Chef-author Priya Krishna and Puli-Ra supper club founder Deepa Shridhar partnered this past summer for a celebratory supper club based on Krishna’s new cookbook, Indian-ish (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, April 2019). The Texan duo hosted their event at The Austin Winery in Austin, Texas, to give new meaning to the classic wine-and-cheese pairing. Their Indian-inspired dishes like Roti Pizza and Shrikhand—a traditional Indian dessert jazzed up with goat’s milk skyr—were paired with The Austin Winery’s libations aspart of a larger dinner series called “Supper Club SZN.” Krishna and Shridhar’s collaboration was a testament to the power of food, partnership, and some good old-fashioned cultured dairy.
“There isn’t a singular type of Indian food, or a singular type of Indian experience,” says Krishna. “Both Deepa and I are representing our personal experiences as Indians who grew up in Texas. For me, the quintessential examples of this are [dishes like] Roti Pizza—[a recipe] born out of my mom using the ingredients she was able to find when she emigrated to the US and was feeling homesick for the flavors of India.”
I love working with passionate, unwavering makers,”says Shridhar. “The Austin Winery makes great wine without compromise. That’s some hard shit, and I’m proud to help with that narrative.”
“Dairy is pretty essential to Indian food,” says Krishna. “Yogurt, for example, was the bread and butter of most of my meals growing up. Ghee, too! I wish people would understand that it’s not just paneer.” Dishes like their Brûléed Shrikhand use yogurt-like goat skyr, and almost all recipes on their supper club menu utilize ghee.
“Nothing is better than Texan and Indian food,” says Shridhar. She and Krishna developed a menu based on this concept, fusing traditional Indian dishes with homegrown Texan flavors, like their ghee-laden Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Bee Tree Farm Raita.
Roti Pizza with Jammy Tomatoes and Cheddar
Brûléed Shrikhand
Roti Pizza with Saag and Feta
Pav Bhaji Samosa Pies with Bee Tree Farm Raita
Madison Trapkin
Former Editor-in-Chief Madison Trapkin is an Atlanta-bred, Boston-based writer. She graduated from Boston University’s Gastronomy master’s Program in December 2018 and started at culture in March 2019. She is passionate about The Feminist Agenda, pizza, and regularly watering her houseplants.
