Who knew that reading a book about Partition could leave one so darn hungry?

The Night Diary by Veera Hiranandani is full of such lush descriptions of Indo-Pakistani cuisine that it is sure to get your mouth watering in no time, making it the PERFECT book to read for your next book club. And I’m here to give you the perfect book club menu to help you really savor every single chapter of this delectable historical fiction novel!

Savory Treats

Aloo Tikki – This was Nisha’s mother’s favorite dish and so it’s a great option for a main course. They’re spiced and crispy potato patties, traditionally garnished with onions and chutney.

Paratha Stuffed with Potatoes  – This flatbread stuffed with spiced potatoes is delicious. Nisha and her family ate it a lot with their dinner, especially with Dal.

Samosas – A perfect party food (Nisha’s family eats them at their going away party!) these fried pockets of perfect veggie goodness are addicting. You’ll definitely want to make enough for everyone to have more than one!

Desserts

Rasmali – Cheese soaked in sugar and dunked into sweetened condensed milk? YES PLEASE. Another dessert Nisha enjoyed at parties and on special occasions, Rasmali is a delicacy that is totally worth the effort to make!

Gulab Jamun – This is one of my favorite Indian desserts, so I was thrilled to find it mentioned in Nisha’s story! They’re fried balls that are soaked in rose-flavored sugar syrup.

Drinks 

Chai – This classic drink is the perfect accompaniment to your evening of bookish treats! Chai is a spiced tea common in India and Pakistan even today. Nisha would probably have drunk chai every day, so what better beverage for your book club?

Water – Why not put out some bottles of water? After all, water plays a huge part in Nisha’s story and in her family’s journey across the border into the new India. If you want to stay true to the book, you’ll hoard your precious bottle of water while you discuss themes!

I loved The Night Diary. Nisha has such a passion for food that it was easy to let her journey guide me to some delicious recipes that I can’t wait to make at home. I hope you will find just as much joy in reading her story as I did, and that you’ll be inspired to try some of these wonderful dishes as well! 

BOOK DESCRIPTION 

 

In the vein of Inside Out and Back Again and The War That Saved My Life comes a poignant, personal, and hopeful tale of India’s partition, and of one girl’s journey to find a new home in a divided country

It’s 1947, and India, newly independent of British rule, has been separated into two countries: Pakistan and India. The divide has created much tension between Hindus and Muslims, and hundreds of thousands are killed crossing borders.

Half-Muslim, half-Hindu twelve-year-old Nisha doesn’t know where she belongs, or what her country is anymore. When Papa decides it’s too dangerous to stay in what is now Pakistan, Nisha and her family become refugees and embark first by train but later on foot to reach her new home. The journey is long, difficult, and dangerous, and after losing her mother as a baby, Nisha can’t imagine losing her homeland, too. But even if her country has been ripped apart, Nisha still believes in the possibility of putting herself back together.

Told through Nisha’s letters to her mother, The Night Diary is a heartfelt story of one girl’s search for home, for her own identity…and for a hopeful future.

AUTHOR BIO:

Veera Hiranandani earned her MFA in creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College. She is the author of The Whole Story of Half a Girl, which was named a Sydney Taylor Notable Book and a South Asian Book Award Finalist. A former book editor at Simon & Schuster, she now teaches creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute and Writopia Lab.

The Blog Tour Continues…