Indian celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani is bringing Sindhi cuisine to Singapore through a three-night pop-up at Firangi Superstar from Apr 22 to 24, highlighting a lesser-known culinary tradition shaped by migration and diaspora.
The Mumbai-born chef, television host and cookbook writer is in Singapore for a three-night event called The Sindhi Supper Club, where he presents his take on the traditional dishes of his culture. It's part of Firangi Superstar’s goal to champion the diverse richness of Indian cuisines by showcasing a range of flavours and cultures in its menus.
“Sindhi cuisine is deeply emotional food as it’s shaped by migration, memory, and resilience,” Ratnani explained.
Not unlike what Hakka cuisine is to the Chinese, there is history involved. “After the Partition, Sindhis became a displaced community, so the food evolved without a fixed geography, yet it carries strong influences from the Sindh region, which is now in Pakistan, where the Indus river, desert terrain and trade routes played a big role.”
The small but resilient Sindhi community here in Singapore is part of that diaspora. “Sindhi culture is incredibly entrepreneurial and adaptive. We’re a community that rebuilt itself from scratch across the world,” Ratnani said. “Then there’s our language, and we carry Sindhi as an oral identity more than a written one now, which makes it even more intimate.”
Vicky Ratnani at work (Photo: Firangi Superstar)
As a cuisine, Sindhi food is “absolutely underrated”, Ratnani opined. This is because “it never had the restaurant ecosystem that Punjabi or South Indian food did, so it stayed within homes”.
Flavour-wise, he explained, “Sindhi cuisine is bold, tangy and layered. You’ll see a beautiful balance of souring agents like kokum, amchur (powdered mango), tamarind and dried plums or aloo bukhara, paired with slow-cooked onions, spices and often a touch of sweetness. There’s a strong interplay of textures that include crisp fried elements, soft dals and rich gravies.
"It’s also less about the heavy cream or butter when compared to other Indian cuisines, and more about the clever use of pantry ingredients and techniques such as bhunao and slow cooking.” Ingredients like “lotus stem, colocasia, gram flour and seasonal vegetables play a big role”.
One of Ratnani's dishes: Lotus leaf-wrapped snapper (Photo: Firangi Superstar)
Naturally, many dishes are tied to festivals, weddings and other special occasions. “Sai Bhaji (a stew of lentils, spinach and other vegetables) and rice is almost sacred – it’s everyday comfort, but also deeply symbolic," he said.
"On festivals like Cheti Chand, the Sindhi New Year, you’ll see dishes like Tahiri or sweet saffron rice, and mithas or traditional sweets becoming important. Weddings get more indulgent with slow-cooked mutton, koki (a crispy flatbread), fried snacks and desserts like malai tuk.”
For Ratnani, “food isn’t just food – it marks time, memory and identity". “I grew up on food that was simple but incredibly soulful. Sai Bhaji with hot rice and a drizzle of ghee feels like home. Koki with dahi (curd) and pickle can be anything from travel food to breakfast and just everything in one. Dal Pakwan (dal with deep-fried flatbread) on Sundays hits the spot. When unwell, it is khichdi with kadhi or a light sai bhaji. It heals you in a very real way.”
One very personal dish he’ll be presenting at the pop-up is called Mum’s Sindhi Mutton Curry with Bhuggal Chawar. “This dish is not cooked in a supposed ‘restaurant style’. It’s slow-cooked, onion-heavy, deeply caramelised, with that slight tang from dried plums. It’s cooked with instinct, not recipes. Every time Mum made it, the house smelled the same but it always tasted a little different. That’s the beauty of it,” he said.
Sai Bhaji & Koki Bites (Photo: Firangi Superstar)
Other dishes guests will get to taste include a more textural take on Lotus Root Chaat, a reimagined Dal Pakwan and a dessert of Sev Mithai that plays nostalgia against clean lightness. In addition, there are Lobster & Saffron Khichdi and Seared Hing Mirchi Scallops.
As a chef, “cooking traditional food today is about respect, not replication. I’m not trying to freeze it in time. It’s more of trying to understand its soul, and then expressing it in a way that makes sense today. That could mean refining its technique, adjusting presentation or rethinking the format. But, the core flavours, the intent and the emotion stay intact.
"If we don’t evolve it, it risks being forgotten. But if we over-modernise it, we lose its identity, so, balance is key.”
What’s one thing he wishes more people knew about Sindhi cooking? “That it’s not just ‘refugee food’ or ‘home food’,” he said. Instead, “It’s a fully realised, sophisticated cuisine with technique, depth, and identity.”
The Sindhi Supper Club by Chef Vicky Ratnani at Firangi Superstar runs from Apr 22 to 24. Dinner from 5.30pm onwards. More information can be found here.
