Several decades ago, the Indian Express Group of Publications presented me with a cookbook (I still have this with me). It featured recipes from all over India and some from the rest of the world. One recipe, in particular, fascinated me. It is a Sindhi recipe using lotus root. Till then, I had only consumed…
Category: Main Dishes
Techwani (A Spicy Uttarakhand Dish)
I have always been fascinated with the variety of food available across India. And also by the fact that every citizen of the country is immensely proud of the state he/she emanates from. So, when a driver from Uttarakhand joined me some years ago, I decided to ask his advice on the local food of…
Kolhapuri Mixed Vegetable (Spicy Vegetable Curry)
The Kolhapur region of Maharashtra is famous for its unique and spicy cuisine. When I used to travel to Mumbai, I was always on the lookout for local dishes that would pair well with rice or Indian breads. Gujarati food was not a top priority since I do not have a sweet tooth and restaurant…
Gongura Pappu (Sorrel Leaves Curry)
I am fond of all kind of greens. I do make an attempt to include at least two types of greens in my menu every week. But this is becoming increasingly difficult, given that organic greens are normally restricted to spinach. I do buy non-organic greens once in a while – more to pamper my…
Urulaikizhangu Podimas (Mildly Spiced Mashed Potato)
Potatoes are one of my favourite vegetables. When I turned diabetic several years ago, doctors advised me to consume this tuber only sparingly. For me, that meant about one a month. What a disaster!After I adopted a WFPB diet, I was told that I need not be so careful in including potatoes in my diet,…
Punjabi Chana Masala (Garbanzo Beans Curry)
Food habits across India are evolving. When I interact with my South Indian friends and relatives, they invariably want North Indian food. During occasions like eating out or on days when they feel like a special treat. The youngsters prefer North Indian cuisine over the South Indian one. Amongst my North Indian friends, there is…
Chow Chow Kootu (Chayote Squash Curry)
Chayote squash is freely available across the country. It is a fairly bland vegetable and not a particular favourite of many people. I tend to use this vegetable quite a lot – especially to make kootus (a wet gravy dish of South India). The dish is fairly bland – but tastes fantastic when paired with…
Tinda Masala (Spicy Apple Gourd Curry)
I have never been fond of tinda (apple gourd). Even with Hari‘s versatile cooking, I have not been able to overcome my dislike for this vegetable. Bias? Mental block? Perhaps. I have never seen this vegetable in Singapore or South India. Therefore, it was not part of my childhood food training. I was first introduced to…
Avarakkai Thoran (Broad Beans, Semphali Stir Fry)
Broad beans is a wonderful vegetable. Whenever I find it in the market, I invariably pick up about half a kilo. It can be prepared in several ways, but one of my favourites is the Kerala style thoran. You can use several other vegetables to prepare thoran too (cabbage, long beans, snake gourd, French beans…_)….
Masala Dal (Mildly Spiced Lentils)
I am not a great fan of dal chawal (lentils and rice). I much prefer my dals (lentils) with Indian flatbreads. And since my lunch is invariably brown rice, I rarely make dals. The concept of a dal is very non-South Indian. In South India, kootans, kuzhambus, rasams, sambar, etc. are prevalent. These are wet…
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