• Food

    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…

  • Food,  Heritage

    Dhokha: A faux fish dish from Bihar

    Kya aap dhokha khaana chahte hain? Surprised? Well, I am not asking if you want to be cheated. Dhokha is a vegetarian dish from Bihar. Why is it called Dhokha (literally meaning ‘deception’)? Because it fools you…

  • Food,  Travelogues

    The story of Kachchi Dabeli

    I remember first buying a packet of Kachchi Dabeli masala in a supermarket and wondering why it was called Kachchi. It took me a few moments to discover that it was not कच्ची or ‘raw’ but कच्छी…

  • Food,  Musings

    Winter special treats

    As children growing up in Pondicherry, we hardly owned any sweaters. I distinctly remember 1984 when Dad was transferred to Chandrapur in autumn. The first winter caught us unawares and there was a rush to buy navy…

  • Food,  Musings

    My dosa disasters

    My mother and I shared a love-hate relationship. I always felt that she favoured my brothers, and I came second to her sons. This was something I never stopped fighting about. And my most vehement argument towards…