ORANGE CHICKEN SALAD

This is exactly what you think it is: Asian-style orange chicken, but served without the rice and instead fashioned into a scrummy salad. I air fried the chicken here, but you could just as easily get similar results (albeit with a bit more oil) with baking or pan-frying them.  Coat the chicken pieces (I like… Read more »

KIMCHI, TOFU & NORI FRIED RICE

I’ve been writing on here for more than 9 years now. Many things have changed and evolved along the way—priorities, methodologies, ideas—but one thing remains intact: I still forget to cook my rice. Just thought I’d point out that some things are still familiar around here. (A nifty trick – once the rice is cooked… Read more »

CHICKEN OATMEAL CONGEE

Eating a hot breakfast is a rarity in my world. It’s usually a cup of coffee and a banana (with a protein shake in hand) before I rush out the door with my toddler in tow. We do find time to make it a family affair on the weekends though, and for that I’m grateful…. Read more »

DATE BARK

Date barks are all the rage right now. It first made an appearance in a viral tiktok video (I think?) and soon started making its rounds on every food platform known to humankind. I saw it and instantly knew I had to try it. Some recipes are like that; you just know they’re going to… Read more »

CARAMELISED APPLE SALAD

Have some salad leaves wilting in the fridge? Here’s a good recipe to use it for. Don’t have salad leaves wilting in the fridge? Maybe buy some to try this recipe then? My solidly convincing arguments aside, this salad is so delicious and takes 15 mins from start (washing your lettuce) to finish (forking it… Read more »

PUMPKIN HUMMUS + SPICED BUTTER

  Pumpkin hummus. The usual crew: chickpeas, sesame (I use seeds; not store-bought tahini), lemon juice.  To dial up the natural sweetness of the pumpkin, we roast it in the oven until soft and yielding. Halve a whole head of garlic, wrap in foil, and add to the roasting tray along with the pumpkin. Once… Read more »

AIR FRYER PANKO FISH + MANGO SALSA

And as if on cue, I’m back with another seasonal mango recipe at the tail-end of mango season, when all you see on grocery shelves are varieties that are too sour to eat or popular ones past their prime. Which admittedly, is kind of the whole point of this dish. In an effort to prolong… Read more »

CHILLI OIL BROCCOLI & GREEN BEANS

When things are quiet around here it’s usually one of two things: I’m eating the same thing on repeat, or my 35-year-old body is giving out with toddler sleep regressions. Thankfully it’s the former this time around.  This is an easy side to make and it features heavily in our meal rotations. Even easier if… Read more »

PUMPKIN & FETA ORZO

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to pastas. I don’t do many meat versions either. (A vegetarian husband requires that my meat component is always on the side, and never in the pasta itself.) To make it into our regular meal rotations I make sure my pasta dishes follow these general rules. 1)… Read more »

BLUEBERRY & CHIA FILLED CHOCOLATES

I can count with one hand the number of times I’ve made a baked dessert this year. I don’t particularly enjoy tasks that involve precise measurements and temps (I find it counterintuitive to go down this path when I use cooking as a de-stress mechanism). Bunging things into a pan is my jam. This recipe… Read more »

Latest
  • CAULIFLOWER STEAKS WITH RED PEPPER SAUCE

    Fancy perking up your weeknight dinner? These cauliflower steaks just might be your answer. Substituting grains and meats for cauliflower seems to be all the rage right now, so I had to try my hand at it. You treat it exactly the way you would a piece of meat—say beef or chicken—seared on a hot… Read more »

  • VERMICELLI NOODLE SALAD

    Having already shouted from the rooftops that this Thai salad tops my list of favourite things to eat, I think I’ve established that bold, zingy flavours are my thing. This vermicelli noodle version, although called a salad, was dinner last night (I know –  this is the fastest I’ve cooked, shot, and posted a recipe… Read more »

  • BRAISED LEEKS WITH HORSE GRAM

    Horse gram. I like them in salads. I usually don’t like bitter things (and hate matcha for this very reason), but horse gram I can get behind. Also a cool thing about horse gram – it retains its shape better than lentils (even after cooking), so you get a better ‘bite’ without having to undercook… Read more »

