Meen Puyabaisse: The Pondicherry version of Bouillabaisse
I grew up in the French colony of Pondicherry which is located by the Bay of Bengal. One of the first things that grabs your attention when you reach Pondicherry is the French spelling. Our landlord was…
Agast ke phool ke bajke: Festival-special fritters
Fritters (bajke) made out of Agast flowers are commonly made around Chhat in Bihar, and usually on Bhai Dooj day. On these festival days, due to the huge demand, these flowers sell for anywhere between Rs 800…
Doodh pittha: A dessert from Bihar
Doodh pittha is a sweet dish from Bihar. We pronounce it as pittha (पिट्ठा) and not peetha (पीठा) as most television chefs pronounce it. It is a dish popularly made in the winters, especially in the month…
Pragaree: A Sindhi stuffed puff
Today I tried to make a Sindhi sweet dish called Pragaree. It is a cross between a gujiya and a crisp puff and is usually made during Holi. A pragaree has several crunchy layers, and is stuffed…
Crisp Noni saag ke pakore
I don’t know how many of you have heard of noni ka saag. It is an edible weed which grows as a creeper with a tendency to spread quickly. It is called as wild purslane (Portulaca oleracea)…
Bajka or Tarua: Fritters from Bihar
One item which is a must in every thali at lunch when guests come visiting to a Bihari home are bajkas. These are fritters made out of assorted vegetables. These are quick to make and can be…
Dhirde: A Maharashtrian crepe
It all started with my college batchmate and friend Pallavi Waikar asking me if I knew how to make dhirde (pronounced धिरडे). Now Pallavi is a Maharashtrian and is married to a Bihari. And we often exchange…
Khichdi-chokha: Bihar’s comfort food
There is this thing about Bihari homes and Shanichar ki khichdi. if you don’t make masoor dal ki khichdi on a Saturday, you will encounter fierce arguments and glum faces! I have blogged about the reasons and…
Watermelon Rind Recipes
Summers are here and watermelons are being consumed in plenty. While we chomp down huge quantities of the red centre, I just thought I could make use of the white part of the watermelon, the rind. The…
A vegetarian Galaouti Kebab
It is the season of festivals where meat is taboo, and I’m continuing with my series on fake meats. So today’s recipe is a vegetarian Galaouti Kebab. The word Galaouti is probably derived from Galawati which literally…
