Keema Matar

My view is that keema is essentially an Indian version of a Bolognese sauce. And yes, I have eaten it with pasta on many occasions with grated cheddar on top. This was one of the classier meals I ate during my university days. Reminiscing about my youth suddenly makes me feel ancient! What I love…

Kimchi Sweetcorn Chilla

What’s chilla you ask?! It’s a pancake made with chickpea flour & spices. My Mum would usually make these for breakfast on her ‘fast days’- Days dedicated to her favourite god. You are supposed to only eat vegetarian food so no eggs allowed but honey and dairy products are somehow acceptable. I still do not…

Spiced Orange Hot Chocolate

If you are already feeling the January blues like me, then this hot chocolate is going to pick you up right away. It fills you up with a warm feeling, just like the chocolate Professor Lupin gives Harry Potter after their encounter with the Dementor. If you are a muggle, then just imagine warm sunlight…

Microwave Masala Nuts

Did you know that you can roast nuts using a microwave?! Well, technically they are not roasted but they definitely taste like it! I picked up this technique from my great aunt. I used to spend all my weekends at her place when I first came to London as student because she is a fantastic…

Blush Orange Juice with Ginger and Kala Namak

My Instagram has recently been bombarded with luscious images of rhubarb pudding and upside-down orange cakes. Naturally I craved to be equally trendy so I went shopping and ended up buying multi-packs of oranges to make one upside down cake. Sometimes you just get carried away food shopping. The cake was a disaster and I…

Sheera with Braised Rhubarb

I would have liked to start this blog post with a Happy New Year message but it’s now March and my plan for posting at least one recipe a month has gone out of the window. To be fair I have been under the weather lately. I have fallen ill three times in three months.…

Kadu Coconut Soup

I love the word Kadu. It means pumpkin in Hindi but I enjoy using it as a slang to express my disbelief, contempt or disagreement. For example, during a girl’s gossip session if my friend tells me “She says they haven’t slept together.” My retort will be “Kadu! That’s so not true!” Or when I…

Cheese, Chutney and Crisps

Baby it’s cold outside! It is officially the season of comfort food. This is my favourite time of year. Halloween, Diwali, Bonfire Night & Christmas- as a Desi girl living in London, I get to celebrate it all and indulge in the foods that go with them. Last year my parents came over for Christmas…

Chai Panna Cotta with Pistachio Brittle

Chai is no ordinary brew. I once read somewhere that tea is just a word whereas chai is an emotion. It takes love, time, effort and a whole lot of spices to turn the humble of cup tea into proper masala chai. The perfect cup is milky, gingery, slightly sweet, and aromatic with underlying tones…

Curried Pad Thai

This recipe is a result of my need to buy a wok. I have not bought one yet because all my kitchen cabinets are filled with gadgets that are rarely used. You know the ones you think are a good idea at the time and will get a lot of use out of, like a…