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KOREAN CORN TEA (OKSUSU CHA)

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 »

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SLOW-ROASTED TOMATOES

I grow tomatoes all year round in my little terrace garden – grape, cherry, heirloom, pear-shaped ones, black plum ones, I’ve tried the whole range. Although I do get a steady harvest all year round—owing to the soaring heat and humidity levels in Chennai—this time of year, in the months of March – June, I… Read more »

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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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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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HOMEMADE VANILLA EXTRACT

Who would’ve thought making your own vanilla extract was this easy! Until I recently stumbled upon a recipe that stated that all you needed were vanilla beans and alcohol, I’d been completely oblivious to the fact that you could make it at home! I feel like my food blogging rights are hanging by a very… 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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PICKLED BANANA PEPPERS

Banana peppers have been all the rage at the Kumar household these past couple of months. We eat them in stir-fries, stuffed with cottage cheese, rolled in tortillas, and if that list wasn’t enough, it’s now moved onto pickling! The thing about regular peppers for me is that I just find them so drab and… Read more »

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THE CLASSIC ARNOLD PALMER

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 »

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BASIC TOMATO SAUCE

I may have inadvertently picked the perfect time to tell you about this recipe. It’s the beginning of the week and having this sauce on hand means that you can cruise through those weekday suppers like it ain’t no thing. We go through two jars of this stuff every week between the two of us,… 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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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 »