Spinach Croquettes were something I kept getting wrong before I finally landed on this version. The first two times I made them, the filling was too wet and the croquettes …

Chicken Tortilla Soup became a regular in my kitchen because my husband kept requesting it every time I had leftover rotisserie chicken sitting in the fridge. At first I made …

Rava Besan Laddoo has quietly caused arguments in my family for years. My mother insists the rava should go in first and cook longer, while my aunt swears that adding …

Peanut Chutney is one of those recipes that I keep coming back to not because it is impressive, but because it is fast and I almost always have the ingredients. …

Egg Kara Kuzhambu is one of those recipes I kept coming back to on evenings when I wanted something sharp and satisfying but did not want to spend an hour …

Akkaravadisal is one of those recipes I got completely wrong the first time I made it. I added the jaggery directly into the hot milk and rice without straining it …

Paneer Popcorn was not something I landed on correctly the first time. My earliest attempt had a coating that slipped right off in the oil — the batter was too …

Paneer Naan was the first yeasted dough I ever completely ruined. I used water that was too hot, killed the yeast before it had a chance, and ended up with …

Chicken with Pineapple sounds straightforward until the first time you make it and realise the coating has turned into a thick, gluey mess because the oil was not hot enough. …

Potli Tikka came into my regular cooking life because a close friend kept asking me to make something “different” for his birthday dinner – not a biryani, not a standard …

Curried Stuffed Peppers is one of those recipes I kept coming back to just because the craving for it would not leave me alone. There is something about tamarind simmering …

Lamb Koftas in a Spicy Sauce was the recipe I nearly abandoned after the first two tries. Both times, the koftas fell apart in the sauce. I kept stirring too …

Chicken Saltimbocca came into my regular rotation because my husband kept asking for something that felt restaurant-style but did not take an hour to pull together on a weeknight. I …

Homemade Pasta Sauce earns its place in my kitchen for one very practical reason — I always have tomatoes sitting on the counter that need using before they go soft. …

Spicy Thukkada is one of those recipes I got badly wrong the first time and could not figure out why. The pieces puffed up, turned oily, and went soft within …

Mini Samosa holds a particular kind of nostalgia for me, though not the kind that involves a grandmother’s kitchen. The first time I had these was at a college friend’s …

Capsicum Poriyal earns a regular spot in my kitchen mostly because of one simple fact: I almost always have capsicums sitting in the fridge. They are the vegetable I buy …

Karhi is one of those recipes my husband specifically requests when the weather turns grey and he wants something that feels like a proper meal. He does not ask for …

Tehari is one of those dishes that entered my life through a college mess hall, of all places. I was studying in Lucknow, and the canteen served it every Thursday …

Vegetable Sambar is one of those dishes my husband and I have never fully agreed on. He grew up in a household where sambar was thin, sour, and almost broth-like. …

Surti Undhiyu is one of those recipes I made badly at least three times before I stopped rushing it. My first attempt, I did not marinate the vegetables at all …