PUMPKIN & FETA ORZO

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to pastas. I don’t do many meat versions either. (A vegetarian husband requires that my meat component is always on the side, and never in the pasta itself.) To make it into our regular meal rotations I make sure my pasta dishes follow these general rules. 1)… Read more »

BLUEBERRY & CHIA FILLED CHOCOLATES

I can count with one hand the number of times I’ve made a baked dessert this year. I don’t particularly enjoy tasks that involve precise measurements and temps (I find it counterintuitive to go down this path when I use cooking as a de-stress mechanism). Bunging things into a pan is my jam. This recipe… Read more »

MEXICAN BEAN TOASTS

Mexican bean toasts aka molletes. Molletes are open-faced sandwiches with a bean mash, cheese, and a zingy pico de gallo for freshness and balance. They’re traditionally made with black beans but I’ve used kidney beans (rajma) here. The mash itself is pretty straight forward – sautéed onions and garlic, spices, and cooked beans. For some… Read more »

RED AMARANTH RAITHA

I want to preface this post by saying this: if red amaranth is hard to come by where you live, this recipe works really well with spinach or other local greens too. You’ll get the same flavours (but without the bright pink hue of course). Amaranth—both the green and red varieties—are ubiquitous to these parts… Read more »

BROCCOLI & ZUCCHINI WITH MARINARA & OLIVES

I have the hardest time categorizing recipes – is this a salad or a side? I’d wager that it’s a side more than a salad, but you add a bit of grilled meat or serve some Turkish eggs alongside and it effortlessly transforms into a substantial main. You first make a simple marinara: garlic, tomatoes,… Read more »

LIGHTER DHAL MAKHANI

‘Lighter’ for a few reasons: for starters this dhal makhani contains no cream, and only a quarter the amount of butter that’d typically go into it. Traditionally, the dhal is cooked separately with water and added to a base of onions, tomatoes, and spices. Simmered over a low heat, it’s then finished with (copious amounts… Read more »

FRIED OYSTER MUSHROOMS

What’s not to love about a big heap of fried mushrooms? Oyster mushrooms are perfect here as they’re meaty and substantial. Very fried chicken-y. Aside from their meaty texture, they also have a significant umami flavour. It’s no wonder they feature so heavily on vegetarian menus. I say substantial since button mushrooms—as versatile as they… Read more »

PUMPKIN & CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH PECANS & FETA

Even when I’m in the mood to just potter about the kitchen, I don’t (and I can safely say this) ever cook food that’s demanding. And by demanding I mean both skill-wise and time-wise. If something has to cook for a long time, it has to be minimal prep. And then it needs to cook… Read more »

GARLIC EGG FRIED RICE

Soft scrambled eggs and crispy garlic bits are my favourite additions to fried rice. If you buy and stock garlic granules by the pound like this alliomaniac writing the recipe, use that by all means. (A word! For the garlic obsessed!) Don’t  worry if you don’t though – I’ve put instructions below for how you… Read more »

BEEF & THAI BASIL STIR-FRY

My Thai basil plant has gone rogue. It won’t stop sprouting new leaves every day and—as was to be expected—regular pruning has only made it more hardy and prolific. It sounds like I’m whingeing about it, and I kinda am, but that’s only because I can’t think up enough ways to cook with it; it’s… Read more »

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Latest

  • SPAGHETTI ALL’ARRABBIATA aka Angry Pasta

    The first time I came across this dish, I thought it was some sort of an exotic Italian-Middle eastern fusion type thing. I think that shows in the way that I pronounce it as well..arrrrabiata. Any Italian reading this, please pardon my ignorance (if you’re still reading, you’ll be pleased to know that I didn’t… Read more »

  • STIR-FRIED RICE NOODLES WITH MINCED PORK AND BLACK BEAN

    Really not a lot to say about stir-fries that hasn’t been said before. Using a few pantry staples and whatever vegetables you have on hand, you can whip up something delicious in a matter of minutes. They come in handy especially when, say, you’ve been homebound for a week and are running out of options,… Read more »

  • HERB CRUSTED SEA BASS IN A TOMATO-CUMIN SAUCE

    When I moved to Chennai 9 months ago, I remember making a mental note of all the things to do here to fully experience the ‘big city life’. At the top of the list right under street shopping, was to check out its diverse food scene. Restaurants, old and new, recommended and side-lined, I wanted… Read more »

