"A great recipe is like an immortal tune; it happens but only a few times in one's life." - Asha Bhosle
Legendary singer Asha Bhosle passed away on Sunday. She was 92. Beyond her unparalleled contribution to Indian cinema, not many know that the veteran singer also built one of the most recognised Indian restaurant brands abroad - Asha's.
Asha Bhosle once said in an interview that if she hadn't become a singer, she would have been a cook. Nurturing her love for food and sharing it on a global platform, the singer launched her restaurant, Asha's, at WAFI City, a luxurious mall in Dubai, in 2002. Over the years, the restaurant grew into a global chain, expanding across the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UK, including Birmingham and Manchester.
The menu reflects Asha Bhosle's personal journey, from a childhood spent on the road with her father's travelling theatre company to a lifetime spent travelling the world as an international entertainer. Inspired by family mealtimes, royal receptions and cultural diversity, Asha's culinary philosophy is rooted in tradition and steeped in experience.
A Signature Dish At Asha's And The Story Behind It
While the menu is filled with a range of flavourful dishes, one standout is the Muscat Gosht, inspired by fond memories from Asha Bhosle's childhood.
According to a previous Quint report, Asha was in Muscat with her family many years ago. During one of their trips, she felt hungry and stopped at an Indian restaurant, where she ordered karai gosht. Impressed by the dish, she complimented the chef and asked for the recipe.
She later began cooking the dish for her family and named it 'Muscat Gosht' as a tribute to the city of Muscat and the chef, as revealed by Sudheer Bastian, Asha's global brand manager.
Asha Bhosle's Secret Muscat Gosht Recipe
This is Asha's secret recipe, handed down to the restaurant by Asha Bhosle herself.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Indian lamb boneless cubes
- 300 grams onion, sliced
- 400 grams tomato, sliced
- 150 grams ginger and garlic paste
- 7 grams black peppercorn
- 8 grams cinnamon, whole
- 10 grams red chilli, whole
- 10 grams Kashmiri red chilli powder
- 2 grams cloves, whole
- 15 grams black cardamom, whole
- 300 grams ghee
- 2 grams fresh coriander
- 20 grams salt
Cooking time: 1 to 2 hours
Method:
- Place a large deep pan over low heat.
- Combine all the ingredients - lamb, sliced onion, sliced tomato, black pepper, cinnamon, whole red chilli, cloves, black cardamom and salt - in the pan and stir well. Cover and cook until the lamb is tender. This should take 1 to 2 hours.
- Stir in the ghee and Kashmiri red chilli powder.
- Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a serving dish.
- Garnish with ginger juliennes, whole red chilli, and fresh coriander.
This recipe, shared by Dubai influencer Tehzeeb Huda (thetezzyfiles), was provided courtesy of Asha's restaurant in WAFI, Dubai.
Hare Baingan Ka Bharta - A Favourite Of Asha Bhosle's And Her Mother
Asha's restaurant also features a special vegetarian dish on the menu - Hare Baingan ka Bharta - which was not only the legendary singer's personal favourite but also her own recipe.
This dish was loved not just by Asha, but by her mother, Mai, as well.
The delicacy is made using oven-roasted and mashed green eggplants, tempered with mustard seeds, onions, garlic, green chillies and fresh coriander, cooked in clarified butter.
Speaking about the bharta, Asha Bhosle had once said, "My mother Mai cooked great non-vegetarian cuisine for her family but remained a pure vegetarian all her life. She simply adored this simple roasted aubergine dish."
Asha Bhosle On Her Childhood Favourite Dish
In a 2016 interview with Tehzeeb Huda, Asha Bhosle revealed her favourite dish from her mother's kitchen. She had said, "My mother was an excellent cook. She was Gujarati and a pure vegetarian, but used to cook all sorts of non-vegetarian and vegetarian food for my father, who was non-vegetarian and enjoyed his seafood and meats, as well as his vegetables."
Talking about her mother's invention - chicken pulao and chicken curry - Asha had revealed, "My father's favourite dish, which my mother invented and cooked for him, was chicken pulao and chicken curry. This is also my favourite dish and, though I cook it, it never tastes as good as my mother's preparation."