THE EXPAT ALCHEMIST COOKS PUNJAB

A journey that began in March 2020 when a Facebook friend posted up a 30 year old recipe from his time as sous chef to Chef Lal Chand in Club Aman, Kuala Lumpur. I fell in love with the simplicity of Punjabi cuisine with the realization that it suited the kitchen of Turkey, where I am based. I was so excited by it that I decided to write a cookbook.

The Expat Alchemist cooks Punjab is the first of a series of cookbooks that contain alternatives for difficult to find ingredients. It is aimed at the supermarkets that surround me here, but knowing what is on offer in supermarkets far removed from the country of origin, means it is a valuable tool for cooking these recipes anywhere.

I've outlined the alternatives with the original spices. In the tips and tricks section is the technique on cooking curries. It's simple but necessary for the curries or masalas not to turn out as gravy dishes, but the rich, deep flavours you know in curries the world over.

What's after this book? Singapore! It's more challenging but contains all the alternatives for cooking dishes from anywhere in the world. But for now, you have this great base beginning. Afiyet Olsun as they say in Turkey, or Bon Appetit as they say nearly everywhere else.