Asma and Ammu celebrating Eid in Bangalore in 2013; Ammu as a child

In May, we celebrate motherhood with a holiday I recently learned originated with women’s antiwar activism in the late 19th century. Today, amid dark times at home and abroad, we cannot honor our mothers without fighting for the rights of mothers and their families everywhere to raise their children in safety and freedom—from Minnesota to Palestine, Cuba to Iran.

Parenting is political, and so is food. It can be wielded as a weapon, or it can be a force for connection, resistance, and love. For this first relaunched issue of Edible Pioneer Valley, I have chosen a recipe that weaves all these strands together with richness, depth, and flavor—qualities that author and restaurateur Asma Khan brings to everything she touches, but nowhere more personally than in the book named for her mother, Ammu: Indian Home Cooking to Nourish Your Soul (Interlink Books, 2019). In it, she writes:

This book is a collection of recipes from my childhood. A celebration of where I come from, of home cooking, and the inextricable link between food and love. It is a chance for me to honor my ammu—my mother— and to share with you the recipes that made me and root me to home. We have lived through a challenging time, where many found solace in cooking. Unable to spend time with our families, many of us sought out the food of our childhoods. The recipes and the memories I want to share—some sad, some happy—all possess something that is universal. Food is a way for us to have this conversation about how similar we all are—it connects us and unites us beyond differing appearances, accents, races, and backgrounds. This book is a joyful celebration of memories of food and their power to heal. It is also an acknowledgment of the sacrifices parents make and the challenges they face while nurturing and feeding their children.

In honor of mothers, children, and all who fight for them in the streets, may this Mother’s Day be a call to action.

Sinkandari Raan (Spiced Leg of Lamb)

This was the raan made the night before I left my home—my henna night—the meal my mother fed me by hand. In some ways, for me, that was the night of my biggest loss… leaving Ammu. But in my loss, there lay ahead my victory—when I could re-create this meal for others; where I used food to empower myself and other women around me.

It is an auspicious dish that takes time to cook but it is worth the wait. The story behind this dish is that it was made for the defeated Indian king Porus by the chefs of Alexander the Great after the Battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC. The battle took place along the banks of the River Jhelum (which is now in modern-day Punjab in Pakistan).

This special raan was made for a banquet to honor the agreement between two kings. The original recipe is, of course, lost in the mists of time, so this is my family’s version. The use of the local Himalayan pink salt and the pungent, sulphuric black salt, kala namak, is what makes this recipe so unusual.This raan goes well with any bread, such as paratha or roti. For a special occasion, serve with Rose, Apricot, and Pistachio Pulao (page 212 of Ammu: Indian Home-Cooking to Nourish Your Soul).

Check out this recipe