What’s in my Dabba? with Sindhu Vee

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 take a peek into the kitchen of Sindhu Vee, award-winning stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Read on to know the soundtrack to Sindhu’s early cooking memories, the motto she welcomes guests with, and why she’s always the last to sit down when playing host.

➻ What’s in your Masala Dabba?

Haldi, dhaniya, mirch, amchoor, saunf, rai, jeera – or turmeric, coriander, chilli powder, mango powder, fennel, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Salt lives separately!

➻ Which spice are you reaching for most often while cooking?

Saunf, amchoor, dhaniya powder – fennel, mango powder, coriander powder.

➻ What are some of your earliest memories of cooking?

My mother cooking with the radio on, and Vividh Bharti radio station playing filmi songs. She forced me to help her, because she considered being a quick (but innovative) cook to be a basic skill for any girl or woman. Not the identifying skill by any means… just a basic one, like breathing.

Sometimes she would break into a short dance, especially in the winters when she chose to cook in the garden. (Yes, she had the facility to do that too – she just moved the gas and stove outside.) My mother conducted a lot of her business chatting on the phone, chatting to friends in person, telling me off and so on – all while cooking. And she was famous – always, among all who knew us, as a phenomenal cook.

➻ What’s on the menu for us today, and why have you chosen this dish?

Aam Ki Daal – or arhar daal made with tangy raw mango. Find the recipe here.

➻ Can you give us your top tips for cooking with spices?

Less is more: both with the spice, and the amount of heat you use. Timing is also everything – if you get this right, the spice will reveal itself and do most of the work. Fresh ground spice is magic so use it wherever you can; but beware jeera! (Cumin!) It can take over an entire dish and make it generic.

➻ How are you welcoming guests to the table?

With Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar’s ’60s and ’70s hits playing very softly in the background. All Indian meals in our home are vegetarian, so I use the stainless steel thaalis and katoris – the plates and bowls that my parents gave me when I got married. Nothing fancy, just a very basic feature of most Tamilian households.

➻ Can you tell us of a ritual that you swear by before hosting friends and family?

I always keep in my mind the Sanskrit dictum my father taught me: 'atithi devo bhava', meaning the guest is like God. And I follow the same actions my mother also followed – serving every guest by my own hand, and sitting to eat only once everything is in full swing at the table.

I watch every guest discreetly so that if anyone needs something, I try to get it to them before they ask, and I obviously insist they eat more than they want (such a desi way of showing love!) The point of this is to truly serve my guests when they have done me the honour of eating in my home.