Every Thursday, when the family would fast for the family deity, my great grandma would make naralachi vadi or coconut fudge squares for prasad or the offering to god. She would labor over a panful of freshly grated coconuts, often plucked from the tree in the backyard, stirring in clotted cream, milk and sugar and …
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When we were kids, the only kind of corn we got in the markets was the white corn. Like a string of the best pearls, it sat in its green casing, golden silk showing up here and there. If you pierced a pearl with your nail, it oozed thick white milk, holding promise of flavor. …
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Before Maushi and Kaka moved to their lovely little red bricked bungalow in Khanapur, they lived in a rented love nest on the upper floor of a modest house. Khanapur is a dusty old town with a very, very special place in my heart. So special that I cannot bring myself to write about it …
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Last year, on our annual trip to Goa, we ate at Mum’s Kitchen. This quiet little place located in a quiet little residential area near Miramar beach, serves what I like to call non-hippie-Goan food. By that, I mean that they don’t do grilled fish with white sauces and fries. The people who run the …
[ Continue Reading... ]My maternal grandmother has a thing against tomatoes. Especially when they’re used in traditional Indian dishes. See, tomatoes came to India very recently. Souring agents, until then, were natural yogurt, lemons, kokum, buttermilk, raw mango, etc. If you really dig deep into your family’s recipes from two-three generations ago, you will find no references to …
[ Continue Reading... ]I treasure my utensils and kitchen appliances with more love than my wedding ring. And if I were to choose between my Kerala-style clay pots and some modern, fancy cooking instrument, I would most definitely choose my clay pots. I love the earthy smoothness of their surfaces and I love the aroma that wafts in …
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My mum insists she hates cooking. She’s an artist, a dreamer. She says she’s rather spend a day at the art gallery or reading a book or listening to music rather than think of the zillion meals she has to put on the table for the family. She’s not much of an innovator in the …
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