853: Rachel Gurjar Thinks Mumbai and NYC Should Be Sister Cities

Rachel Gurjar (0:08)

I wanted the visual language of the book to show Mumbai and New York side by side. Like, I really did want the reader to go on a journey, you know, and like find the similarities and the differences. I think because both of those truths are equally important.

Aliza Abarbanel (0:28)

This is TASTE, I'm your host, Aliza Abarbanel.

Rachel Gurjar is a Mumbai-born, Brooklyn-based chef and recipe developer whose recipes appear in Bon Appétit and the New York Times. Her new debut cookbook, East to East, showcases her love for the two cities that shaped her through over 100 innovative dishes that combined Indian staples with some New York flair. Today on the show, Rachel goes deep on her story, the importance of recipe testing, and how she brought the singular book to life.

Matt Rodbard (1:00)

Also on the show, I have a great conversation with Kyle Beechey.

Kyle is the writer and director of The Restaurant Diaries, a brand new play being staged in a restaurant in New York City. I'm thrilled to see it and I hope you enjoy this episode.

Aliza Abarbanel (1:16)

Rachel Gurjar, this is TASTE. Thank you for coming on the podcast.

Rachel Gurjar (1:19)

Thank you for having me.

Aliza Abarbanel (1:21)

I'm so happy to have you in the studio and we were just talking about your first and only beach trip of the summer and the beach snacks that you made, which I'm very jealous of. Do you often make your own food when you go to the beach?

Rachel Gurjar (1:34)

Yes, I always make my own food when I go to the beach because as a New Yorker, after trekking to the beach for an hour and 30 minutes, the last thing I want to do is stand in a line.

Aliza Abarbanel (1:45)

So you're bringing your own?

Rachel Gurjar (1:46)

I'm bringing my own snacks.

Aliza Abarbanel (1:48)

What did you bring yesterday?

Rachel Gurjar (1:49)

I took some lemongrass marinated pork that I sautéed quickly with some garlic, and I had some cold noodles, fresh farm tomatoes, cucumbers, and a little nookchum.

Aliza Abarbanel (2:03)

Like a chilled noodle bowl situation?

Rachel Gurjar (2:06)

Correct.

Aliza Abarbanel (2:06)

Were people jealous?

Rachel Gurjar (2:07)

Yes, they were.

Aliza Abarbanel (2:10)

That's how you know you've done it right when people are coveting your beach snacks.

Rachel Gurjar (2:14)

Yeah, I'll share, but.

Aliza Abarbanel (2:16)

You'll have a bite only maybe. A bite.

Rachel Gurjar (2:17)

I'll give you a couple of bites.

Aliza Abarbanel (2:20)

Well, I'm going to be thinking about that for the rest of the conversation, I'll try to shift my attention to all the other food that I'm sure we'll talk about. I'm wondering if you have an early food memory to share that you think somehow represents your point of view as a chef.

Rachel Gurjar (2:34)

Yeah. One of the earliest food memories that I have is visiting my grandparents in their village and they had this beautiful veranda after you enter their home. That's classic in older homes and villages and stuff. So in the evening, we would all have early dinner and the entire family would sit together on the floor and we had a really simple meal, fresh chapatis with pani ka besan.

It's this thick stewy thing that's made with chickpea flour and spices and onions, a little smashed onions, some homemade achar, a cold glass of buttermilk. It was just so simple but I remember it so vividly and I think a lot of that philosophy has kind of flown into the way I eat and cook. I really think that like food is about its simplicity and the memories that we build around it, which really just imprint in our brain and I think that's the philosophy I carry with me as I cook and develop recipes as well.

Aliza Abarbanel (3:41)

Yeah, I really love that memory and I think reading your new cookbook, it seems that like balance is really important to you as a developer, balance of flavors, balance of textures even what you're just saying, the kind of variety of things on the table and how they fit together, maybe that's somewhat of a through line as well.

Rachel Gurjar (3:57)

Absolutely. I think when I'm thinking about a dish, definitely balance of flavors, textures, and like I like to introduce one new thing, whether it's through a technique or a spice or a memory or a flavor.

Aliza Abarbanel (4:13)

Yeah, I think that's so special. And another special thing for me is reading this book and getting to find out early Rachel lore because I know you threw your work as a recipe developer. I know you threw the internet and a little bit of real life, but I didn't know that you were an aspiring, you were a contestant on the Indian version of American Idol and all of these other things.