Firangi Superstar is at 20 Craig Road, #01-03, Singapore 089692.
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The Mumbai-born chef, television host and cookbook writer is in Singapore for a three-night event called The Sindhi Supper Club, where he presents his take on the traditional dishes of his culture. It's part of Firangi Superstar’s goal to champion the diverse richness of Indian cuisines by showcasing a range of flavours and cultures in its menus.
“Sindhi cuisine is deeply emotional food as it’s shaped by migration, memory, and resilience,” Ratnani explained.
Not unlike what Hakka cuisine is to the Chinese, there is history involved. “After the Partition, Sindhis became a displaced community, so the food evolved without a fixed geography, yet it carries strong influences from the Sindh region, which is now in Pakistan, where the Indus river, desert terrain and trade routes played a big role.”
The small but resilient Sindhi community here in Singapore is part of that diaspora. “Sindhi culture is incredibly entrepreneurial and adaptive. We’re a community that rebuilt itself from scratch across the world,” Ratnani said. “Then there’s our language, and we carry Sindhi as an oral identity more than a written one now, which makes it even more intimate.”
Vicky Ratnani at work (Photo: Firangi Superstar)
As a cuisine, Sindhi food is “absolutely underrated”, Ratnani opined. This is because “it never had the restaurant ecosystem that Punjabi or South Indian food did, so it stayed within homes”.
Flavour-wise, he explained, “Sindhi cuisine is bold, tangy and layered. You’ll see a beautiful balance of souring agents like kokum, amchur (powdered mango), tamarind and dried plums or aloo bukhara, paired with slow-cooked onions, spices and often a touch of sweetness. There’s a strong interplay of textures that include crisp fried elements, soft dals and rich gravies.
"It’s also less about the heavy cream or butter when compared to other Indian cuisines, and more about the clever use of pantry ingredients and techniques such as bhunao and slow cooking.” Ingredients like “lotus stem, colocasia, gram flour and seasonal vegetables play a big role”.
One of Ratnani's dishes: Lotus leaf-wrapped snapper (Photo: Firangi Superstar)
Naturally, many dishes are tied to festivals, weddings and other special occasions. “Sai Bhaji (a stew of lentils, spinach and other vegetables) and rice is almost sacred – it’s everyday comfort, but also deeply symbolic," he said.
"On festivals like Cheti Chand, the Sindhi New Year, you’ll see dishes like Tahiri or sweet saffron rice, and mithas or traditional sweets becoming important. Weddings get more indulgent with slow-cooked mutton, koki (a crispy flatbread), fried snacks and desserts like malai tuk.”
For Ratnani, “food isn’t just food – it marks time, memory and identity". “I grew up on food that was simple but incredibly soulful. Sai Bhaji with hot rice and a drizzle of ghee feels like home. Koki with dahi (curd) and pickle can be anything from travel food to breakfast and just everything in one. Dal Pakwan (dal with deep-fried flatbread) on Sundays hits the spot. When unwell, it is khichdi with kadhi or a light sai bhaji. It heals you in a very real way.”
One very personal dish he’ll be presenting at the pop-up is called Mum’s Sindhi Mutton Curry with Bhuggal Chawar. “This dish is not cooked in a supposed ‘restaurant style’. It’s slow-cooked, onion-heavy, deeply caramelised, with that slight tang from dried plums. It’s cooked with instinct, not recipes. Every time Mum made it, the house smelled the same but it always tasted a little different. That’s the beauty of it,” he said.
Sai Bhaji & Koki Bites (Photo: Firangi Superstar)
Other dishes guests will get to taste include a more textural take on Lotus Root Chaat, a reimagined Dal Pakwan and a dessert of Sev Mithai that plays nostalgia against clean lightness. In addition, there are Lobster & Saffron Khichdi and Seared Hing Mirchi Scallops.
As a chef, “cooking traditional food today is about respect, not replication. I’m not trying to freeze it in time. It’s more of trying to understand its soul, and then expressing it in a way that makes sense today. That could mean refining its technique, adjusting presentation or rethinking the format. But, the core flavours, the intent and the emotion stay intact.
"If we don’t evolve it, it risks being forgotten. But if we over-modernise it, we lose its identity, so, balance is key.”
What’s one thing he wishes more people knew about Sindhi cooking? “That it’s not just ‘refugee food’ or ‘home food’,” he said. Instead, “It’s a fully realised, sophisticated cuisine with technique, depth, and identity.”
The Sindhi Supper Club by Chef Vicky Ratnani at Firangi Superstar runs from Apr 22 to 24. Dinner from 5.30pm onwards. More information can be found here.
Firangi Superstar is at 20 Craig Road, #01-03, Singapore 089692.
Continue reading...