  • MAPLE MUSTARD CHICKEN

    Of all the roast chicken recipes that I make, this combination of mustard and maple syrup has best stood the test of time. It’s the one that I make most often. But when I say that I mean while the basic premise of the mustard-maple stays a constant, I add and omit ingredients to this… Read more »

  • OVEN-DRIED TOMATO AND CORIANDER PESTO

      I always have a jar of pesto sitting in my refrigerator. It’s the perfect condiment to have around and can bring together meals in a snap – I use it in everything from soups, as a pasta sauce, roasting meats and vegetables with, and even stir a dollop into my ratatouille base (have you… Read more »

  • CARROT AND GINGER SOUP

    How do I put this nicely? Although I have a ton of vegetarian recipes on here – actually coming to think of it, more so than ones that feature meat (how could I have let this happen?) – every time I cook something completely vegetarian I have this gnawing feeling at the back of my… Read more »

  • HOMEMADE GRANOLA

    I know I’d said in my previous post that this was going to be a recipe for a roasted tomato and coriander pesto. Truth is, I was really happy with the recipe and it was all ready to go up until I realized that I was just not satisfied with the pictures I had. Turns… Read more »

  • ROASTED PUMPKIN AND SAFFRON RISOTTO

    It’s been a long time since I’ve made risotto. Actually thanks to my blog archiving it, It’s been exactly 3 years, 4 months and 26 days since I made this risotto. With mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and topped with bulgogi, it was undoubtedly wacky but surprisingly delicious. I remember Karthik (not a vegetarian at the… Read more »

  • SAVOURY PINEAPPLE LASSI

    I was experimenting with this pineapple lassi a few days ago, not with the ubiquitous sweet version, but a savoury one. The flavours are what you would expect with a typical ‘salt’ lassi: cumin, mint, and salt. The addition of fruit is the wildcard ingredient here. I always add a pinch of salt to most… Read more »

  • CHILLED BEETROOT SOUP

    I never was a big fan of beets. Their infamous reputation for being overcooked and slimy was something that I experienced first-hand in my years at boarding school. It’s funny how something that would require great expertise and dexterity like cakes and breads were churned out effortlessly everyday, while the humble beet evaded them. Although… Read more »

  • MUSHROOM AND BEAN ENCHILADAS

    Never before have I been excited at the prospect of making a vegetarian version of an enchilada, but the vibrant tangle of peppers lured me in. I had a recipe for inspiration but because I’m just so rubbish at following them I didn’t do exactly what was instructed; I added beans – pre-cooked and mashed… Read more »

  • BEEF BIBIMBAP WITH BROWN RICE

    After almost an eight-week hiatus, I’m back! (although admittedly it feels like it’s been way longer than that). December for me was an absolute whirlwind with lots of travelling and my first paid (!!) food styling assignment. It was a fun experience alright, aside from the fact that my hands were smelling like a combination… Read more »

  • BEEF AND LENTIL MOUSSAKA

        If you’ve never heard of using lentils in a moussaka, don’t worry. Until about two weeks ago, neither had I. An ideal alternative, or in this case an ideal addition to meat, lentils retain their shape upon cooking making them the perfect vehicle to carry the structure of a traditional moussaka. Jackpot, right?… Read more »

  • FRIED ANCHOVIES WITH CURRY LEAVES

    I understand that anchovies are a controversial choice of fish and a vast majority of people find them polarizing, but cooked properly, their flavour is unrivalled. These spicy fried anchovies are the ultimate side dish in South India (fried in coconut oil in Kerala and either groundnut or other flavourless oil in Tamil Nadu and… Read more »

  • WATERMELON LEMONADE

    Watermelon is one of my favourite fruits to eat during the sweltering summer months (which is almost all year round in Chennai). I love them diced into a salad with olives and feta, and I love them sliced into wedges and sprinkled with a pinch of chilli powder and salt. I also love them in… Read more »