Kolkata, Jan 10 (IANS) Hot, crispy samosas and seekh kebabs are popular items in street food joints of African nations where people relish Indian cuisine, says Ugandan-born British journalist and author Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
“Africans love Indian food. If you go to East Africa, the black men now are cooking samosas on the street. They have learnt it all and they are cooking crisps, seekh kebabs etc.,” said Brown on the sidelines of the fourth Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival here Thursday.
According to Brown, who launched her cookbook “The Settler’s Cookbook” in the city Thursday, African food is mild as compared to Indian cuisine.
“African food is never as hot as Indian food. It is more of an Italianish form of Indian cooking,” Brown told IANS.
Pointing out the differences in ingredients, she said coconut and cassava formed an integral part of African dishes.
“They mainly use ingredients like cassava (which is like potato) and plantain and coconut. A lot of the cookies have coconut because coconut is widely available,” said Brown.
