Chicken Mughlai in a large bowl is a bit like a party. It has something special. The first time I made this at home, I was really surprised because I thought, how can a few whole spices and some onion-cashew paste give me something so creamy and rich? When cooked, the smell fills the room […]
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I made this fish methi curry first on a lazy monsoon evening, when the fridge had nothing much except Katla, a small fistful of methi, and green garlic I’d forgotten about. It turned out so good that I’ve been doing it as a monthly ritual ever since. The slight bitterness of the methi, mellowed by
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There is this particular smell that takes over my kitchen whenever I am cooking this dish. The mustard oil goes into the pan and whole spices crackle right away; that fragrance tells me this batch is going to come out just right. This Punjabi egg curry recipe is the one I make more than any
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There is something really comforting about the smell of mustard oil and cumin, hitting hot oil in the pressure cooker. It reminds me of home-cooked weekday meals. That same feeling comes back every time I make this tinda curry too. Tinda, or apple gourd, doesn’t really get much attention outside of Indian kitchens, but if
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No bake mango cheesecake was not really on my plan. It just happened because I did not want to pick between two desserts I loved just the same. One weekend I was craving both mango and cheesecake, and I kept thinking, why choose at all? I went ahead and made them as one instead of
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The first hot afternoon of the season always sends me straight to the fridge for curd. Rose lassi is what I end up making; one sip and it is basically summer, cardamom and rose syrup swirling into that tang. I have made it too thin and too sweet and learned my ratios the hard way,
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Growing up, winter evenings in my house always smelt like this. The Kashmiri yakhni soup was what my grandmother reached for whenever the cold turned serious, with mutton simmered low in a pot with curd and whole spices – until the kitchen started to feel like it was filling up with cinnamon and cardamom and
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Andhra fish fry always takes me back to my grandmother’s kitchen, where the smell of frying masala meant Sunday lunch was almost ready. This is my own version, a little tangier, a lot crispier, and the recipe I turn to most when I want rice, dal, and something spicy that doesn’t take all afternoon. At
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Some evenings, I want something that doesn’t need a lot of cooking. That’s exactly where this corn and paneer salad comes in — a bowl I first threw together on a night I had paneer and no real plan. The crunch of fresh vegetables, the soft bite of paneer, and that garlicky dressing won me
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Egg 65 was born out of one of those Sunday evenings when I had leftover boiled eggs sitting in the fridge and zero patience for making an elaborate snack. A friend from Chennai once told me this dish actually started as chicken 65’s humble cousin, and after making it a dozen times in my own
Cabbage vada happened by accident in my kitchen, the way most good recipes do. There was leftover cabbage sitting around and dal already soaking for something else, and instead of making two separate things, they went into the same bowl. What came out that day stuck around as a permanent fixture on our weekend breakfast
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Mutton keema samosa is the snack you make when a regular samosa just won’t cut it for the event. There is something special about biting into that crisp golden shell and then getting spiced, juicy minced meat right there, instead of the usual potato. It makes people pause mid-conversation at a house party. I have
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I used to order garlic butter chicken bites every time we ate out, until I got tired of paying restaurant prices for something this simple. So, one weekend I just tried making it at home with whatever was in the fridge – chicken, garlic, a lemon, and some butter. The outcome was far better than
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Paneer 65 belongs to that curious family of “65” dishes whose origin nobody quite agrees on; a Hyderabad restaurant menu, a count of spices, the year 1965, and honestly, the mystery is half the fun of telling people about it. I started making this at home after one too many restaurant visits where the “65”
This fish coconut milk curry is one of those coastal recipes that somehow tastes like home, briny and warm, and a bit sharp around the edges, thanks to the chili. I keep preferring it because it is not fussy, even if it feels like there is something hidden going on. King fish pieces get a
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I almost skipped turai this week, it’s the vegetable I always forget about until it’s gone soft in the fridge. Good thing I didn’t. This turai chana dal, made with a mustard oil tempering, turned into one of those quiet, comforting dinners that disappeared faster than I expected. The dal holds its bite while the
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My mother makes a pepper chicken that doesn’t need a single spoon of cream or cashew paste, and for years I couldn’t figure out how she got that much depth into it. Turned out the trick was in the roasting she’d dry roast her whole spices separately, let them cool, then grind them coarse instead
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Some curries announce themselves right when they hit the pan—sharp red chili, thick tomato, all heat and color. Mutton malai handi does the opposite thing. There is no chili powder in sight; just that mellow warmth from whole spices and green chili paste, working its way slowly into the meat taking its own sweet time.
