Ladle full of love

Mona

If you don’t believe in yourself, nobody else will...is the dictum Romy Gill follows in life, who is listed as Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2016. Among the regular mail that this self-styled chef carried home, her daughter picked up the one that announced her as the winner and bewildered Romy called up the authorities to check if actually they meant to honour her. It was only when she got a positive answer from the other side of the line, she broke into celebration mood.

“While I have grand ambitions for my restaurant, I never imagined this honour would come my way,” shares the chirpy chef from Thornbury. Here’s knowing her journey better.

Memories of kitchen

My mother’s paranthas were famous. She could make 50 different varieties, as I rolled a lamb parantha for a visiting friend this morning I couldn’t help but remember her paranthas.

My first cooking

Back home I was more like the eating type than the cooking type. It was only when I moved to the UK, post marriage, that I entered the kitchen. Having grown under the Bengali influence, I made typical Bengali khana—dal, aloo posto, rice, fish for my man who had grown up on saag and makki di roti and despite trying hard he couldn’t relish it. It took me long to claim my ground in the kitchen for the cookers were different, oil and ingredients tasted different. By and by I managed and here I am.

Journey to Romy’s kitchen

Opening my own restaurant was a dream that took me four years. Thornbury is the small town which reminds me of the small town Burnpur (West Bengal) where I grew up. We live in a close-knit community and here I cook and serve and keep close to my girls too.

My favourite ingredient

It’s panchphoran – mix of five spice cumin, fenugreek, fennel, mustard and niggela. It’s put in acahar but I have seen that mix it with any dish and it comes alive whether it’s lamb or fish or plain roti.

One dish that I still can’t get right

Halwa. I make decent halwa but it never tastes like kadah prasad. I have tried everything, put loads of ghee, but still I can not match the taste of halwa that my mum cooks.

I like food cooked by...

My husband. He cooks to de-stress after work and trust me he rolls out the most amazing pizzas and burgers.

Non-food passions

I have completed four marathons – London, Mumbai, Berlin and New York. I have dome 20 half-marathons. Running is what I do to keep my weight off and also to keep sane. One must follow one’s passion.

Feeding Salman

Since my growing up days in India, I have held on to my Salman Khan dream. I would bunk classes to watch his films with friends and I am still in awe of him. If I could only cook for him once, that would be another dream true.

mona@tribunemail.com