Kerala Chicken Stew is one of those dishes I learned to make because my husband kept talking about the version his grandmother made every Sunday. He would describe the pale, …

Creamy Cauliflower Bites came into my kitchen by accident during a winter when I had too much cauliflower and not enough freezer space. I boiled the florets soft, blended them …

Mutton Cutlet became a regular in my kitchen after I tasted a version at a friend’s house in Kolkata. Her mother used a similar spice blend and insisted on chilling …

Thai Noodle Salad became a regular in my house after a friend brought it to a potluck about five years ago. I kept thinking about the way the dressing clung …

Stuffed Brinjals with Lamb became a regular in my kitchen after a neighbour brought over a version made by her mother in law. I had never thought to hollow out …

Mussel Curry with Coconut is something I grew up eating during monsoon season when mussels were plentiful along the Kerala coast. My grandmother would sit on the kitchen floor with …

Safed Maas is a Rajasthani celebration dish that I first tasted at a cousin’s wedding years ago. The pale, almost ivory coloured gravy looked so different from the usual red …

Lamb in Spicy Red Gravy is one of those dishes my mother-in-law taught me early in my marriage, mostly because I kept requesting it every time we visited. She would …

Bittergourd Gojju came into my life through my husband’s aunt, who served it with ghee rice at a family lunch. I was skeptical because bitter gourd and I had a …

Vazhakkai Usili is something my aunt used to make every other week, and I always wondered why she went through the trouble of steaming dal separately before mixing it with …

Chocolate Orange Cake first showed up in my kitchen because I had run out of eggs on a Sunday afternoon and refused to make a trip to the store. I …

Sweet and Sour Fish is one of those recipes I picked up from a neighbour who used to make it every Friday, and I have been making it ever since. …

Sweet Corn Vegetable Soup is the first recipe I learned to make when I moved into my own kitchen years ago. My mother used to make this on rainy evenings, …

Homemade Szechuan Sauce became a permanent fixture in my fridge after I realized how much better Indo Chinese takeout tastes when the sauce is fresh and balanced. The first time …

Lamb Samosa is the one snack I make when I want to impress without pretending I am running a restaurant kitchen. I first tried making these after a friend brought …

Mixed Vegetable Rice became my go-to lunch option after I ran out of ways to pack leftovers that my daughter would actually eat at school. She needs something that tastes …

Murungai Keerai Adai (Drumstick Leaves Adai) showed up in my kitchen the year I moved closer to my grandmother and started visiting her Saturday morning market runs. She would buy …

Akbari Paneer is one of those recipes I learned after tasting it at a small neighbourhood dhaba that served Mughlai food on weekends. The owner would not share the full …

Mushroom Curry showed up in my house the first time my sister came back from Kerala with a bag of spices and a long story about a homestay breakfast. She …

Prawn Sixty Six showed up on every Indo-Chinese restaurant menu in Bangalore when I was growing up, and I always ordered it without fail. The name still feels mysterious to …

Rare Roast Beef Pasta Salad came into my life during a particularly chaotic monsoon week when I needed something that felt substantial but did not require babysitting many pots. I …