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 […]
Author: thefusspot
Raspberry Lemon Tartlets
Makes 30 x 2 ½ inch tartlets Whoever invented lemon curd should be awarded a Nobel peace prize. That stuff can neutralize all sorts of heat, from fiery tempers to soaring Summer temperatures. Nestled in palm-sized short crust pastry shells and topped with fresh, dried, and freeze-dried raspberries, as well as mini meringues, this lemony […]
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 […]
Turkish Baklava
Makes 40 x 1 ½ inch diamonds + extra There’s a reason why Baklava is a special occasion dish. Layers of wafer-thin phyllo striated with a rich nutty filling and then doused in perfumed syrup. Talk about luxury! While many countries lay claim to Baklava’s origins, there’s no debate that this luxurious dessert is the […]
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. […]
Strawberries & Cream Cake
Makes a three-tiered 6 inch layered cake. In India, winter is peak strawberry season (read, strawberry cake season). Unfortunately, strawberry cake tends to diminish the vibrancy of fresh strawberries. Rather than subduing their voices by cooking them into the cake batter, I’ve baked a vanilla stage for my strawberry sisters to belt out, “I’m so […]
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 […]
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Makes 12 standard sized cupcakes. Red velvet has one of those je ne sais quois flavours that has justly acquired diva status in the cake world. Can’t peg her as vanilla, or classify her as chocolate—she is curious combination of the two. If red velvet were a fictional character, I imagine she’d be Scarlett O’Hara […]
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 […]
Fruitcake Rum Balls
Makes 18 x 50 gm balls If your memories of Calcutta involve devouring rum balls from Kathleen, Flury’s, or Nahoum’s, and knocking back dirt cheap pegs of Old Monk at Oly Pub or DI—this fruitcake rum ball will hit you right in the nostalgia. But this is not the child-friendly rum ball from your youth. […]