A conversation with Auroni Mookerjee

On Tacos, Kosha Mangsho and food writing.

On Tacos, Kosha Mangsho and food writing. Welcome to Auroni Mookerjee’s world!

Sometimes the best description of food comes from those who create it. When you talk to people who stand by the stove, ingredients that  have donned cloaks of invisibility in the final product, suddenly become noticeable characters. Having not much experience in cooking or eating Bengali food, I was a bit nervous about asking the right questions. However, while talking about contemporary vs fusion and the importance of  authentic ingredients, Auroni Mookerjee threw in a “payasam” vs “payesh” reference, and that’s when it hit me. Food is a language in itself for those willing to speak and learn more about it. Meet Auroni Mookerjee, founder of “Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen”, co-founder of “The Curry Brothers” and the person who can tell you what to eat where in Mumbai.

A “Delhi-ite at heart and Bengali by blood”, Auroni grew up in a food-centric household. “Both my parents are foodies. My mother was also a food critic who wrote a weekly column for the Indian Express and Hindustan Times. I often tagged along when she went for her critiquing sessions. Our neighbour was a seafood supplier. I remember eating Octopus for dinner and then spelling it out the next day at school when I was asked what I had for dinner.”

As he recalls several incidents that helped him develop a diverse palate and an interest in food, he says the biggest influence was that of his grandmother’s. “Her nickname was “Manni”. I remember my aaya who I fondly called “Pishi” would finish all the cutting/chopping, and then my grandmother would do the cooking. Her cooking was about approximations and she never used strictly measured ingredients. Needless to say, everything tasted amazing. In fact, when I was old enough to reach the stove, she gave me a frying pan as a birthday gift.”

Despite this constancy of food, Auroni says he never thought about it as a career. “I was working in advertising and copywriting. Cooking for friends and family was something that I always enjoyed doing. For a long time, that was the extent of my culinary trials. ” So what acted as the trigger? “My friend ran a dabba service. For one of the specials, he asked me if I could do a Bengali food special . I decided to do it and prepared the food based on my grandmother’s recipes. It was a big hit. The Bengali special became a routine offer. Twice a month I would wake up early and cook for about 20-30 dabbas. Over the next few months ,the orders increased to about 200. This was when I was still working full time. So I would finish cooking and then go to work once the dabbas were picked up.”

While the dabba service stopped after some time as it was getting difficult to manage the demand, Auroni had started thinking about taking his love for food and cooking to the next level. He applied for the “One Night Stand Chef”  at Cafe Zoe in Mumbai. This opportunity allows aspiring chefs to work in real time under renowned chef Viraf Patel’s guidance. When Auroni’s chance to shine came, they had so many reservations that they had to do another round of prep work. “The whole experience of working in a restaurant kitchen with  a staff is incredible. Cafe Zoe has a different menu theme. Working on the menu helped me explore interesting options for presenting traditional food . The response was great and it also reinforced what my friends and family kept telling me about my cooking.” Auroni adds that he gained so much from the experience that he continued to work in the kitchen during his free time to get a better hold on kitchen management.

Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen opened about one and a half years ago. “Nobody does Bengali food in a contemporary manner. I started it as a pop up from my home. People can book a table for four. I do the cooking and even make my own cocktails. The liquor served is one of a kind and is meant to complement the food.”

If you look up the food from Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen you will find options like “Kosha Mangsho Tacos“, or  “Aloo-Jhinge Posto Gnocchi“.  Auroni emphasizes that while he is trying to make the food relatable to a larger audience, he still believes in keeping it authentic. He is very conscientious about all the ingredients. “Where there is ghee in the recipe I use ghee. Not just that, I get the ghee from Kolkata. For one of my speciality cocktail’s, I use the Gondhoraj Lebu or the Gondhoraj Lemon. The wine I serve is a local brand from Hampi, called KRSMA. ” These are just a few examples.

In June this year, Auroni teamed up with Neha Manekia and Joshua D’Souza to start a lunch delivery service in Lower Parel, Mumbai. The Curry Brothers, as the venture is aptly named, provides the best of Goan and Bengali food, with a dash of South Indian for lunch time hunger pangs. If you are in Mumbai and want to try a “Rasam Risotto” or a “Kaldeen Khowsuey“, this might just be the place for you. As with Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen, the ingredients for the curries made by “The Curry Brothers” (sorry could not help the pun) are selected with care.

When not cooking, Auroni is writing restaurant reviews and features on food. His articles can be found on Little Black Book Mumbai and brownpaperbag.in . “I really like visiting restaurants and talking to like minded people. A common interest in food definitely brings about some great conversations.” With his cousin Juju Basu, Auroni runs the Facebook community called “The Divine Pig“, where pork based dishes, restaurants-basically all things pork are discussed.

The Curry Brothers , he hopes will expand and soon evolve into an outlet “where people can get the kind of food they really enjoy- comfort classics with the right ingredients.” In January this year, Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen was at Ashvita Bistro, Chennai. Auroni hopes he can do more pop-ups at different places to share his grandmother’s special recipes.

To know more about food, bookings, and upcoming pop-ups visit Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen Facebook page.

To know more about The Curry Brothers visit their Facebook Page and start placing your lunch orders soon.

Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen Quick Facts

The Curry Brothers Quick Facts

All Images Courtesy of Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen & The Curry Brothers

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