Chai is a love language – at least in India. Chai with friends at a tapri, with work colleagues in the office canteen, with bae in bed, with your mum (spilling tea of course IYKYK), with dad bas yun hi, with siblings after arguing over who’s going to make said chai and of course sipping it early in the morning enjoying some alone time. Simple, sweet kadak chai is always …
Parle G, Monaco, Marie, Bourbon, Nice, Krackjack – which 80s kid hasn’t at some point in time found these in their tiffin? The beauty of these biscuits is their consistency of taste and despite the market now being flooded with fancier imported goodies, they have held their ground. If you want to try something new for chai time or tiffin check out some uniquely- flavoured biscuits that are quite well-priced. …
Indian food is a culinary behemoth; there’s no debating that. Flavourful, colourful, lively, bright and satisfying to all senses, no matter which part of the country you visit, food is the first thing that you want to sample. But, even with so much variety there’re always naysayers and those who like to group all Indian food under one banner – SPICY! While this is the most common misconception about Indian …
The word dessert makes your mind wander to a luscious and glistening bowl of moong dal halwa, or a cool matki of phirni, or some warm malpuas. While those images linger on, are you counting the calories that go along with them? Or wondering if you could opt for something less extravagant to tackle that craving for a bit of sweet? The term ‘healthy dessert’ has been coined for just …
Chicken meals are go-to meals when you’re looking for something wholesome, healthy and filling. And because chicken is so versatile it’s so easy to adapt to whatever your palate is craving that day. Whether it’s Indian, Chinese, American, Mediterranean, Middle-Eastern, there’s a special place for chicken in all of these cuisines. Curry, grilled, roasted, fried – chicken is comfort food all the way and if you don’t want to follow …
If you haven’t spent at least one summer afternoon in your childhood sucking down chaunsa mangoes, we suggest you go buy some, take the day off, and treat yourself to some cold delight while staring into the distance thinking of nothing else but the next mango. It’s mango season! All hail the king of fruits. We are one of the world’s largest mango exporters and no one loves mangoes like …
“Simsim” is the Arabic word for sesame and the phrase “Open Sesame” or “Khul ja Simsim” from the story of Ali baba and the 40 thieves is a phrase we’re quite familiar with. Now, the words when uttered opened the mouth of a cave full of treasures and this couldn’t be closer to the truth in real life. Sesame seeds are literally a treasure trove of uses and nutrients and …
Cabbage as a vegetable is so diverse and yet so polarising. According to this piece it’s one of the most hated vegetables in India along with the carrot. How sad for those who don’t eat it! JK Rowling once said, “If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book.” So I say, “If you don’t like cabbage, you haven’t found the right recipe”. The most commonly used …
Coconuts are one of the most essential ingredients for any type of cooking in coastal India. Curries, chutneys, masalas and even rice, are quite incomplete with coconut or even its milk. The green coconut or tender coconut that’s popular for its sweet water and tender delicious white meat inside tends to be more expensive than the regular brown coconut used in cooking. The only difference between the two is the …
A home-cooked meal without dal is quite incomplete. Whether it’s a simple moong dal with tadka, or an elaborate panchmel dal; hot dal with steaming rice and heavy glob of ghee on top is a combination we cannot resist. Dal is prepared in over 200 ways in India, each preparation more mouth-watering than the previous one. But, every home has their favourite dal that’s made when in a pinch. Toor …
