I started my previous post by saying that I don’t do many breakfast foods on here, and here I am now with another one. This is inadvertently becoming a new trend. Lassi is strictly speaking not a breakfast food, but fruit lassi, yogurt-smoothie—really, what’s the difference? I make the mango and cardamom lassi and… Read more »
A few years ago, a friend and I did a short stint at a café in Auroville. A café that served wholesome food using local and seasonal ingredients. Popular on the menu were an array of fruit and flower concentrates (which we would serve with plain or soda water) : sarsaparilla, hibiscus, kumquat, ginger, and… Read more »
I was looking for cocktail recipes when I came across something. You know blue curaçao, that lurid blue syrup that bartenders add to drinks? Blue Lagoon, anyone? Turns out, ironically, that it is in fact a kind of orange liqueur from the island country of Curaçao (although now it is commonly sold under… Read more »
Have you tried making flower syrups? Context: My friend and I volunteered at the Auroville café for a few weeks in 2015. Aside from their freshly baked goods and wholesome meals made with the freshest produce, they served fruit and flower syrups (mixed with water/soda water) : hibiscus, kumquat, lemon, ginger, sarsaparilla root, and… Read more »
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 »
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 »
My first instinct is always to reduce rather than to add. Masala chai as we know it has a whole array of spices – whole and ground – that makes up its base. My version here, has just three (two actually, since the third is fresh mint leaves). As with many old recipes, there is… Read more »
This Earl Grey and orange combination is a no-brainer; it just makes sense. You would typically find iced teas flavoured with lime or lemon to give it that hint of acidity—which technically makes it an Arnold Palmer: sweet tea with lemonade—but since Earl Grey has hints of bergamot in it anyway, I switched up… Read more »
Korean corn tea, or Oksusu cha is a classic Korean beverage. Although called ‘tea’, it isn’t tea in the normal sense; it’s essentially boiled corn water. Corn kernels are slowly roasted until almost blackened and charred, and boiled in water until the water takes on the slightly nutty flavour of the corn. Drunk hot or… Read more »
I’m almost embarrassed by how outrageously simple this recipe is. If you can even call it a recipe, that is. I’m not much of a ‘juicer’ in the modern sense that the concept seems to have taken on; I eat too. While I don’t condone this detox/diet approach to this new fad, I do however… Read more »
Arnold Palmer is revered as a legend in the golfing world and has gone down as one of the greatest players in the game’s history. I had heard of the guy. Did I know that there was a drink called Arnold Palmer that is the genius combination of iced tea and lemonade? I did. Did… Read more »
If you’re looking for a super quick, super easy drink/snack, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve been on a mango binge ever since the season started, but most often than not, I end up eating them as is – peeling the skin back and diving straight in. Back home in Coimbatore, someone always has… Read more »
“The chill of a moderate frost or light snow improves the flavour of kale” states a popular website that I follow for advice on growing and caring for plants. However, as someone living in Chennai, I don’t think I could ever say that Kale is ‘in season’. It’s the peak of summer now, and the… Read more »
My parents lived in the outskirts of the city in our farmhouse for a few years, while I was studying in boarding school. Even though I never got to be home for long periods of time at a stretch, I clearly remember really looking forward to going back there for the holidays. Our house had… Read more »
I have an affinity for iced teas. Living in a city with soaring temperatures and oppressive humidity all year round, that doesn’t come as much of a surprise. My favourite would have to be the plain lemon iced tea closely followed by this peach version, but of late I’ve been trying a few other variations… Read more »
