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BROCCOLI SOUP

If you had asked me what my least favourite foods were ten years ago, I would’ve said mayonnaise, eggplant, and broccoli (in that order) without batting an eyelid. Although I seem to have gotten over and even come to love eggplant and broccoli, there’s no love lost in the mayo department. There’s nothing you can… Read more »

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THAI GREEN MANGO SALAD (SOM TUM MAMUANG)

If I had to pick one favourite salad, I think this would be it (with Caesar coming in a close second). When my mom and I were travelling in Bangkok and Pattaya many years ago, we ate Som tam (raw papaya salad) in almost every street-food stall that we went to, accompanied with aromatic bowlfuls… Read more »

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THREE BEAN SALAD

This salad has been a part of my husband’s lunch box for the past two weeks now. Going on his third today, I was considering at least trying a different dressing to break the monotony, but he says he’d like to stick to this. The man can eat curd and rice for every meal for a whole month without getting sick of it! But back to the salad, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it, right?

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CRISPY BAKED OKRA

  Every so often I come across recipes that boast baked versions tasting better than their originally deep-fried counterparts. Either I haven’t been making them right, or my love for deep-fried food is so great that nothing stands up to it. I’d rather eat it occasionally in its ‘unhealthy’ form than compensate for a dish… Read more »

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EASY HOMEMADE KIMCHI

My dad loves kimchi. The Chinese restaurant we used to frequent in Coimbatore used to serve sliced cabbage (not Napa, the regular variety) tossed with chili powder with some garlic and ginger I think, and serve it as a condiment at the table. Every single time we went there, we’d end up asking for a… Read more »

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ROASTED CAULIFLOWER AND HARISSA SOUP

I’ve talked about harissa before; about its endless possibilities of using it as a marinade for meats, in hearty stews, and to flavour soups with. I considered for a moment using chickpeas and making a stew instead of this soup, but after a quick cupboard rummage proved futile, soup it was! I love the flavour… Read more »

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HUMMUS WITH SESAME SEEDS (NO TAHINI)

I’ve become a bit of a hummus fiend at the moment, and have been experimenting with a few different variations: harissa mixed in, with/without tahini, dried/canned chickpeas; next – roasted beets. This middle eastern condiment is so versatile, the possibilities of adding and omitting ingredients are endless. Two things when I started out with this:… Read more »

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GUACAMOLE

A recipe for guacamole after a two month hiatus may seem a little underwhelming. I completely understand that. This is, in fact just a basic recipe for it. But can I just say that this guac is so good, that I seriously contemplated categorizing it as a starter rather than as a dip (I usually… Read more »

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Mixed tomato salad with pesto

This recipe (and a blog update) has been long overdue. But I think I may have found the perfect way to end this lengthy hiatus – a quick and easy tomato salad with a vibrant pesto dressing. Just wanted to subtly also point out that ALL THE TOMATOES WERE GROWN IN MY GARDEN! All organic… Read more »

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South-Indian chicken soup

This is my great-grandmother’s recipe. I think it was passed down to her from her mother or grandmother, but this is how far back I’ve been able to trace it. When a recipe dates back almost 120 years, you know it’s special. The sense of nostalgia and comfort that this aromatic hot bowl of soup… Read more »

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Moroccan spiced carrots with harissa, cumin & maple syrup

Harissa is a North-African spice paste that blows my mind (and mouth) on many different levels. Roasted peppers, chillies, coriander, garlic and spices form its base, and this fiery blend is used extensively to flavour meats, soups, stews, and couscous, apart from being used as a condiment in dips etc. I read somewhere that it’s… Read more »

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Balsamic-roasted Brussels sprouts

I have kale growing in my little terrace garden. When you look up information on plants that can handle humidity and soaring temperatures in tropical climates, kale is definitely one that wouldn’t feature anywhere on that list. I wouldn’t go so far as to say my plants are in the best shape (they seem to… Read more »

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Lotus stem with chilli and honey

I have this really annoying habit. I like to peer into other people’s shopping baskets to see what they’ve bought, and try and figure out what they might end up doing with it. I mean, I think you really can tell a lot about a person by what’s in their grocery basket. Shopping cart psychology… Read more »

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Cajun-roasted sweet potato fries

This is completely different – fries, but ones with the most desirable culmination of sweet and savoury. I hope I haven’t lost you yet, ‘cause these..these are so good. I love sweet potatoes. As you might’ve guessed from my earlier posts, I go a little cuckoo in the head with food pairings. Like this for instance…. Read more »

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Zucchini Kimchi

A lot of Chinese restaurants in India serve Kimchi as a condiment. That tastes like Indian pickle. Tossed with chilli powder and salt (and sometimes spices. eek). Having said that though, I do always end up mindlessly munching my way down half a bowl of the stuff whilst contemplating what to eat. I mean, it’s… Read more »