Simplicity is the true gem of Elana Benjamin’s first cookbook, Indian-Jewish Food Recipes and Stories from the Backstreets of Bondi. Benjamin writes, “As much as possible, I’ve tried to adapt the recipes to modern life. I understand the need to be able to prepare tasty, nutritious, meals quickly and easily, (page 10).” While frequently Indian cuisine can seem daunting, Benjamin successfully created a collection of recipes that allows readers to learn about a culture different than their own through recipes that are simple and straightforward. Beyond the ease of the recipes themselves, the entire cookbook mirrors this simplicity. From beautiful yet uncomplicated photography which accompanies every single recipe, to the 100-page length of the book, nothing about Benjamin’s work is overwhelming or seemingly something only a master could follow.
Indian-Jewish Food demonstrates not only a glimpse into Indian-Jewish cuisine, but specifically, the cuisine of India’s Baghdadi Jews currently living in Australia. The cookbook’s introduction provides a wonderful overview into the three Jewish communities that made their home in India. The recipes provide readers with insight into the lives of Jews who came from Iraq to India, eventually settling in some English-speaking countries. This cookbook is the epitome of true multiculturalism.
From cheese samosas eaten to break the Yom Kippur fast, to marag, “a synthesis of the Hebrew word for soup, marak, and the Hindi word for chicken, murgh, (page 52),” to chicken roast and potato, an Indian Shabbat dinner or pre-Yom Kippur fast staple, some of the dishes in the cookbook have very clear connections to the life of Baghdadi Jews. Yet not every recipe in the cookbook denotes the clear Jewish connection. I made Benjamin’s recipe for aloo gobi, a cauliflower potato curry, and while quite fun to bring to life a recipe I have eaten many times at Indian restaurants, I wasn’t sure what made this aloo gobi Jewish. Readers may be interested to know more about what makes a recipe an Indian-Jewish recipe, as opposed to an Indian or Iraqi recipe alone. While the connection is not always distinctly depicted, it does go to show the way local cultures and cuisines have always impacted Jewish cuisine—and certainly that was no different with the cuisine of Baghdadi Jews.
Although the cooking instructions, written in short paragraph form, are easy to follow, the lack of numbered instructions makes it easy to lose your place while cooking. However, the tip section at the bottom of many recipes provides suggestions for individuals to adapt recipes to their own unique preferences. Further, Benjamin does not stop at an individual recipe: her suggestions of which other dishes in the cookbook to make with a food allows readers to prepare a full meal from the cookbook without too much thinking. For instance, Benjamin suggests making shiftas (minced beef koftas) with pilau or aloo saag, zalata and coriander chutney; all recipes found in earlier sections of the book. Additionally, Benjamin presents helpful recommendations of where to buy unique ingredients such as atta (Indian whole wheat flour) so that readers don’t have to spend extra time consumed with researching stores.
Written initially for an Australian audience, don’t let that stop you from the joy of cooking these recipes in your home. After all, Google exists for a reason—to help us convert measurements and oven temperatures, and more importantly, connect us to cultures, traditions, and cuisines from around the world.
