There’s no real stone-fruit season in Chennai. Sure, you have those few weeks around this time every year that you get plums, peaches and if you’re lucky, cherries and nectarines. But other than plums and the odd batch of rock-hard peaches that come from nearby hill stations, stores rely solely on produce from… Read more »

There’s not much cooking one can do with a newborn around. OR SO THEY SAY. (There’s not much of anything else that one can do with a newborn around but I digress.) It’s hard no doubt, and unless you prefer pottering about the kitchen to taking a nap when you get a few minutes to… Read more »

While I may never attempt to deconstruct tarts, masquerade zucchini for noodles or do a rainbow sprinkled-anything, pumpkin spice is definitely a clichéd food trend I can get behind. Agreed that their cult status is a bit of an overkill, but there’s no denying that some flavour combinations just work. And in my opinion, as… Read more »

  I’d like to think of myself as an organised cook. Relatively speaking of course (I use the term very loosely and my husband thinks even that’s a stretch). I meal-plan and cook using locally sourced and seasonal ingredients for the most part and also try to minimize waste as much as possible. And those… Read more »

I’m not even going to try and justify the fact that I’m back with another French toast recipe. It means something when I push it five times, and then there’s this – this weekly occurrence. Not one bit sorry though, in fact so far from it that I’m seriously contemplating listing ‘French toast’ as a… Read more »

You’re probably on a first-name basis with potato hash but have you tried a sweet potato version? I try and substitute these sweet spuds in most recipes that call for potatoes not just because of their better nutritional profile, but also because I love their subtle sweetness especially when paired with something deeply savoury like… Read more »

This paneer and spinach filling is a staple in our house. Which I’m sure is apparent by now. I’d like to think of myself as someone that can make one component work in multiple ways and in multiple dishes. On the flip side, isn’t that the very definition of being a one-trick pony though?! (My… Read more »

This is (an inadvertently vegan) roasted red pepper and tomato sauce that uses cashews for creaminess in lieu of cheese, cream, or other forms of dairy. It’s very versatile and can be used as a pasta sauce, pizza sauce, chip dip, spread, or even as the base in baked dishes (eggplant involtini coming next). Basically… Read more »

Sloppy joes and burgers. Although both use meat, vegetables, beans or a combination as their base and both are served on buns, their similarities end there. Sloppy joes are cooked in a sauce—the consistency is that of a thick bolognese—while burgers are formed into patties. Burger patties usually rely on binding agents like eggs and… Read more »

The title is a mouthful, I know. For someone that’s most comfortable cooking intuitively and without any measurements, writing recipes with precise instructions is hard enough. But over the years I’ve managed to maneuver my cooking style to fit that in. What I find harder, is writing recipe titles: I want it to be descriptive… Read more »

There’s a lot you can do with chickpeas which is why my pantry is rarely without it: added to curries like your typical chana masala, stirred into stews or tossed through salads, it’s a great way to bulk up a dish and make it substantial especially in lieu of meat. What I’ve also found is… Read more »

Pears are surprisingly hard to come by in Chennai. Sure, you find the locally grown green ones—the ‘hill station’ pears—but those still run a certain seasonal cycle and you see them around for maybe one or two months of the year. These local varieties are usually not very flavourful however, and the texture is often… Read more »

I know ‘bubble and squeak’ sounds like a made-up name to sneak veggies into your toddler’s lunch. Unfortunately though—at least for those of us that enjoy quirky food names: oat-thappams, anyone?—it’s pretty straightforward. Bubble and squeak originated in the UK and was a dish of cabbage and fried meat. And the name came about because… Read more »

I always need to have beets in stock. I don’t know if this mindset came about after the lockdown or what, but I feel reassured knowing that I have a few kilos of them in the fridge. This sentiment doesn’t apply to carrots and potatoes which, realistically speaking are more versatile ‘basic’ vegetables. It’s reserved… Read more »

I admit this is not the prettiest dish. But aesthetics go completely out the window when you’re stuffing a squidgy brown paste into something. Trust me, I tried. But one bite of this and you’ll realize that its visual appearance completely belies its taste. I’m not a big fan of nuts. I don’t hate them… Read more »