SHARJAH, UAE- Dipna Anand brought her Punjabi family tradition to the Cookery Corner on Day 7 of the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026), preparing her ‘Butter Chicken Express’ while sharing the story of recipes passed through three generations of her family.
During ‘A Punjabi Kitchen with Dipna’, Anand’s version combined elements of chicken tikka masala and traditional North Indian butter chicken, creating what she described as “a little bit of UK and a little bit of India”. The express approach skips oven-cooking the chicken, allowing the curry to come together in around 30 minutes.
She began with cumin seeds infused in vegetable oil before caramelising onions and adding ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, cumin, coriander, red and green chillies, tomato and butter. The sauce was then blended before the chicken was added directly to the pan and finished with garam masala, fresh coriander, dried fenugreek and cream. Anand served the dish with peas pilau rice flavoured with cumin.
For Anand, two steps are particularly important in Punjabi cooking: properly caramelising the onions and allowing the tomato masala to split before adding the chicken.
“Two very important things in Punjabi cooking that you need to understand: onions and your tomato masala,” she said.
Recipes passed through generations
The demonstration also became an opportunity for Anand to reflect on the family history behind her cooking. Her grandfather established the first Brilliant restaurant and hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, in the 1950s, while her father and uncle later opened the Brilliant restaurant in Southall, London, in 1975.
“The recipes came from my grandfather, then passed to my father, and now to me,” Anand said, adding that the family is already introducing the same traditions to a younger generation. “He is my hero. He is my mentor,” she said of her father.
Today, Anand runs Brilliant Gastro in Southall, west London, alongside a cookery school. She has published three cookbooks and announced during the session that she had recently signed a deal for a fourth.
The family connection resonated with audience members, including Emirati visitor Shaima, who said she enjoyed hearing the stories behind Anand’s cooking as much as the demonstration itself.
“She was very warm and engaging, and I especially enjoyed hearing her speak about her father and the history behind her food,” Shaima said. “Her method was very clear and detailed, and when we tasted the dish at the end, it was delicious, with the Indian spices coming through beautifully. I would love to see her return for more sessions.”
“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being here. I love Sharjah,” Anand said.
Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority, the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2026) runs from November 4 to 15 at Expo Centre Sharjah under the theme ‘Made of Stories’, with the Sultanate of Oman as Guest of Honour. The fair brings together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries, showcasing more than 1.7 million titles. Its programme features 1,500 cultural, creative and artistic events, with 106 guests from 25 countries.
