Makes 4 servings Summertime in Bombay is a heat-stroke waiting to happen. Thankfully the folks in these parts have found a way to beat the heat. Behold, nature’s twin coolants—coconut and kokum! Blitzed together, they form ‘Solkadi’ a magic potion that is 99% cold beverage and 1% spicy curry. In this episode of How I […]
Category: Savoury
Calcutta Mutton Biryani
Makes 5 servings. A mélange of Awadhi cooking techniques, Mughlai flavours, and Bengali sentiments, Calcutta biryani is a true culinary masterpiece. Low on heat and high on flavour, it is undeniably my favourite type of biryani. Back when I was 16 in Calcutta, a bawarchi (masterchef) came to our house to make mutton biryani for […]
Beetroot Pesto Pasta
Makes 5 servings. There’s something wholly exhilarating about eating a colourful plate of food. It appeals to our inner child (taste the rainbow, anyone?) and makes for an instant mood lifter. This colourful Holi inspired dish is not just a riot of flavourful hues, it’s also a kaleidoscope of textures ranging from creamy to crunchy. […]
Parmesan Cookies
Makes 24 x 5 cm cookies. Easy peasy, cookies cheesy. Made with just a handful of ingredients, these savoury cookies take such little effort and time, that you’ll be baking them a little too often. I must warn you though, as easy as they are to make, they’re even easier to eat. Buttery and crispy […]
Shoyu Ramen
Makes 4 very generous servings. Arguably Japan’s most celebrated soul food, ramen’s ubiquitous influence has spread to every corner of the world, including my kitchen. Having eaten authentic ramen in Japan, my husband has implored me to recreate it for over a year now! In this recipe, I have made a Tokyo-style Shoyu Ramen, crowned […]
Kosha Mangsho Pie
Makes one double-crust 9 inch pie Like many, we haven’t been able to travel home in over a year. Home. Just the word brings comfort. To us, home is languid lunches and evening snacks and heavy dinners. If home had a flavour, it would be of browned mutton—or Kosha Mangsho—an incredibly rich and tender Bengali […]
Fish Alberas
Makes 4 servings. Fish Alberas [uhl-bay-russ] is a signature dish of the Bene Israel; an Indian-Jewish community believed to have arrived in the 1st or 2nd century, after their ancestors were shipwrecked on the western coast of India. Influenced by Konkan cuisine and the Marathi tongue, the ‘al’ refers to ginger and the ‘ras’ refers […]
Meatloaf & Mash Cake
Makes a two-tiered 6 inch layered cake. I created this particular cake because apparently, there are people out there who don’t like cake! Who are these people? What’s wrong with them? Should we stage an intervention? Anyway. Built with stacks of meatloaf, frosted with buttery, mashed potatoes, and served with a side of thick, brown […]
Indo-Thai Khow Suey
Makes 4-6 servings. Khow Suey or ohn no khao swè is a curry based noodle soup that is topped with a variety of condiments. Brought to the subcontinent during WWII by migrants from Myanmar (then Burma), no one Khow Suey is alike. Some are distinctly Indian, some reflect Pakistani influences, others stay true to their […]
Chicken & Couscous
Makes 4-6 servings. I discovered this dish when I was 18, exactly 18 years ago. Back then, it distinctly belonged to Southern Europe. Over time, it has evolved into a stateless island, influenced by all the lands that touch the Mediterranean Sea between Morocco and Turkey. Here, cinnamon is friends with saffron. Cumin hangs out […]