What is goat curry? Goat curry is basically small cuts of goat slow-cooked or pressure-cooked in a gravy made with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and aromatic spices. There are as many varieties of goat curries in India as there are dialects and more. That is to say that there is no one way of making it….
What is butter chicken? Butter chicken is one of the most internationally famous Indian dishes. It is basically morsels of chicken, usually kebabs, that are then simmered in a tomato and cream based gravy. Butter chicken is obviously made with a lot of butter. The high dairy content in this dish makes it a very…
What is coconut chutney? Coconut chutney is a famous yet simple South Indian condiment made with grated coconut and a mix of fresh spices and herbs. Coconut, fried gram, ginger/garlic, and chilies are ground together, and then some oil tempered with red chili, mustard seeds, and curry leaves is drizzled on top to get this…
What is chicken curry? A polite reminder that Chicken curry is nothing but chicken in a simple tomato and onion based gravy. The word ‘curry’ by no means is a singular representation of Indian cuisine. Every Indian recipe is NOT a curry. Even this chicken curry recipe is not universal. Everyone has a different version…
What is summer without mangoes? Actually, the right question is: what is summer without Indian mangoes? We get mangoes here in the USA, but they pale in comparison to their Indian counterparts. They don’t have the smell, sweetness, or juiciness of the mangoes that I have grown up eating. So, I try to make as…
Narkel bori die lau er ghonto Beginners always find cooking Indian food daunting because most popular Indian dishes require a long list of spices; spices that non-Indian kitchens have no use for. And this explains the “curry-powder” phenomenon. The problem is, what passes or is recognized as Indian food is usually the rich, greasy, spicey,…
Rainbow pancakes are so fun to make and they look so pretty that we have been making these every alternate day. Most of the rainbow pancake recipes that I have read online are too elaborate, and, frankly, too much work for breakfast. So I have used a boxed pancake mix for these. I tried a…
What is palak paneer? Palak paneer is basically India’s answer to a creamy spinach dip, or creamed spinach, or spinach lasagna. It’s morsels of cottage cheese (paneer) cooked in spinach (palak) gravy with aromatic spices. A moderately simple recipe to make, this vegetarian north Indian dish is however not for impatient cooks. The best palak…
Ever wonder why Bhakts eat biryani? The Hindutva movement has reacted to globalization with xenophobia, rejection, and a search for historical purity and authenticity. BJP’s idea of Hindu Nationalism is imagined in the figure of an idealized Hindu as the archetypal citizen of India, unaffected by the perceived threat of Muslim cultural influence. Hindutva movement…
How to make Bengali fish butter fry? The Bengali fish butter fry is probably a malapropism of fish batter fry but remains totally acceptable because it does taste melt-in-your-mouth buttery. Fish butter fry or fish batter fry is not commonly made in Bengali home kitchens. This is one of those Bengali recipes that is implicated…