I’ve noticed in conversation that when I say “I made ricotta”, people think it’s a lot more complicated than making paneer. Here’s the deal. Paneer is made by boiling milk and breaking it with some kind of acid (yogurt/lemon juice/vinegar). The resulting curds are then drained and what you’re left with is paneer. Ricotta is… Read more »

The goal is to always keep things–in order of preference and priority–delicious, speedy and nutritious. This means adding protein and vegetables into the mix, while also making sure it comes together really quickly and easily. I’m talking no more than 45 mins tops in total, with no more than 15 mins of my involvement. This… Read more »

There are dishes that look easy and effortless to make, and then there are those that look like you need a quarter of a day and a culinary degree to whip up. But looks can be deceptive. Some dishes look simple to make, but the prep can seem endless because of the amount of hands-on… Read more »

I can’t stop buying mushrooms. No seriously, it’s a bit of a problem. I’ll have two punnets in the fridge, go shopping with a clear meal plan and a concise list, and end up driving back with two more punnets stashed in the bag. 800 grams to use up in 3 days before they go… Read more »

Eton mess – the quintessential summer dessert. (Not in Chennai though; strawberries usually make an appearance here in Jan.) Either way, it’s almost the end of season now and I wanted to quickly pop by and show you this easy way to gorge on them whilst they’re still around. Having said that, I’ve preemptively devised… Read more »

Patatas bravas or ‘spicy potatoes’ is a dish native to Spain, and served typically as a part of tapas: small plates of shared food. Like most tapas dishes go, they’re pretty straight-forward and simple to make but without compromising on flavour. Full disclosure: I’ve never been to Spain. Everything I know about their food only… Read more »

Given that a major chunk of my life’s mission is to French toast and ‘casserole’ everything, I’m making a case for this caponata version today. Both French toasts and casseroles are ideal candidates to use up leftover bread. A stale/dried up loaf is actually a good thing in both cases. In French toasts, a dry… Read more »

I’ve found that the best way to crisp up Brussels sprouts is in the oven. First halve them lengthways, toss in olive oil and salt, and lay them hump side up on a baking tray. Roast in a hot oven until the tops are crackly and look like they’re on the verge of being burnt…. Read more »

This recipe is long overdue, especially considering the sheer number of times I’ve made it over the last couple weeks. I saw it on the MOB kitchen website and knew I had to try it. Some recipes are like that – I’ll see it and I know we’ll love it. This was one such. Not… Read more »

I call this a breakfast salad cos, well, you know, it has bread and eggs. And I eat it for breakfast. (Food names and classifications are so arbitrary though – this could just as easily be eaten as a part of another meal too of course). Caesar salad – a classic. I didn’t mean to… Read more »

If you’re looking to switch up your breakfast porridge and give oatmeal a break, this one’s for you. The problem with quinoa for breakfast (or at any time, to be honest), is that it takes an age to cook. To get around this, I soak it the previous night (in the fridge). Soaking softens the… Read more »

I use packaged jackfruit in this recipe (the vacuum-sealed stuff), but I’m already plotting buying a whole jackfruit and hacking into it the next time I want to make something. We are a household of three (where one is a 6-month old), so what I’ll do with all that meat I don’t know. But that… Read more »

If you’re someone that enjoys a good risotto but could do without all that one-ladle-at-a-time fuss, orzo is just the ticket. Whoever thought up the idea to make pasta that resembles rice?! (albeit a large grain of rice). Ingenious! What’s also great about this short-cut pasta is that it cooks in half the time because… Read more »

Keeping with the theme of salads for breakfast, here’s my charred broccoli with (dried) cranberries and a spicy tahini dressing. I had a general idea of the flavours I wanted to use here: the slight bitterness from charred broccoli, with pops of sour and sweet from the dried fruit. The tahini gives this dish a… Read more »

It’s been a minute since I’ve been on here, and in a move that will surprise absolutely no one, I’ve resurfaced with a recipe that features aubergine, tomato and red peppers. And chilli butter. And garlic yogurt. I’m nothing if not a one trick pony. BUT, in my defence though, I can’t think of a… Read more »