What’s in my Dabba? with Firangi’s Ruhi and Simar

No Bombay kitchen is complete without its Masala Dabba, a stainless-steel box, worn and battered, passed down through the generations. Each is as unique as its owner, full of most-favoured spices and many-varied stories within. In our ‘What’s In My Dabba?’ series, we get a glimpse into some of our friends’ kitchens, as they share the judicious spicing of their favourite dishes, along with hosting rituals, tips and stories. Delight awaits.

In this instalment, we join Chef Ruhi Amin and Simar Deol, the founders of experimental South Asian cooking studio, Firangi. The pair often delight London diners with pop-ups and kitchen take-overs across the city. In celebration of Diwali, they sift through prized food memories, including the unorthodox Italian recipe that sparked their own creative cooking and share a lavish recipe for panchpuran saag gosht, turned intercontinental.

➻ What’s in your Masala Dabba?

Turmeric, garam masala, ground cumin, mustard seeds, ground coriander, cumin seeds, deghi mirch – all the classics! Hing isn’t in the dabba, but it deserves an honorary mention.

➻ What’s the smell that hits you when you first open the lid — and what does it remind you of?

Ruhi: The first thing I smell is excitement – and my mum. I lived abroad for 12 years, and using my own dabba felt like a way to connect with all the women in my family, and feel closer to home. When I’m at my mum’s and I hear the clink of her dabba, I just know she’s about to dish up all her classics. Her Indian food has always been (and will always be) my favourite.

Simar: Maybe garam masala? It is hard for me to untangle the smells from each other because it’s so tied up in memory and nostalgia – specifically being really young and standing next to my mum or nani as they whipped up a simple aloo sabzi.

➻ Which spices are you reaching for most often while cooking, and why?

Ruhi: This is a tricky question because at Firangi we really try to tailor our dishes to specific spices so that each has its moment to shine. I would say right now, we’re spotlighting tandoori masala. It works so well with all ingredients – meat, fish, veg, pulses etc. etc.

➻ What are some of your earliest memories of cooking?

Simar: Sunday nights were my favourite as a kid, as it would be pasta night and my mum or dad would be cooking the spiciest spaghetti aglio e olio you can imagine. I think the creative liberties taken with cooking this dish (think coriander in pasta – a real Italian nightmare) showed me just how fun cooking could be.

Ruhi: Rolling rotis with my Ba (my dad’s mum) when I was four, is a memory that’s never left me. She was Gujarati and would always use a velan (thin wooden rolling stick) to make her rotis, which we ate every Monday and Wednesday after school. I remember being crouched on the kitchen floor with my own mini velan and circular rolling board and just trying to copy her. It was mesmerising watching her roll them so perfectly and with such speed – she was just amazing.

➻ What’s on the menu for us today?

Ruhi: With winter around the corner, we’ve been thinking of our favourite comfort foods, and one of the first things that came to mind was risotto. So, today we’ve given the classic dish a Firangi twist, cooking a Panchpuran Lamb Risotto – it’s kind of like our take on a saag gosht, but we’ve kept it seasonal by making the saag out of cavolo nero. To finish off the dish, we have quick-pickled radishes and a crumble of feta for that hit of acidity, and crispy cavolo nero leaves for texture.

Simar: When thinking about the dish that best represents us, especially around Diwali time, we knew it had to be something that we’d want to dish up for our friends and family. For me, the month of Diwali in Delhi was always filled with lots of eating out, mithai being sent home, and it’s generally just a gluttonous time of year. So, come Diwali evening, my family would usually opt for a simple pulao dish. The idea of having a rice dish was where we drew inspiration for our risotto today.

➻ What are your top tips for cooking with spices?

Ruhi: I think one of the most underrated elements of cooking with spices is buying them whole and toasting them. It releases more of the aroma and flavour; nothing beats grinding spices yourself.

It’s especially key to cook out spices like turmeric, and things like fennel seeds have a totally new taste once toasted and crushed. Small techniques like this really lift a dish.

➻ Are there any non-negotiable dishes that line the table during the festive season?

Our Diwali’s look a little bit different… so here’s a list of some of our top dishes:

Ruhi: Maggi stir-fry noodles, chilli paneer and lots of masala puris.

Simar: Pulao, channa and achaar.

➻ Are there any non-negotiable dishes that line the table during the festive season?

Abundance! Food is such an intrinsic part of family and friendship for us, and overfeeding (and overeating) is our language of love and care. Although Firangi is all about experimenting with South Asian cuisine, and a lot of our plates aren’t typical in the traditional sense, we do always want to carry this feeling of comfort in our cooking. Nothing tastes better than the meal you share around a table with your favourite people.