The Foodhall Cookbook lets you travel regions through ingredients, textures and dishes. Avni Biyani, Concept Head, Foodhall tells us more.

Foodhall, a lifestyle food superstore by Future Group has introduced a cookbook for well-travelled urban consumers and those who appreciate gourmet cooking. Avni Biyani, Concept Head, Foodhall, tells us more.

How did you think of this idea?

Back in 2011, when we started Foodhall in Mumbai, we wanted to find a way of providing people with a space that instilled and inspired a sense of community around excellent ingredients and inspirations. I vividly remember my early days at Foodhall, spending time interacting with our shoppers, to really understand what they were looking for. People were not only in search of the best ingredients or exceptional services, but they were looking out for a space where they could rediscover their passion for food. Over the years, we believe we have upheld the cultural importance of food by catering to customers across different cuisines and nationalities. People from all over the world have come to Foodhall to get in touch with their roots and also discover new tastes and cuisines. Every ingredient picked, new recipe discovered, bag checked out, brings joy to a family and fosters new bonds. The belief that Foodhall has the power to inspire people to cook has now compelled us to consider creating our own cookbook.

So after years of being a destination and an experience that provides world-class ingredients spanning various cuisines, we have created a cookbook that is an amalgamation of our thoughts, vision, and never-ending love for food. To celebrate this beautiful relationship with food, we have collected and curated recipes that take you around the world.

What can one expect from the book?

The book has several sections that have been curated to let you travel regions through their ingredients, textures and dishes. These experiences are championed by chefs who have made a mark in their respective fields. For instance, Chef Saby’s section brims with vivid flavours of the Mediterranean. Gresham’s Warm Mushroom Salad showcases the beautiful textures of earthy mushrooms that highlight the simplicity of Modern European cuisine. Kelvin Cheung’s delightful Pumpkin Congee is reminiscent of the very popular Indian khichdi with brighter colours and extra crunchiness. Zorawar Kalra’s section stays true to Indian cuisine, yet modernizes it to make it cooler. To culminate the culinary journey, an entire section devoted to desserts, highlights Pooja Dhingra’s expertise, namely Kesar Pista Cupcakes and Falooda-inspired Rose Chia Pudding, our two favourites. Every chef has championed Indian and international ingredients together, to create a distinctly unique food journey that finds its place in The Foodhall Cookbook.

Tell us about the experience of collaborating with the most popular chefs in India and bringing them together for the first time to curate recipes for a cookbook?

The experience has been fantastic. All the chefs are unique in their own way so the kind of recipes that kept coming in from them were all so fantastic that it was hard to shortlist the final ones. Trying to get them out of their busy schedule was quite challenging but they were so enthusiastic about the vision we had for the book. Even during the shoot, we had an amazing time.