migrated from Hyderabad in Sindh during Partition. After completing her education in Delhi, Duru taught for a while but marriage interrupted that career. Fortunately, her Sindhi in-laws shared Duru’s passion for food, and she was able to add to the repertoire she had gathered from her mother. She also expanded her under- standing of cooking with courses in food preservation and baking. In addition, she pursued a love for fabrics and design by taking a basic tailoring course and starting a business partnership in ethnic and natural-dye garments. For eight years, she travelled the length and breadth of the country to source fabric for the business, before choosing to pursue her primary passion. Today, at 70+, her energy and vitality remain undiminished — this book is testimony to her continued willingness to take on new ventures.