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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »

    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 »

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 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 »

The stone fruit season might be long gone, but the last of these exotic (for Chennai at least!) nectarines still linger in the markets, so I’ve been making the most of them while I can. Although Chennai is not the first place you’d think of for stone fruits, I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find them—even… Read more »

Who makes their own jam, right? That was exactly my line of thought when I set about making a batch, and only because I had a huge haul of plums languishing in the fridge begging to be used up. Now I’m hooked. Not only is it easy as pie (actually, way easier than pie), but… Read more »

The real beauty of hummus as far as I’m concerned (apart from its taste of course), is that it’s just so quick to throw together. Even if you’re going the no-tahini-from-a-jar route. A can of chickpeas, some sesame seeds, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend. Eat. Lick. Do as you do. This basic recipe… 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 »

  Labneh is the easiest cheese you’ll ever make. Although called cheese, this Middle Eastern staple occupies the space somewhere between yogurt and cheese in the dairy spectrum. It is made very simply by straining yogurt in muslin overnight until all the whey water seeps out resulting in the most luscious ‘cheese’—labneh. Although making labneh… Read more »

If you think adding roasted or sun-dried tomatoes to a dish (if you’re anything like me, any dish) elevates it, try roasted green tomatoes. They’re next level. Green tomatoes that I’m referring to here are basically unripe tomatoes; not the variety that stays green upon ripening. So you can use any variety of tomato that… 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 »