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There is this common notion floating around that a great rice dish really needs hours of layering or a dozen different spices and meat tossed in. Peas pulao proves that wrong. Rather than being the sidekick to some big, serious main course, this recipe takes the simple green pea and makes it the headline. First,
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I am one of those people who want their meal to feel a bit special even though it can be made quickly. During such times, it is my favorite cheese corn parathas that come to the rescue. The crust of the whole wheat dough and the chewy filling inside remain creamy so that it almost
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Devil chicken is made with small boneless chicken pieces that are first marinated with turmeric, salt and red chili powder before stir frying slightly. It is then cooked along with diced green, red and yellow capsicums, onions, cherry tomatoes, a variety of sauces and a generous amount of red chili flakes and green chilies along
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Some days, I end up craving a rich, slow-cooked curry. And other days, I just need something quick, spicy, and oddly comforting. That is basically when this egg fry masala comes to my rescue. No cream, no long simmering around for ages. Just curry leaves, green chilies, and those usual spices like black pepper and
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Coconut mutton is made with mutton pieces cooked in a rich gravy comprising coconut paste, onions, curry leaves, tomatoes and a variety of whole and powdered spices until tender. Fennel seed powder is usually added in the end for additional flavor. Read my recipe to learn the easy steps to make coconut mutton at home.
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Some days I just want to eat a giant bowl of something without feeling awful about it an hour later. That’s basically why I make sprouts salad all the time. It’s sprouted green moong lentils (boiled just briefly, so they still have that snap), mixed with chopped onion, tomato, boiled potato, and green chilies if
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Every summer, without fail, I have a jug of raw mango juice sitting in the fridge, and honestly, it’s the one drink I still crave the second the heat hits. You take raw green mangoes, peel them, chop them up, and blend them into this tangy paste. Then comes sugar, a pinch of black salt,
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Mango coconut burfi is made by using fresh coconut paste which is mixed with mango pulp and then cooked together with milk until it turns dry and thick. After that its decorated with pistachios, saffron strands and some other nuts too. It is then kept in the fridge for a while to set properly before
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Sabudana vada is made with sago or sabudana and potato mixture. The sabudana is soaked in water preferably overnight and is then mixed with boiled potatoes, ground peanuts, crushed black pepper, chopped green chilies and coriander leaves. Made into small tikkis, these are then deep-fried to perfection until golden on a medium flame. Read my
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Chili fish is made with boneless fish pieces that are first coated in a batter comprising egg, soy sauce, corn flour, maida, black pepper, chopped ginger and garlic. They are then fried to golden before coating them in a gravy made with garlic, ginger, green chilies, spring onions, green capsicum, black pepper powder and a
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Broccoli soup is made with fresh broccoli. It is first boiled with salt and then cooked slightly in butter along with onions and garlic. It is then blended into a smooth paste which is further cooked to achieve a thicker consistency along with milk and fresh cream. Crushed black pepper is added before serving to
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Vegetable fried rice is made with stir-fried Basmati rice, boiled first with salt and then combined with a variety of vegetables like red, green and yellow capsicum, carrots, onions, spring onions, beans, and soya chap or paneer pieces. Garlic, green chilies, soya sauce, vinegar, chili paste, and crushed black pepper are also added for further
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