CANDIED WALNUTS WITH JAGGERY

My son and I often make these as part of birthday gifts to give out. They’re quick to pull together, fun to make, and always appreciated. Pile them into a glass jar, tie on a bit of ribbon or twine, and you’ve got a simple, thoughtful gift that feels personal without any of the fuss…. Read more »

SWEET & SPICY TOFU

There are a few tofu dishes that I go back to on repeat, and this sweet and spicy version is one of them. It pretends to be complicated, but it’s really just me, a frying pan, and a couple of bottles from the fridge door. Twenty minutes and you’ve got crisp, golden cubes in a sauce… Read more »

PUMPKIN, FIG & KALE SALAD

There are salads that feel like afterthoughts – a little something green pushed to the side of the plate. And then there are salads that demand attention, the kind that get eaten first and remembered last. This one is firmly in the latter camp. Sweet roasted pumpkin, jammy figs, and salty little nuggets of feta,… Read more »

POTATO NACHOS

I know what you’re thinking: those aren’t nachos. But hear me out. I’ve been leaning into potatoes a lot more lately. As a carb, they’re wildly underrated. I love the idea of using them in place of rice or wheat, which is how this slightly chaotic, very satisfying plate of potato nachos came to be…. Read more »

VEG-FORWARD JAPCHAE

This might be the first time you’re hearing the words sweet potato starch noodles, but I promise it won’t be the last. Japchae is one of those dishes that has no business being as good as it is—slippery glass noodles tangled with veg, a savoury-sweet sauce that hits every corner of your palate, and enough… Read more »

BEET & MISO HUMMUS

There’s always a beet lurking in the fridge a little longer than intended. This one had been sitting quietly in the vegetable drawer, still firm, still hopeful. I hadn’t planned to make hummus with it, but that’s how most good things start, isn’t it? Always roast your beets. Steaming or boiling just makes them flabby… Read more »

THAI-INSPIRED SQUID, PRAWN & GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

Somewhere between craving something light and realizing I had seafood to use up, this salad happened. It borrows a lot from Thai pomelo salad—fresh herbs, juicy citrus, plenty of crunch—but gets a protein upgrade because sometimes fruit and texture aren’t enough to count as a real meal. This is a salad that eats like dinner,… Read more »

BOK CHOY & SHIITAKE STIR-FRY

A quick yet satisfying lunch, brimming with vibrant greens and earthy mushrooms. True to the essence of a good stir-fry, it comes together in under 20 minutes, relying on pantry staples—save for the dried shiitakes, unless, like me, you deem them essential and keep a generous stock on hand. One of the best things about… Read more »

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 »

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Latest

  • 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 »

  • Sticky toffee pudding

    I agree that this may not be the prettiest looking pudding out there, but I assure you that what it lacks in aesthetic appeal is more than compensated for in taste. Now that we are on this topic, I have a question – how on earth do you make something that’s sticky and gooey look… Read more »

  • Chicken quesadillas

    While you see some simple, regular chicken quesadillas here, what I see is a Mexican – Portuguese twist on what was supposed to be just simple, regular quesadillas. I mean, I’ve been planning to make them for so long now, I even had it all planned out for dinner next week..and then this happens (I meant… Read more »

  • 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 »

  • 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 »

  • Honeydew melon & cucumber gazpacho

    Who goes and puts honeydew melon in a soup, right? Sounds bizarre. If you feel the same way, I wouldn’t blame you. But..I like bizarre. And this gazpacho is kind of just that. I’ve tried very hard to visually capture the exact texture of this soup, but I’m not sure if I’ve done a good… Read more »

  • Yogurt syllabub

    I know it sounds like I just made this word up! Syllabub is an English dessert that’s made with milk that’s been curdled either with wine or any other form of acid before being flavoured and sweetened. I’ve used yogurt here which we know has already undergone that process, so it’s essentially just a flavoured… Read more »

  • Passion fruit cordial

    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 »

  • Aubergine Parmigiana (Melanzane alla Parmigiana)

    Remember that time I made this aubergine and broccoli pasta bake? So this is a slight variation from that, with regard to inspiration (and photo clarity. Thank goodness!) I’m slowly trying to get my head around exploring the plethora of options and features on my DSLR, so please bear with me as I share the developments… Read more »

  • DIY : Thai yellow curry paste

    There are precisely 2 things that make cooking Thai food from scratch hard for me. One, you don’t get the necessary ingredients very easily here; lemon grass, whenever I get my hands on I bulk buy and freeze, and kaffir lime leaves are almost never available (replacing it with lime rind I’ve found to be… Read more »

  • Cinnamon French toast with stewed apples

    I think this is my first breakfast dish on here. Which when I think about, doesn’t make any sense since I’m that person that loves to eat breakfast foods at any time of the day. No strict time restrictions in my head. A full English breakfast for lunch? Oh yes, please. Dosa for dinner? Hell… Read more »

  • Lime & Basil Iced tea

    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 »

  • FULLY LOADED BEEF TACOS (with re-fried beans, purple cabbage yogurt-slaw, guacamole, and salsa)

    Sitting amidst the chaos that is moving houses is not the perfect setting I’d envisioned to share this recipe with you. But if you think about it, it is fitting in a way : all the separate components coming together in the end in perfect harmony (which will hopefully be the case with the home… Read more »

  • BRUSCHETTA PLATTER (with tomato & basil, mushroom & thyme, olive-caper tapenade, and oven-dried tomatoes)

    I never realized this until now, but food blogging brings together a few of my favourite things..cooking (of course), food styling & food photography (which have been a more recent discovery) and my penchant for mindless writing. Don’t get me wrong, I make sure that the recipes that I post on here are my absolute… Read more »

  • Apple tarte tatin & an anniversary

    I know I’m treading on the territory of culinary arrogance when I say this, but I don’t understand why the Tarte Tatin has been regarded as an insurmountable feat for an amateur cook. Sure, the caramel is a blink-and-it’s burnt kind of ordeal but other than that, it’s literally just some minor pastry action (shop-bought one at… Read more »