  • Gambas al pil pil : CHILLI-GARLIC PRAWNS IN OLIVE OIL

    Hot summer days would mean a continuation of the salad theme. I’m not sure how and when exactly this switch happened, but it may have been something to do with my piqued interest after experiencing first-hand, the benefits of fresh and light lunch options. On an unrelated note, I bought some green tomatoes recently –… Read more »

  • BAKED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE

    Vanilla and strawberry have had a love affair for as long as I can remember. Look in the dessert section of any restaurant menu, recipe book, or café window, and you’ll see them canoodling joyously like little else matters. But who’s to disapprove? This relationship was meant to be. Cheesecakes have taken over the world,… Read more »

  • GARLIC-SMEARED ROSEMARY ROAST CHICKEN

    The best part about doing a roast is that the leftovers can be reincarnated into multiple ways through the week – shredded into salads, sandwiches, quesadillas (kudos, Nigella), the bones used to make the best chicken broth..the list is endless. I recently stumbled upon a recipe that uses leftover chicken in meltingly cheese-y nachos (why… Read more »

  • Twenty six

    I celebrated my birthday last week. The big 26. Why the big hype for that? When you have an unwavering feeling of 18-going-on-19 sustained over so many years – and when you’re actually one and a half times the age in your head – I guess that’s kind of a big deal. I know something… Read more »

  • SPICY STIR-FRIED PRAWNS

    Chemmeen Ularthiyathu is the original name of this dish, but that’s the only hard part about this recipe; pronouncing it! I know I don’t have any Indian recipes on the blog – not yet anyway – so I thought it was high time I filled that void. This spicy prawn stir-fry made with coconut oil… Read more »

  • Cointreau-glazed orange bundt cake

    Today, we’re talking oranges and orange-flavoured liqueurs (again). We seem to have a bit of an unplanned theme going on here! In my post about Orangecello earlier this year, I’d talked about using liqueurs to spruce up a cake or a pudding. Here’s a go at that from my end! The Cointreau was, however, a bit… Read more »

  • VANILLA BEAN PANNA COTTA WITH PASSION FRUIT

    Panna cotta at this time of the year? You want to be hearing about hearty, comforting desserts and warmth-inducing drink recipes. Unfortunately, Chennai as we know it has a completely different season shift – hot, hotter, hottest. We are at the moment slowly but steadily gliding from the ‘hot’ to the ‘hotter’ threshold, with the… Read more »

  • CHICKEN KHOW SUEY

    I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to tell you about this stunner of a dish. If you’ve already skimmed through the list of ingredients, I know what you’re thinking. I won’t lie, this recipe does call for quite a few elements and steps, but I guarantee that you will not regret it. Khow… Read more »

  • ORANGE-SCENTED BUTTERMILK SCONES

    You know those important life-altering decisions that you take your time to ponder over? Like choosing your career path, moving to a new city, or getting married? I don’t think it’s normal that I say this, but I can handle those (We’re moving to Spain? Bring it on!) The ones that I spend agonizingly long… Read more »

  • BEER-BATTERED FISH WITH TARTARE SAUCE

    There are a lot of things that come to mind when I think of England. Tea houses. Knitting needles. Mind the gap. Dubstep. News agents. Chavs. Fish and chips. Black cabs. Quirky pub names (which I love, by the way – Bungalows and Bears?) James Bond. Chicken tikka (the irony 🙂 )..I could go on…. Read more »

  • ORANGECELLO

    I love the combination of orange and vodka. In this case, aesthetically, and taste wise. This is a spin on the traditional Limoncello, an Italian liqueur made using lemons and had as an after-meal digestivo. Orangecello has a very intense orange flavour and you’d be surprised at how much flavour from these citrus beauties gets… Read more »

  • PLUM CLAFOUTIS

    If you’re not familiar with clafoutis, you’re in for a real treat! I think it may be best described as a baked custard dotted with fruit, traditionally made in a cast iron skillet. A sort of pancake-meets-flan type affair. Fabulously versatile and very adaptable, this dessert can be made using whatever fruit is in season… Read more »