Cooking At Home With Pedatha

by Jigyasa Giri

In the journey of the self, we often revisit our past, our tradition, our culture to find ourselves. It is a pleasure to invite you to share in one such journey... a journey that began more than eighty years ago and has found its culmination in a befitting tribute – "Cooking at Home with Pedatha". This book revisits tradition, a culinary tradition of an illustrious family, which fed not just friends and family, but many stalwarts of India’s glorious past.
   
Jigyasa Giri and Pratibha Jain take the initiative to record this legacy for posterity. The unfolding of this culinary legacy centres around eighty-five-year-old Subhadra Krishna Rau Parigi. Fondly called Pedatha, (short for Peddha Atthayya, which means father’s sister in Telugu), she is the oldest offspring of former President of India, Bharat Ratna Dr. V.V. Giri, and Smt. Saraswathi Bai Giri. 

A passionate cook, Pedatha's recipes are much sought after by friends and relatives. Her cooking has remained unchanged in the face of changing times, retaining the traditional flavours and an old world charm. At her best and happiest in the kitchen, she has taught many younger sisters, daughters, grand-daughters and daughters-in-law, and has once again shared these age-old recipes with Jigyasa and Pratibha.
 
 "Our heartfelt desire was to show Pedatha how a 'seemingly' ordinary skill of hers is in truth a rare genius…and thus came about this book at the greatest speed possible", the authors say.

Through a journey of love and learning, the authors take the initiative to record this culinary legacy for posterity. Rendered in stunning aesthetics, the book also gives a peek into the simple presentation of traditional Andhra vegetarian food, as well as the affection and joy which was shared in bridging the gap between the spoken and the written word. It is a tribute to Pedatha and her generation. As the prominent food columnist of more than 50 years Mrs. Malathi Chandoor has applauded, "All of us will live for 70 years or 80 years, but this book will live for ever."

SECTIONS OF THIS BOOK: 

• Pachchadis
• Podis
• Annam
• Koora
• Pappu
• Perugu
• Theepi 
• Vadiyalu
• Chutneys
• Powders
• Rice
• Vegetables
• Dals
• Yogurt
• Sweets
• Crispies.