Episodes

  • How Hill Stations Gave India Its Sweet Tooth

    How Hill Stations Gave India Its Sweet Tooth

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 30
    Jun 27 2019
    Summers in India are synonymous with spontaneous trips to the nearest hill station— a much-needed respite when the temperature of the plains and coastal regions crosses a sweltering 40º celcius. And those trips have etched long walks, energizing treks and watching the sunset in the Indian consciousness— along with a constant craving for the signature desserts of those regions. Vikram Doctor takes us on a trip this summer, not only telling us about the rich history of Mussoorie, Ooty and Lonavala—and the delicious delights their small bylanes and crowded streets offer; but we also go back in time, to our own childhoods. Music by Josh Woodward
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    14 mins
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  • Papad - A Circle That Completes The Square Meal

    Papad - A Circle That Completes The Square Meal

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 29
    Jun 27 2019
    When it comes to a simple home-cooked meal, nothing competes with dal and rice paired with the crunchy contrast of papad. Vikram Doctor traces the role this humble item plays in the meals of various Indian communities. He talks to writer Saaz Aggarwal about why it is the perfect food for cooking in the arid dessert of the Sindh. Radio personality Ashish Jagtiani (Jaggu) tells us why any Sindhi who doesn’t like papad will probabaly be excommunicated from the community. We then take a trip to the South and learn the difference between the North Indian papads and South Indian papadums and appalams. You might be only slightly addicted to papads, but you can’t compete with the great teacher Raman Maharshi who wrote a bhajan using appalams to make a philosophical point! Music: Josh Woodward
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    15 mins
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  • 'Lal, Neelu And Pilu': The Story Of Swadeshi Sodas

    'Lal, Neelu And Pilu': The Story Of Swadeshi Sodas

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 28
    Jun 27 2019
    Pepsi and Coke have the big billboards, but Thums Up is still one of India’s most popular brands. Vikram Doctor takes us back to 1916, when the Sodawaterwallas actually sold soda, talks to Bachi Karkaria about the soda-staples of the Parsi household, Abbas Hajoori about the fizzy Indian beverages his family has been concocting since 1923. An episode full of nostalgia via brands like Sosyo, Vimto, Ice-Cream soda and looking at a thriving ‘Indian flavoured’ soda trend that brings us everything from the grape-flavoured Bovonto of Tamil Nadu to the black-salt loaded Kashmira. Music: Josh Woodward
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    14 mins
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  • Who Makes The Best India Pale Ale? Not India.

    Who Makes The Best India Pale Ale? Not India.

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 27
    Jun 27 2019
    We’ve got the hot, sunny weather for it, so why do commercial Indian beers leave you cold (and not in a good way)? Vikram Doctor rolls out the barrel and talks to pioneering microbrewers here in India about why ‘regular’ Indian beer is boring and tasteless and the ingredients that go into a truly great beer. Tracking the history of the India Pale Ale, he also talks to Pete Brown who recreated a typical pre-Indpendence journey of a barrel of beer from Southampton to Mumbai to Calcutta! But does the Indian palette prefer the mellow regular beer or is it up to the feistiness of a craft beer? Well, you’re thinking of cracking one open now… which will it be? Music: Josh Woodward
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    13 mins
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  • Earthy, Resilient And Nutritious: Ragi Is A Metaphor For The People It Nourishes.

    Earthy, Resilient And Nutritious: Ragi Is A Metaphor For The People It Nourishes.

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 26
    Jun 27 2019
    Poets (and a Prime Minister) have sung the praises of this ancient whole grain. Tune in as Vikram Doctor traces the path of ragi, the humble finger millet, from its roots as a traditional weaning food, rich in calcium and iron, to its promising comeback as a diabetic friendly, low-glycemic grain. With its hearty, earthy texture, Ragi may be the next superfood for health and taste-conscious modern India. Music: Josh Woodword
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    12 mins
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  • Indians Love Butter, Dahi, Ghee And Paneer; But Are We Finally Learning To Say Cheese?

    Indians Love Butter, Dahi, Ghee And Paneer; But Are We Finally Learning To Say Cheese?

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 25
    Jun 27 2019
    Despite our love for dairy products of all kinds, cheese wasn’t widely available or consumed in India. As our economy opened up in the 90s, we were able to get tins of processed cheese, though a majority of Indians continued to find the taste alienating. However with dishes like cheese dosas, cheese chilli toast, the ability to cook cheese is helping it achieve more mainstream acceptance. Vikram Doctor investigates how we are discovering a love for cheese in India. Music: Josh Woodward
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    13 mins
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  • The Unforgiving Roti: Is It Either Perfect Or Inedible?

    The Unforgiving Roti: Is It Either Perfect Or Inedible?

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 24
    Jun 27 2019
    The roti or chappati, something we are all familiar with, has very basic ingredients -- water, salt, and flour. But despite the utter simplicity of its components, a certain mastery is required to make the perfect roti -- A mastery that many machines have attempted to replicate but failed flamboyantly. Uninfluenced by the rapid developments in the field of food technology, rotis continue to be preferred to be made only and only by hand. Machine-made rotis fall far below the expectations that the average Indian has for his roti -- it must be soft, it must taste fresh, it must have risen to form a perfect halo of flour when placed on a fire, and it absolutely must be flawlessly round! In this podcast, Vikram Doctor delves deep into the science of the preparation and consumption of our national fixation. Music: Josh Woodward
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    14 mins
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  • Family Cookbooks: Preserving Memory Through Taste

    Family Cookbooks: Preserving Memory Through Taste

     The Real Food Podcast, Episode 23
    Jun 27 2019
    Every family has recipes unique to their homes and often, with the passage of time, these recipes are lost. Some realise that documenting these recipes can create a rich inheritance. Vikram Doctor looks at the charming trend of family cookbooks and reminds us that they have a vital role to play in not just preserving ways of cooking, but also tradition, culture and memory. Music: Josh Woodward
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    15 mins
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