‘I made Biryani’ reads the Instagram caption of a reel that showcases a chef slicing and browning onions, roasting masalas, and layering the vegetable mix with rice and saffron. While this might seem like just another reel out of an Indian kitchen, it is in fact being recorded by UK-based chef and food blogger Jake Dryan at his London home. Since last year, he has dedicated his time to exploring Indian cuisine and has been covering the country’s varied culinary repertoire one State at a time. “I started my Instagram page in 2018 and cooked a wide variety of dishes, including many Indian ones that were well-received. In July 2022 I decided to use a whole week for a particular cuisine, and started with South Indian Week,” says Jake, adding how it did well, and also had his 1.4 million Instagram followers remind him that “India is made up of different states and not just north and south”. Thus began his journey of showcasing lesser-known and popular dishes from every part of India.
Having covered over 13 States including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, and West Bengal so far, Jake explains his love affair with Indian food began when he was 12. “I was in a rock band at school with two Gujarati boys. I would go to their houses for practice and it was my first experience of authentic Indian home cooking. I loved it, especially the dhokla,” says Jake, whose Italian grandfather was a chef. “I grew up around good food and always loved to cook. I used to watch a lot of cooking shows on TV where chefs like Rick Stein would go to different countries and cook with the locals which influenced my love for cooking.”
